Nan's puppy has started biting... help!

blackcob

blackcob

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My grandparents's miniature JRT is coming up to five months old now (I think - trying to remember how old he was when they got him!). He's still very dinky and cute as a button but my nan lets him get away with murder and it is starting to show.

I puppysat for them last night while they went out for a meal with my mum and uncle; I picked him up in the car and took him back to my house. He was as good as gold in the car and although clearly very excited he soon settled in at mine and was happily playing with his toys in the living room.

Later in the evening he jumped up onto the sofa. Now my nan's dogs have always been allowed on the sofa so this wasn't a big deal, but he was trying to get really up in my face and generally being a bit of a pain, so I picked him up with the intention of putting him back on the floor and to distract him with a toy. As I was putting him back down, he bit me - reasonably hard - on the back of the hand.

I immediately said "NO" in a loud tone, put him on the floor and promptly ignored him. After going off to the kitchen for a bit to ignore him I came back, sat down on the sofa and he promptly repeated the biting. This time I smacked him, again said 'No' and put him on the floor again - only for him to attempt to bite me again on the way down. I was gobsmacked by his audacity; even as I was telling him off very firmly, he was looking for an opportunity to do it again.

I told my nan about it after I dropped him off that night, and she showed me the marks on her hands and arms where he'd been biting her. I was horrified, but she insisted he was 'just playfighting' and I know full well she wouldn't have told him off for it. My grandad thankfully has his head screwed on and tells him off for it, and as a result he doesn't dare do it to him, but he knows my nan is a pushover.

Similarly, he has started barking when people come to the door - a trait I abhor in dogs - and pulls like a train on the lead, something which I also do not tolerate.

He is basically turning into a little terror but I'm not sure what I can do or say without upsetting my nan.
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Their old JRT was an utter saint with whom I used to do agility and obedience training, so god knows what's going on with this one!

Is there anything I can do without sounding like I am preaching to my daft old nan?
 
Would you be willing to do some obedience or agility with this one? If you worked with him a bit it would give them a "window" to influence him and you could present your suggestions for modifying his behaviour more as showing them what works for you rather than telling them off. I agree your Nan has to deal with him differently but I suspect and outlet for his JRT energy and something to occupy his little brain might make him easier for them to deal with generally.
 
As suggested, sounds like he has been let to get away with this behaviour, and now thinks he has the right to carry on doing so, it does not sound like their is any rules in place for him, I would firstly remove the toys and keep him off the furniture, I do not want to sound condisending, but this is a typical rescue hand in for us, we have 2 J.r.ts and a westi, all under 1 year, handed in with these problems, lack of boundry and too much little dog syndrome, i.e , been treat like babies.
We will now set these boundaries, and place them back up for rehoming when ready, into a home that will keep up the training.
It's up to your nan, to toughen up, and set some rules, esp at 5 months, this behaviour will only get worse
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Little dogs can get away with murder
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Agree with above, not much you can do if your nan won't wise up!!! My JRT tried it on a couple of times, give'em an inch and they take a mile!!!!
 
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Would you be willing to do some obedience or agility with this one?

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The thing is, when they first had the old dog I was still at school, and as my mum worked until 6pm most nights I would pop round to my nan's house after school to be fed and would take the dog for a walk and teach him various things just for fun. It was only an hour or so every day five days a week, and although I was only a kid the hours obviously added up and he was always a cracking little dog.

Sadly I now live a bit more of a journey away from them and only go to visit perhaps once a month or so, so that's not really an option any more. I've of course offered to take him if they go on holiday and such but I fear that by the time that happens it would be too little too late on my part.
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and too much little dog syndrome, i.e , been treat like babies.


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This is exactly the problem - my nan treats him like a baby. Before he had had his injections she used to carry him around with her everywhere in a shopping bag.
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Half the problem is that he is so very small it's hard not to treat him like a puppy, when in fact he's getting to an age now where he should be growing up a bit. The other half of the problem is my slightly batty old nan being an utter soft touch.

I do wonder if he reacts to women differently to men; I noticed that he hates raised male voices, and my grandad only has to say something in a firm tone and he stops instantly, whereas he wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to me. They said when they picked him up from the breeder that he seemed very wary of her husband which fits with my theory. He was also very submissive to my OH - he met him for the first time when we puppysat, and he kept rolling onto his back for him. Very odd!

I will admit now for the record that I don't like terriers - they're too independent, and as you say you give them an inch and they take a mile! Give me a spaniel any day.
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Could you encourage your grandfather to take him to a puppy class? Or make them both go to one with the puppy together?


In part I agree with Cala about removing his toys, but on the same time I would also maybe recommend one or two more brain activating toys, he would at least get outlet of a bit of his energy on it. I often like to recommend a look at http://www.nina-ottosson.com/index1.htm
And perhaps it could be more likely that your grandmother agreed to remove his other toys, if he got something like that instead?



from Sweden.
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Like Cala has already said, these dogs often end up in rescue as they have been given absolutely no boundaries and then their owners can't deal with them.

Do any young children visit your Nan? What would happen if the dog bit one of them? Perhaps you can take that approach? If the dog were to bite someone either in the home or outside, he could be in danger of being pts. How would your nan feel about that? I think whatever you say to your nan she would be upset, but I'm sure she would be even more upset if she had to deal with the fallout from a biting incident.

Hope it works out OK
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Do any young children visit your Nan? What would happen if the dog bit one of them?

Hope it works out OK
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You make a very good point - her two grandchildren visit once a week and they are only five and three. It hadn't even occurred to me that that might be a problem.
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I haven't seem him interact with the kids so I couldn't really say anything about that at the moment but you're right, the potential is there.

I really don't think he is an aggressive dog, and I don't think he would deliberately go out to hurt a person, but play fighting is unacceptable and will result in people being hurt. He is still so very young looking and puppyish though that I'm having trouble convincing them that there will be a problem. He even managed to make me feel bad about smacking him the other day!

I'll be visiting them next weekend; I might try and pop up when my auntie is there with the grandkids and see how he reacts to them. I fear I will be wasting my time but we'll see.
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What I'd really like to do is have him at my house for a month or so, take him up to the farm every day, loose him off the lead and make him take a few consequences for himself - i.e, if you don't follow me, you get lost and left behind on your own, or if you bark at that other dog they will put you in your place. Would do him a world of good to learn a few rules and go chasing rats to expend some energy!
 
I wouldn't put up with anything in a small dog that I wouldn't put up with in a large dog.
When little dogs are cranky, come people think it is cute - it isn't. Remember when Sharon Osborne's dog bit a celeb on her talk show sofa? Hilarious! Not. Can you imagine if it had been a Rott or a GSD?

Bunter makes a very good point and I wish people would treat bad behaviour in small dogs as seriously as with a big dog.

If any dog behaved like that with me, I would put it in it's place, as you did, no matter who owned it.

I think him spending time with you would be a good idea, Blackcob!
 
My border is 5mnths old, and his teeth are falling out and so he is getting mouthy, but when he was younger my OH used to playfight with him quite alot (much to my annoyance) and now he still thinks he can, which I understand is not his fault, and my OH (due to much persuasion/shouting) has stopped play fighting, but now it means he is just getting told off for something he thinks is normal.
If your nan thinks he is play fighting and letting him get away with it, then he will keep doing it, she really needs to stop. Without preaching (as I am sure you wouldn't!) maybe just talk to her about how bad it is and how it will effect him when he is older?

Depends on the relationship between you and your nan (but it sounds strong) good luck!
 
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