Please help terrier is driving me mad!!

Bens_Mum

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I have a Norfolk x boarder she is 7 and is a total nightmare on a walk! We have had her since a puppy but lately she is driving me up the wall. She has plenty of walks but it still causes such mania especially in the mornings it totally stressing me out before work- probably sounds dramatic but she is!

I tried making her sit quietly to put the lead on etc but this makes no difference.. The other dog is the same age again had for years retriever x and very quiet and well behaved.

She's manic and yappy normally but it's when we see other dogs the stress really starts. She has excellent recall/ doesn't need a lead what she does is beats up our other dog! The minute anything else comes she snaps and it and growls and plucks her hair out! I've tried putting her on the lead doesn't improve matters either! It's horrible dragging her home making a scene and now I'm getting up even earlier to avoid others! It doesn't help that people near where we walk let there dogs jump all over u so I'm there with two dogs dragging me all over while being bounced on by the third and the terrier growling and attached to my very confused looking other dog!

I assume it's some sort of dominant behavior but it's so annoying! In the house if she starts the big dog just sits on her which is quite funny! Any ideas as she's driving me barmy especially the growling and barking I dread taking her first thing it's just pure stress :( . She's always been a pain but this is a whole new level ..
 
You need to cut the behavior out. If she is misbehaving, then that is it, the walk should automatically be over. If you immediately take her home and put her away as soon as she acts up, she will soon learn her bad behavior has consequences.
 
Hadn't even thought of that will try tomorrow! If she does it in the house has anyone got any suggestions? Thanks
 
I would think you need a behaviourist - and a good one, to find out what is underlying this behaviour, is it fear for example. If it is aversives such as taking her home will only have a limited effect. I have a JRT who has always pulled on the lead, despite training and clicker ad nauseum - it is part of who she is, but she doesn't get stressed or aggressive. Some insurers will pay for an APBC registered behaviourist http://www.apbc.org.uk/help/regions
 
She's driving me mad she only attacks our dog who never retaliates l! I see if the vet can recommend someone. She's perfect with anyone else's it's really odd.
 
I have a friend with a little dog, a rescue who could well be a Norfolk x Border, she is a little minx and plays her owners up terribly but when she comes to me and stays she is a little saint. I have 3 dogs of my own 2 bitches and 1 dog but I have rules and visitors have to comply, she knows this hence the turnaround in behaviour.

Im not saying this is the case with your dog but as others have said a behaviourist is a good idea and will give you really good advice, it might be just a case of setting firm boundaries and hopefully you will see a change in her behaviour.
 
I'd walk them separately for now.

See how she reacts to other dogs when on her own. It might be informative.

If it was me I would keep her on a lead and try and get her lead/heel work perfect when other dogs are around. Start with getting her perfect on her own and then try taking the other one out at the same time. Maybe with some one else with the other one on a lead too so that you can focus on the terrier.
 
My thoughts exactly Alec ;) my friends is 18!! It's perfect alone and fine with other dogs it's just decided it hates my dog which it has lived with happily for 4 years.. She's a dominant bossy bag il see what the behaviourist can suggest!
 
The politically correct part of my post is: take the little darling to the vet and get a MOT done. If no physical problems, then walk them separately and put the little sweetheart in bootcamp. Make it VERY clear that you are the boss in the household and what you say goes. End of story, no discussion.

When your little furbaby has got the gist of things then re-introduce them. The un-politically correct part of this post is that I simply would not allow any bullying behaviour to happen FULLSTOP.........no matter what it takes to get the message across. Interpret that how you will.

I have an 8 year old bitch who likes to think she's boss bitch but she hasn't really got what it takes. When I had her as a pup I only had one other male who is as soft as putty and he let her hang off his jowls, tail, whatever. He had to be driven to distraction before he would floor her. He is now an old man of fourteen that I love far too much to allow him to be intimidated by this upstart, so she rapidly learnt that 'enough' meant stop it and stop it now or else life is not worth living.

If the above fails, then I'm with Alec: shoot the bloody thing! :D
 
I think I need to shoot OH too he panders too it and babies it! Team effort required the problem is it's small and apparently cute looking which gets it a long way with him!

I wish the big dog would flatten it she has the patience of a saint except every now and then when she sits on her or flattens her with a paw which is very amusing!!

Thinking about it it's got worse since we moved into the new house it's back in a crate now when I'm out so it can't be pestering all day.. Some tough 'love' coming her way after the vet..
 
One way to impress on him he isn't that important and the territory isn't his to defend (if that is what is going on) is to spend some periods ignoring him, especially when you enter the house. It says to him "you are too insignificant for me to bother greeting" - but do take care, it is a fairly unkind thing to do, so don't do it for long periods. That "if" is a big "if" though - you do need someone to read body language and work out what the underlying problem is.
 
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