Re educating a young dog - help please

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MyBoyChe

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I have been asked for advice by a friend who has a 2yr old JR x, he was a rescue and they have had him for about 18 months. At the weekend he bit the husband on the lip as he (hubby) tried to kiss his wife (dog was sat on wifes lap when it happened) The little dog is a nice little chap but is a cocky little toad, was neutered 6 months ago, but I believe they have spoilt him to the point where he thinks he is in charge, allowed on beds, sofas, carried around and generally indulged. The husband wants to PTS, the wife wants to give the dog a chance. My thoughts are that if they do want to keep the dog they need to re establish very firm basic rules ie dog is lowest of the low, no sofas, beds, laps allowed and he must be treated like a dog and not babied (sp), fed last, sleep in the kitchen on a dog bed and not allowed to be first to the door to greet visitors. Am I thinking along the right lines and have I missed anything. Family has 3 boys, all teenagers and I am in no doubt that they do want to try but must all understand they all have to be on the same page of the "how to treat dog like a dog" manual so to speak. I am not suggesting they punish or mistreat the dog, who by now has obviously no idea why he is being told off, but rather that they treat him firmly but fairly, so that he is in no doubt of his place in the family. Cayla, or anyone with practical experience/knowledge, your thoughts please?
 
Absolutely the right way to go i would say. Little toad indeed. My JRT was exactly the same when i got him from the rescue centre i used to work at. He's nearly 17 now and can still be a little grumpy toad but he knows his boundaries.

I would say the situation is fixable but he probably wont be happy about it to begin with as he has been allowed to act like the pack leader and they will need to be tough and consistant.
 
Easy solution. Ignore the dog completely for 2 weeks, just basic care but without any attention as such. No more going on the furniture. It's not about dominance or training or leadership so much as letting the dog learn to not be so hellishly dependant on your friend. When the dog is able to just be a dog, not a surrogate child, it'll stop acting like a little brat!
 
Agree with everything already said but with this addition - EVERYONE in the entire household must be on the same page. If that is not possible then one person should be nominated to take charge of the 'boot camp' phase and everyone else forget there is a dog in the house.

ANY lapse in the first few months of 'boot camp' will undo anything you have done before, 'oh sod it, let him on the sofa, anything for a quiet life' just the once and all the work will have been for nothing and above all, it is not fair on the dog to keep changing the rules.

I would also have a collar or harness on the dog and keep a line handy so the dog is led everywhere or can be moved around easily without having to get too close to the sharp pointy end or having to grab or lean over it. It also means if he does get on the sofa, he can be removed with no argument, just pull the line, off he pops.

It might seem harsh but it will mean a much more settled and un-confused dog, which is more humane in the long run.
 
CaveCanem said:
Agree with everything already said but with this addition - EVERYONE in the entire household must be on the same page. If that is not possible then one person should be nominated to take charge of the 'boot camp' phase and everyone else forget there is a dog in the house.

ANY lapse in the first few months of 'boot camp' will undo anything you have done before, 'oh sod it, let him on the sofa, anything for a quiet life' just the once and all the work will have been for nothing and above all, it is not fair on the dog to keep changing the rules.

I would also have a collar or harness on the dog and keep a line handy so the dog is led everywhere or can be moved around easily without having to get too close to the sharp pointy end or having to grab or lean over it. It also means if he does get on the sofa, he can be removed with no argument, just pull the line, off he pops.

It might seem harsh but it will mean a much more settled and un-confused dog, which is more humane in the long run.
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Much better plan than playing sofa yo yo which I have seen so many people do.

Consistency is key with all training and behaviour modification. Also key is making things black and white. Decide what is allowed and what isn't allowed, make it clear what you do want and what you don't want. Anything else will just cause confusion. Confusion causes frustration and that can lead to all sorts of bad things.
 
Thanks all. Have spoken to wife this evening and at the moment her oh is still all for getting rid of the dog, says he cant trust him now :( I do understand where he is coming from but honestly believe the fault lies with them rather than the dog. I am going to speak to them both tomorrow to see what has been decided but will once again try to emphasize to them, the importance of the points made above.
 
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