Jack russell advice required

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Hi. It's day 5 now and to say he has made an impact on us would be the understatement of the century. He does need a lot of exercise but we live not far from the rolling hills of the south downs and we bought one of those ball launcher things and 30 mins of that twice a day included in the walk exhausts him. He tells us when he has had enough by refusing to give the ball back although you can see sometimes the little war going on in his head. One more chase across the field or a jaunt through the undergrowth.

He also likes to keep an eye on us all and if he cant see all four of us he stops and goes back to see who is lagging behind. We have tested this theory as we did think we might be imagining it after such a short period but if I throw the ball and one of us jumps behind a tree he gets the ball and runs up to everyone of us and won't drop it until he has run up to and found us all. It is fascinating and very cute - not to mention re assuring.

As I mentioned before he is my first dog. The one thing I don't deal with well (please note this is me not dealing with it not Russell) is what to do when we meet other dogs. If they ignore him he's fine. But if they run over and get over friendly or territorial or whatever it is they are doing, he does get a bit feisty.

I just get nervous and I think that maybe i need to be more assertive or - well to be honest I'm not sure.

I'm going to go on one of those dog training courses (owner training is more accurate) but any advice in the interim is as always gratefully received. Thank you.

 

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Sorry but I had to post this. He likes his ears rubbed. He ends up on his back with his head in your hands and his head becomes a dead weight so you cant move your hands otherwise he would have a very harsh awakening to something that totally blisses him out.

This is Russell unashamedly absorbing the love. :- )

 

[hanneroon]

hehe! By feisty, Do you mean that he barks at the other dog a bit if it rushes him? I love jack russels for this. They are superb at telling another dog to get out of their space, its hard to tell without seeing him in action, but if he isn't going around causing trouble himself, and merely telling another dog off for being rude, then i would say that was fairly normal jack russel behaviour. My dog can be a real prat and rarely/never gets let off around strange dogs. The average jack russel though, i know he will be fine with as they make their position very clear, they take one look at him and bark or snap at him, as if to say 'you're not chasing me mate' and he doesn't, they are also very cheerful straight away when they've got their space back.

I think some training classes would be a good idea, so you can learn to read his signals, and maybe learn to act more assertively if he needs it, but in the meantime just act confidently and he will be more at ease... Is he fine with other dogs when they approach him gently or pass by at a little distance?

aaaaaaaw. He's got you well trained!

 

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He is OK if they pass at a distance. And yes thats exactly what I mean. If they don't bother him he is not interested. Having had such a torrid relationship with his brother I was thinking maybe he just isn't interested in other dogs and having got out of that situation now prefers his own and our company?

Do you think thats a possibility? Or am I just over thinking it and he is just doing "what Jack Russells do".

And yes.... he does have me well trained!! He has worked hard on me!!

 

[hanneroon]

sounds like he might be a bit uncomfy around other dogs, and being bullied won't have helped his confidence, but its very hard to say what causes what, as he settles in and you get used to him you'll be able to see what triggers him, and work out if he's being truly antisocial or just normal...

There are a surprising number of badly mannered dogs (for that read inconsiderate owners) around, so he may just be telling them off perfectly reasonably. And he is still adjusting so he may just be being a bit oversensitive while he works everything out. He seems great

 

[Rosie33]

My Jack Russell does exactly the same.

If dogs approach her steadily, she will go through the motions of sniffing and getting to know them, and will eventually play with them. However, if they come barrelling up to her or even jump on her, she will jump at them and snap. She doesn't connect, it's just a warning.

This, I believe, is perfectly acceptable in doggy etiquette. What Rosie is saying is "Mind your Manners" and there is nothing wrong with it at all.

It doesn't mean that your boy is dog aggressive at all.

 

[banana]

Great advice - thanks Susan!

 

[Rosie33]

Thank you, very kind.

I love your avatar ............. really made me smile!

 

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I think we came across a dog walking group today. Lots of dogs and people all together and he ended up in the middle of them. It passed without incident I am happy to report. Starting to think that i am more worried than he is.

Today's project has been Pet Insurance.

This really is a great forum. Thanks to everyone that runs it.

I found a very useful thread on Insurance which was a great starting point.

 

[hanneroon]

hehe! Good news! Dog walking groups are the best. My dog is crazy, but if i can manage to catch up to a professional dogwalker, or a big group of walkers, he shuts right up and acts normal. Really good to get him to meet as many dogs as possible, and that sort of situation works, as all the dogs are just hanging out together, not too much dog politics going on, just mooching.

Also, I think most humans are more worried than your average jack russell,

 

[Rosie33]

So glad everything is going well.

You'll soon be a Jack Russell Addict!! x

 

[Oreo]

I think we came across a dog walking group today. Lots of dogs and people all together and he ended up in the middle of them. It passed without incident I am happy to report. Starting to think that i am more worried than he is.

Today's project has been Pet Insurance.

This really is a great forum. Thanks to everyone that runs it.

I found a very useful thread on Insurance which was a great starting point.

Insurance is a minefield however, it is something I know a bit about. So if you would like a hand let me know.

Personally, without getting into it too much I would go a for life policy which means that as long as you keep up your payments your dog will always be covered!

 

[whippetsrus]

If you are looking for a life policy try NFU. Their's is the best life policy I have come across.

 

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I went for Argos Pet insurance in the end. I wanted to get something done quickly (just in case) and did a bit of research and their Platinum plan seemed reasonable and goes beyond the 12 months as long as you keep u the premiums. Not sure if that is what is meant by Life Policy?

He's been with us a week today!

We are definitely going to go for a bit of "one to one" training with a professional. Just waiting for a few to call me back. Just because I am so "undoggified" (new word perhaps), that I just want to be comfortable as to what is and what isn't acceptable around other dogs.

He did go for one yesterday and trying to be impartial (and probably failing) and with the benefit of hindsight the other dog would not leave Russell alone. He had barked and run off but the other one persisted. Russell did snap quite viciously but no injuries thankfuly (on either side) just a bit of yelping.

Anyway, spending a bit of time with a professional would help us both I am sure.

It is lovely watching the different relationships grow with members of the family. He is so protective of my 8 year old daughter. Thats the most notable trait. When we are out as a group he is always looking for her and he just seems to know not to jump up on her. She is tiny and doesnt like it whereas the rest of us love it and he leaps up with the rest of us.

Anyway, it's all going rather well.

 

[eingana]

Glad to hear it's all going so well for you, and given that training classes are far more for training the owners than training the dogs, getting yourself some intensive training should be a really positive learning experience for both you and Russell.

The fact that he doesn't bother with dogs unless they're hassling him is great..Now if you can work out when you may need to intervene before he feels the need to snap then you should be able to show him that you will protect him from that happening and he will start to trust that you will look after him in that way.

How lovely it is to hear of an accidental furry family being created and being a positive thing

BTW- I don't have insurance for my pets any more. I have a savings account where I put the amount I would be paying in premiums (I have 4 cats as well as the dog) and I use that as a fund to pay vet bills. This works on the principle that over 20 years I've paid in a huge amount more than I got out, even bearing in mind that I had a cat who had a heart problem which included thousands of pounds' worth of tests and medication over her lifetime. Saving £120 a month into that ISA gives me a fund I can use for little loans to myself when times are hard too- and I don't charge myself the interest that payday loan operators do

 

[Rosie33]

Glad to hear things are going so well. Certainly, a few sessions with a behaviourist or trainer should be a good thing.

A good command to teach is the "Watch" one, where you ask the dog to look at you, usually by holding a treat up at chest level. That could help if Russell is focusing on another dog.

I do wish people wouldn't allow their dogs to cause a nuisance though. When they can see your dog isn't enjoying the attention, you would expect them to get their dog under control, but often they don't. They often shout "He only wants to play", which means nothing if your dog doesn't!!

 

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Thanks Eingana. We are very pleased too. If anything it has reminded me that sometimes in life "things just happen" and some things that just happen are a good thing.

Really interesting point that you make about Pet Insurance. I think if I had more pets that would make good sense.

 

[interflow]

Glad to hear things are going so well. Certainly, a few sessions with a behaviourist or trainer should be a good thing.

A good command to teach is the "Watch" one, where you ask the dog to look at you, usually by holding a treat up at chest level. That could help if Russell is focusing on another dog.

I do wish people wouldn't allow their dogs to cause a nuisance though. When they can see your dog isn't enjoying the attention, you would expect them to get their dog under control, but often they don't. They often shout "He only wants to play", which means nothing if your dog doesn't!!

Thanks you for that advice. I'll definitely try the "watch" command.

I have met some lovely people walking dogs who are full of useful advice and very friendly. However, I must admit that I did feel a bit annoyed that Russell was put in that situation even though I know we both probably could have handled it better. Still i know it is going to happen so looking forward to a bit of help from a professional.