Muttaburra

Arolf, glad to hear your little ones are feeling better, and that the elderly poodle is settling in.

I can't tell you for sure if snails are toxic, I would think not, since they are pretty bland and moslty eat leaves. Slugs can eat rat poo though and there is some parasite that is carried that way to dogs. You can get a bowl, put some beer in the bottom, sink into the ground so the snails can get in, they get drunk and can't get out and you can dispose of them that way. You would need to put the trap somewhere the pup cant get to, or get out there first each morning. Wood shavings discourage snails as does potash or ash from your fireplace. Also sawdust, you would need to ensure though that the sawdust is not from treated timber.

A dog biting is serious enough , this kind of behaviour needs to be nipped in the bud (pardon the pun) as soon as possible.After you have opened the door with the dog on the lead, take the guests to be seated, then sit down yourself with your dog next you on a small mat or rug. Any attempt by the dog to snap at visitors try a NO or UH UH sharply spoken, then taken by lead to another room, left for a few minutes only, then led back in and settled beside you on the floormat again. Ask your guests please not to pat the dog, explain the dog is in training. The dog is probably frightened to some degree. For the present it will be enough for your dog just to sit quietly (reward for sitting quietly) next to you when you have visitors. Continue to do this each time. That is enough for a while. Be patient. Remember in doggy language they do a "play bow" first to show they are freindly and want to play. Most dogs will treat as hostile another dog reaching out to them without giving a signal first. Some dogs will also see such a direct approach from a human, without a prior signal, as a very forward move and they then try to defend themselves. Consider that the average Chi is not much larger than the average human foot, people walking around as they arrive and leave can be stressfull for such a tiny animal. Also don't expect too much from your Chi in terms of socialising with other large strange dogs, be happy that it has a mate with your GR.

There is quite a lot to this, but it is acheivable. I would rather a professional trainer take you through some of the steps. In the meantime, do not let anyone into the house unless the dog is on a lead. Allow the dog to sit on a mat beside you, on the lead, and drop him a reward if he is quiet calm and sitting or lying down. This would be the starting point. Its a pity you missed it but on "Its me or the dog" tonight they did a fair bit with small dog agression.

Kirstie the word I would use for JRT's is intense. They can be intensely sensitive, sooky, alert, determined, loyal, playful etc. whatever it is at the time that captures their attention. I believe it is a feature of the breed, working dogs would have been selected for tenacity and bravery in digging out a fox, and also bred to work with a certain amount of independence. The original breeder, Parson Jack Russell also kept his dogs inside the house so also selected them for thier loyalty and companionability. They are a dog that responds particularly well to a lot of attention, so if you can keep that attention with a good component of training and activity they should be fairly settled. Although your girl is still young and learning. I suspect that the female is the dominant one of the breed. I think it might be asking too much for her to not gaurd food with visiting dogs. So stand there while they all eat, and any that finish must leave the room, try to put her in a place where the others do not have to go near her to get out or past. Once they have finished eating, food must go away until next feed time. Also you could consider having a big bowl of water outside as well as inside. Every few days try and have a training session where you extend her skills. Things like a plank resting on a couple of drums and teach her to walk along it, agility poles, something new. This will also help bond with her and she will be more likely to respond to you at other times. I would love to tell you every amusing encounter I have had with some of Maxi's "challenges", but most times I have managed to achieve respect with my own determination and without raising my voice. It will definitely be an ongoing thing with a JRT, but they are worth every minute of it. Once they mature, at about 3yo, you will have the most amazing dog.

As well as withholding some "priveleges", I have found it helps me with my JRT to also increase motivation. Maxi responds incredibly well when motivated. It will mean offering an irresistable treat as a reward, you can get Home Brand dog choc treats that are based on carob. (they have choc ones too, so you have to read the packet.) I agree with others, give her some security when eating her food, and a place to call her own in the house - basket, crate whatever. It might also be a phase where she is trying to work out her position in the pack and you may want to consider if she could be elevated above any of the other dogs (laid back ones). Once this all settles down you may have to go through it all again when she reaches 2yo etc. It would be good if she could have her own basket or bed on the floor somewhere, not just sleeping anywhere on the floor. How old is she now?

Ah Naghu - there's probably more refined training techniques than the following, but I found it works with mine. As soon as one of them got overboard (it was rare anyway), and biting is not allowed, but fake air biting and mouthing is, so if someone bites or there is a real escalation that appears to be looking like going into a fight, I would just clap my hands loudly, two or three times and yell "settle". This has worked in many scenarios, with dogs I didn't even know well. They ususally just stop what they are doing and look up at you. Then you say, "ok, gentle now or you'll have to go lie down in your baskets" or "calm down" etc. They usually know by your tone of voice to cool it. If the pup won't chill out after that, then put it on the lead and take it to it's crate. It will soon figure out that it is more fun to "settle" when told than sitting in the crate or alone in the backyard. Even a gentle giant can have too much to bear if constantly harrassed, so definitely supervise and correct.

Nothing In Life is Free, there is a sticky post in training I think. Terriers although small, can be quite dominant dogs sometimes with high energy and drive. Good on you for taking things in hand. I have 2 JRTs and with the male it took some time to get on an even keel with him. Still wouldn't swap him for anything.

Nek If the no command has become ineffectual you can try uttering a loud sound, loud enough to get the dogs attention like "Uh Uh" in a sharp voice but not to high.

Dogs with flat type faces often have these problems, the other thing that should be looked at is the soft palate, this can also relax during sleep causing breathing problems. I agree, discuss with breeder and then find a good vet for a second opinion.

Wow, can't believe the pups are growing up so quickly. Just a word of caution, please be very vigilant between now and when you plan to desex them. Firstly a bitch on heat will likely encourage males to the area, they can scent the pherermones. Secondly, JRTs are escape artists at the best of times, so can you imagine having 2 JRT bitches on heat at the same time, both wanting to escape and find a mate! Would love to see some photos!

If you're not feeling 100% up to the cleaning and chasing after a small puppy, you might find that you can adopt and older Bichon that has already been trained. If you think this might be a possibility check in the breed rescues and rescue sections. When getting a dog from a reputable rescue they are always temperment tested, desexed and the foster carer usually can tell you a fair bit about them.

Did he manage to eat another teaspoon or two of food? Hugs and special thoughts for you and your little dog.

He's only little, everything looks mighty big to a Chi! At this stage it would be preferable to avoid those stressful situations completely, or he is likely to develop a very big fear. On the TV that lady from "its me or the dog" demonstrates a good technique, of quickly turning the dog as soon as they see another dog and start to react. This needs to be done quickly, and then you start to walk away from the other dog. Also keep in mind, Chi's are vulnerable, basically one bad bite or shake, and that is enough to kill them, so please be careful where you take him. If you can show your little dog confident leadership, then the dog will have more confidence and feel secure. If you are a namby pamby, or an erratic leader then the dog will think they have to take on the lead role of protection for both of you, and he won't be the first or last hysterical small dog to freak out because of poor leadership. Have you thought of trying puppy training school? There is no reason it should take a dog one month to learn the sit command, either the rewards aren't being given quickly enough, or the dog gets too much for free or too much smooching. Perhaps you could try the training session an hour or two before the main meal, so that there is some appetite there. Keep the sessions brief and always end on a high note. Any photos of your Chi, my parents had 3 of them and they all had different personalities. Soft boy and dominant girl.

It sounds like your dog is getting it "all for free" so have a bit of read of the NLIF program in the training section.Chi's are very intellegent little dogs and should be quite trainable. They are sensitive though. Try and make the cuddles and pats part of the training program, so for a while try to refrain from patting and cuddling. If he comes to you when you call, give enthusiastic pats or cuddles (if he likes them), otherwise ignore him. Try it, you may be very surprised.

Caff! Firstly, this pup is only 11 weeks old, so you can't expect it to get everything right. Maxi used to grab my shoelaces when we were setting out on a walk, I think it is just excitement, and they associate the shoes with the walk. I would recommend always having the pup on the lead, if it starts to bite at your shoes, call out a command like "turn around" then quickly turn around and go in the opposite direction, remembering to stand very straight and tall with you chin in the air, not paying any attention to the pup at all, the distraction should help break the habit. Also the bit about eating first, well you can just nibble on a biscuit or similar, while you ask the dog to sit, once dog is sitting then put the food straight down. Dog needs to know that following a command brings quick reward when you first start training. If you are too slow with the reward, or trying to get a young pup to hold a command for too long, then the pup will always be failing and frustrated. As the training advances, then you can work on delayed stay and wait commands, but you do need to build up to these. For now, get that reward out quick. Also remember to "release" with another command such as "ok now" so there is a beginning and an end to it all.

There is also stuff on the forum about dogs when they turn around 2yo. They may regress in some ways, old behaviours might emerge and they will be testing everyone around them for good leadership.

That's ok, none of us are born with knowledge of how to train dogs. The real thing that will make the difference here is how quickly you can fast track your knowledge of training and understanding dogs. At six months he should already have had plenty of training, and if he hasn't you are looking a some big problems. If you want this dog to be the fantastic dog, that he has the potential to be, it will involve some hard work for the next 2 months and then a steady and consistent maintenance of training methods to keep him in check. From the labrador side he will get silliness, and crave human company, from the cattle side, he will get some working dog traits, which means he needs good exercise and stimulation on a daily basis. With his breeding he should be a very trainable dog, and will probably work well with food rewards. If you want him to sleep in the old garage, go and clean it up, spend some time in there with him so that he will associate the garage with you. See if you can put an old lounge chair or lounge in there and maybe hangup some of your old clothing (out of reach) or some other items from the house, make it look like a little welcoming home. Get an old fashioned Tic Toc wind up clock or a radio. Block off any draughts, and consider sectioning off a small area like a stall and put his bed there. Make the garage a great place to hang out. Get a routine happening and dont underestimate the use of words with your dog. At the same time each night, say to the dog "Bed Time", put him on his lead, get him to go to the toilet outside then lead him to his place in the garage. Give him a special little food treat and settle him into his bed. He needs to understand it is the place for him to sleep and that he is not being punished.

TB The use of the lead as described by TB is one of the best strategies for lots of things. When you want him to actually go to the toilet, try taking him out on the lead (after meals, naps etc.), and when he goes to the toilet say the word "toilet" then give him a reward and make a big fuss over him. With this constant "behaviour conditioning" it will only be a matter of time and he will learn to go to the toilet on command. Also you can keep him on the lead until he toilets, and part of the reward is being let off the lead after he has gone to the toilet. He'll soon learn. It is definitely time to take this pup to dog obedience, this will help you understand the way commands are learned, and will give you the support you need to help your dog.

Some apple cider vinegar in the drinking water also helps with fleas, and can be a good overall conditioner for a dog. Not sure of the dosage, I am guessing a teaspoon or two, someone here will know. Chicken wings and chicken necks are cheap, you can also get turkey necks these days, so these would be ideal to help with general health too. It sounds as though your sister fell in with some bad company and seriously needs a reality check. The mother bitch should be spayed as a matter of urgency, I suspect her condition is more than worms, and could be gynacological abnormalities. I don't know about your locality, but it would be worth considering contacting the nearest Animal Welfare League to enquire about discount desexing. This is a terrible situation for you and your parents to have arrive at your doorstep, is there some way you could get your sister to some family counselling to get some committment from her to sort the dogs out?

That sounds good. Samadii, what a difficult situation that sounds like, people can be so stubborn. I remember recommending my parents to take their cat straight to the vet when they told me the problem she had, they waited two days and it was nearly too late leaving the cat with a chronic condition. Hope they can see the light.

Definitely fast track the training since there is a noticible deficit in socialisation. There are more effective methods to control your pup other than pushing away, physically lifting up to move etc, doing these things will often be seen as a challenge or play or even a threat, and the dog in turn will think that pushing and grabbing are the ways to get others to do what it wants. To keep a pup in line, it is better to use rewards. The sit command is good. Once the dog is sitting (gets a reward/treat) from there you can redirect it. If the pup is really wayward, then it is better to keep it on the lead at all times, especially in the confined area of the house. Using distractions is also good, getting the pup to chew on chew toys rather that people and dogs. Make the pup sit before you feed it, put the older dog's food bowl down first. Most puppies will mouth, bite, growl, yap cheekily and loudly when being corrected. They will act out mock fights that can be very convincing, with full on sound effects. Puppies should only have limited walking (to do with bone growth etc), but you could take the pup out in the backyard, as part of a routine and give it a soccer ball, or something sturdy to play with, and tire the pup out a bit each day. As mentioned before don't allow the pup to get in places where it will have the advantage, like under the couch or bed, a crate with a blanket over it will soon have if feeling just as secure.

Yeah, as all have said in above posts. It's important because the glue could be toxic to the dog.

When he does it, stand up, cross your arms, look at him with a hard eye and stern face, and say loudly in a deep voice, "Don't even think about it!!!" Watch him carefully and try to give him the "NO!" as soon as he starts to look like he will hump, once they start humping it is harder to stop them.

Yep, that would be one for the vet. It sounds like some damage has been done. If it were just a bit of weeping and the eye was clear and wide open the wiping (one cotton ball per wipe) with saline solution can sometimes clear it up. Your dog sounds like it is a bit more than that, and hopefully should be successfully and relatively easily treated by the vet, who can decide exactly what the problem is.