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Jack Russell Pup


Kaffy Magee
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We got a jack russell pup about 4-5 weeks ago.We wanted a dog the kids could play with and sleep on their beds. Sniffy was great when we first got her but now she wont let the kids touch her or pick her up. She growls, and snaps at them but is fine with us and accepts our authority but it is clear she thinks she is above the kids. All my little girl wants to do is play with her but she is too aggressive. She is aggressive with her toys and also her food, not just around the kids but the other dogs and cats aswell. We tried to tell and show the kids how to reprimand sniffy when she does this but they have no authority in their voice and it doesnt work. What are our other options. The kids are 4 and 7. Sniffy also bit me on the ankle and drew blood, i know she was playing but that is not on. How do i get her to play with the kids nicely and not growl and bite all the time? She did not come from a breeder she came from the pound at about 8 weeks so is now about 13 weeks. She has a big scar from a gash of some sort on her head so im not sure what sort of life she has had, her and her litter mates were consatntly running around out on the roads until someone brought them in to the pound after getting sick of taking them back to the owners. Any ideas anyone? I also posted this in training section but thought i'd try here too.

Edited by Kaffy Magee
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Do your kids eat before or after your dog? In a pack, the most dominant dog eats first, then the second in charge eats second, etc, all the way down the hierarchy. If your dog eats before your kids, this may be a reason for this behaviour. Ensure that the dog always eats last. If your puppy is fed away from meal time, have everyone around have a quick snack while your puppy watches before you feed it.

Also, dogs see themselves as dominant to anything below its eye level. This means that if your kids lie down and let your dog stand over them, or pick it up and lift the dog above their eye level, they are showing it that it is superior to them in your pack. The same is true if your dog lies on your kids pillow next to them, or stands above them while they're in bed. Try to keep your dog's eyes below your kid's eyes.

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Unfortunately, JRTs aren't always a good choice for families with young children, IMO. They can have a tendency to be snappy and growly without real provocation...and they're very "busy" dogs that like to be entertained or they can be prone to destructive behaviours or barking/pacing.

I think you need to confine the pup to a crate for at least some of the time, and provide ample training sessions in short bursts of around 5 minutes each. The breed loves to please us, but need firm direction (not punishment, just being shown what is acceptable and what isn't) and will work for food OR praise. Clicker training has had some good results in this breed too.

I'd suggest NILIF training (Nothing in life is free) and ensuring your children are above the pup in the pecking order ALWAYS. Confining the pup and working with her strengths will help enormously, as will educating the kids about acceptable dog/child interactions. Allow contact only with close supervision and always be ready to step in, at least for the first few months. Your pup hasn't had a great start in life, and is probably feeling quite confused, which can lead to snappy behaviour if left unchecked.

I hope this helps, please keep us posted.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Well, just an update. Sniffy has settled down now. She loves being wherever the kids are. We put a stop to her being on the bed and she spends most time outside during the day now. I also take her toys off her rather than her having access to them all the time. I have been doing some obedience and trick training with her and she is sooo smart. It really amazes me. she picks things up so quick , very intelligent little doggy. So even though the kids havent been doing these things with her she has stopped the growling and snapping at them. She did growl once the other day and she was promptly reprimanded and put outside. I think she was trying to push the limits again and see if she could getaway with it but other than that she is doing really well. Just thought i would let you know. Cheers

Edited by Kaffy Magee
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Great to hear of your success :rofl: Now you wait for the teenage years when they become deaf and challenge the rules again. (7 months I think). My pup is three months and I'm enjoying his current lovely behaviour while I can!

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LM

Unfortunately, JRTs aren't always a good choice for families with young children, IMO. They can have a tendency to be snappy and growly without real provocation.

Well that's new to me LM, where did you get that information from. :clap:

They would only be snappy and growly if their owners have allowed them, same as any SWF or lots of other lively dogs.

The only reason a JRT needs to be considered carefully for families with small children is their tendancy to jump up and lick the face, they are so quick at this it's important to be confident you can train them competently.

My JRT's Maxi and Gracie are fantastic with children from small toddlers to older children. They are a dog that does need very hands on training as Mckafee has discovered. This is due to their superior intelligence and lightening like reflexes. It is very easy to mis-train a JRT, due to the speed at which they learn they will quickly repeat any behaviour - wanted or unwanted - if they find it has been rewarded in some way - intentionally or unintentionally. JRT's are renowned for training their owners, and hence, often need the attention and training near to that of a young child. :rofl:

JRT's are the best doggone dogs in the world, ask most JRT owners. :clap::clap:

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LM

Unfortunately, JRTs aren't always a good choice for families with young children, IMO. They can have a tendency to be snappy and growly without real provocation.

Well that's new to me LM, where did you get that information from. :rofl:

IMO= In my opinion, or LM's in this case.

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I have to agree with Aber JRT's are wonderfull dogs.

My boy Gilly adores kids and is very gentle with them.

Hey LM why dont you just write a book on EVERYTHING.

That way you can get it all out of your system.

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They can have a tendency to be snappy and growly without real provocation

Yeah that's news to me as well Abergavenny. Gotta love those generalisations, eh! :clap: Only one of mine has ever snapped and that was once when he was a puppy and with provocation.

Kaffy good idea to not let Sniffy sleep on the bed. I'd also suggest keeping an eye on her on the couch ie dont let her sit on the head-rest higher than the kids. The bitches in my experience can be bossy if you let them but they respond really well to authority and training. Damn smart little critters, as you've already noticed. During play if she does get over the top everyone needs to learn to ignore her. Turn your backs and walk away. It looks like she's already learnt that when she's naughty the play time with the kids is over anyway.

Good for you for saving a pound puppy and may you have many hilarious moments with Sniffy in the future :rofl:

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They can have a tendency to be snappy and growly without real provocation

Gotta love those generalisations, eh!

I had JRT's for over 15 years, and I always reckoned that "mini fox terriers" were the snappy & growly ones...

That was IMO, and so my own generalisation.

Another thing that bugged me was that the "foxy jrt" cross was VERY common, but people would say "he's a jack russell" (or JR cross) rather than a "foxy" or "foxy cross". (The "snipey" head was the giveaway for me).

Kaffy, JRT's are definitely quite intelligent - most terriers are, which is why they can sometimes be such a challenge to train.

The flip-side to having such intelligence, is that they don't just think they're so smart, they know they are (and therefore think they're above everyone else) :):eek:

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Kaffy, JRT's are definitely quite intelligent - most terriers are, which is why they can sometimes be such a challenge to train.

The flip-side to having such intelligence, is that they don't just think they're so smart, they know they are (and therefore think they're above everyone else) :(:eek:

:):):( Oh god aint that the truth. And they usually are!

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My sister has an enormous family with kids everywhere and her JRT was lovely. She also took him to a retirement village to charm all the oldies.

JRTs do like their own way but they are not snappy and IMHO are extraordinarily safe with children of all ages :rofl: .

If only they were a half a metre taller :rofl: , I could have one too. Can't stand bending over!

GSPs rule :shrug:

JRTs aren't too bad for a second option :confused::(

Edited by BellasPerson
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  • 1 month later...

This thread has reminded me of a book I was reading in a bookshop the other day (I know I know a bookshop is not a library LOL :thumbsup: ) .

The book was titled 'children and dogs' or something sounding like that, and it had a list of all breeds of dogs and what age the youngest child should be before considering it. MOST terriers were over 8 years of age :thumbsup: . My beloved Cairn terriers were not suited for chidren under six, which I find strange considering all I had researched ect said they were very patient hardy terriers that were forgiving for toddler mishaps, and with Smithy and my 2 and half year old toddler he has been a total saint!!!.

I think the main thing is for dogs to be raised with young children and for children to be taught how to respect them, and vice versa. I think this is why generalizing breeds of dogs is a very wrong thing to do.

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Oh another thing I just remembered about this book that had me shaking my head in disbelief, this book said that staffies are NEVER suitable for children, :thumbsup: , at this stage I slammed the book in disgust!!!. My extended family and sister have had a couple of staffies over the years, and they are the most fun loving goofballs I have ever met! and EXCELLENT with children, very very trustworthy, over all it was a very crap biased conservative book that gave the impression that children should only own goldfish!

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