Viewing Single Post From: Help needed for my friend, please

Viewing Single Post From: Help needed for my friend, please
Linda & Fred	May 13 2009, 03:58 PM
Chatterbox Posts: 706 Group: Full Members Member #571 Joined: November 28, 2007	He sounds a bit like a JRT I once fostered - he was a gorgeous, cracking little dog, but he'd bite, and hard, suddenly and without warning. We also did a lot of that sort of work with him, and he was 'only' biting once a week instead of daily after a couple of months. He's the only dog I have had to ask to be removed as he bit my son (13 at the time and very sensible with dogs). He went to a couple with a lot of land, who never let him on furniture, never had kids over and never went near him when he was sleeping and seem to deal with him without any effort. Either what they are doing is working, or they're not bothered about the bites! When I got a behaviourist in for Fred, he told me I'd 'trained' Fred to within an inch of his life but hadn't taught him how to 'behave nicely' in the real world. I knew what he meant - he'd walk to heel, recall, finally calmed down in the training sessions, but at home would leap on my other dog at the slightest noise because he just felt like having a go at her. I was told he'd trained me, and now I was trained he was starting to work on Beauty and her fate was apparently to be driven out of the house. He had to stop taking whatever he fancied and had to wait for invitations etc - I was told letting him on furniture wasn't the problem although things would move quicker if I stopped letting him up, but that he should never jump up uninvited. I was also told I praised him WAY too much - probably as a result of the trauma of training classes. So now if he's told something once and he responds, he's praised/rewarded. If I have to make him do what I've asked, or ask more than once, he doesn't get even a 'good dog' which I thought was really harsh, but it was explained to me that Fred felt he never had to do what I said until I made him do it, and he'd get no consequences for misbehaviour (ie not doing what I asked) and still he'd get the praise/reward! What reason did he have to do what he was told? As he was a HUGE attention seeker I had to ignore all requests for attention until he stopped requesting it, then I could invite him for attention. It took 3 very lonely weeks before he stopped demanding and started responding to my requests! I felt like I never got to even speak to him. Fred responded really well to the rattle when he was being rude and bossy and I was advised that a spray collar would work very well on him, but in the end the rattles worked so well we didn't get one. I still find that if I relax too much, his old behaviour creeps back in. If Cooper was responding well and now 'is back' to biting, is your friend still keeping up what she was doing? It's so hard to do, and I only really notice I've slipped with Fred when he plays up again. I just don't notice I'm giving into demands for attention, or back to praising him when he's not deserved it etc. Is your friend really still keeping up the work she started? I would also recheck with the vet. It took me a long time before the vet would give Fred an xray, and even then another 6 months and a second xray before they diagnosed his HD and put him on painkillers. With the knowledge and treatment Fred bites a hell of a lot less (he used to bite 'for no reason'), and when he does bite I know I've overdone it with him - like when I did flatwork agility with him on the Saturday and on Sunday K9 multisports and on sunday night he bit me. Also it explains why he was so very angry the day I was helping organise a big dog show and I had him walking around with me all day long. As soon as we stopped at about 3pm for 'lunch' he went bonkers after me, my mum, the other dogs, and had to be crated for the rest of the afternoon. A terrier should have the stamina for that. That was in between the xrays he had when I was told there was nothing wrong with him. Not saying that is the same for your friend, but these things do happen. Sorry that's quite long and is very my 'my own story' but thought there might be something in there that makes you think 'aha' that sounds worth looking into. I am so glad I persevered with Fred - now he's doing so well I've heard things like 'my BT isn't placcid like your dog' and 'your terrier has a good temperament unlike mine' and this is the dog who had me in tears for nearly a year, had bitten and drawn blood from me, wasn't safe around children, especially toddlers, gone for Beauty, gone for numerous other dogs and bitten my dad too.


Help needed for my friend, please · Training & Behaviour