Skiddish JRT
My 17 month old Jack Russell Terrier is skiddish and he's been that way since we got him. We've had him since he was 6 weeks old and he is afraid of the broom...vacuum...laundry basket...towels... and I don't know what to do for him. We have never abused him and I only raise my voice when he tears up things, I use to spank him with a newspaper before he learned to go outside to potty. I have a 16 year old daughter who adores him as do I and we have only left him in the kennel once for 3 days. We are baffled by his fear of these items and we hate to see him run from them. Other than that he is aggressive with other dogs and most (not all) strangers. When I am home he stays under me and whines when I leave and whenever my daughter leaves to go somewhere he whines until I calm him down. Everyone thinks we have spoiled him excessively...any tips would be greatly appreciated.
HI CJ. I work w/ dogs professionaly and I can tell you most people attribut nervous behavior to abuse. This is almost never true. Dogs similar to humans(but NOT THE SAME) are individuals with distinct personalities. Have you ever encountered and reluctant nervous person. Or an agressive person?
When you vac,sweep etc.. do you try to avoid the dog? do you talk to him in soothing tones. if you do,stop. You are relaying to him that these are things to fear and that he must be kept and protected from. As the pet owner you and all humans in the house hold are the"alfa" dogs. No matter the size or appearance of the breed, they are all"wolves". The all respond to having a leader and a social order. If you do not take on this role and give in to your pets decisions it becomes confusing.
Now, as the leader you can decide what should and will be done in his life and around him. Have your daughter bring him into the room you plan to sweep and have him stay. If he becomes upset and barks at it or turns from it. place him back and have him stay. Do not allow barking or other disruptive behavior during this time. That is not "good" behavior and deserves "correction" this can be done with a quick sharp, not painfull, yank of his choke collar. If used properly this is an indespensible training tool. But have a professional show you a proper fit how to put it on and how to use it.
I know you love your baby like a person, but to be fair to dogs we must realize we are asking them to live in our world. Try to understand their way of thinking and have faith that things you might feel are harsh, may be so IF he were a human.
As far as his agression, he is a terrier.Is this behavior mostly in your prsence and at your home. Some dogs wish to advise other dogs and some people this is theirs and youre not welcome.
If I have been of any help feel free to contact me and would love to help you. I can never(as you might can tell) get enough of "dog talk"
good luck.Jack's are awesome
Thanks so much Tami for the advice, pretty much everything you put in there to some extent we are doing. It's my fault I know, I look at him as my little son and everytime I see those cute little eyes, curly tail and floppy ears I almost melt. I will take to heart (seriously) what you have suggested and If I have more questions I know that I can ask you. 
Hi, I just found your post. I have a pom that fears lightening and rain, he goes into terrible shaking, and high anxiety mode, during rainstorms. We use rescue remedy on him, 2 drops in a small amt of water and in about 30 min he's completely calm. This is a all natural ingredient, manufactured for people for stress reactions. You can buy it at a health food store. I've been using this for sometime and checked with my vet, who said their was nothing in that would hurt him. It works for me Kat
Most Active
Recent Topics
