Re: Barking @other animals in park

Posted by: Linda
Posted on: March 28, 2001 at 06:42:59

In Reply to: Barking @other animals in park
Posted by: Kris
Posted on: March 26, 2001 at 10:37:59

Question:

: Hello!My husband and I will soon be moving to another state and upon visiting this new area over the weekend with our two dogs - Kelso, our 1 1/2 year old female JRT & Alex, our 6 year old male Retriever - we ran into alittle problem... While visiting a park near our future home, Kelso began barking almost hysterically at any animal in her sight - dogs, squirrels, birds... I could not get her to listen to me at all (she has been to obedience class) - no matter what I said to her she kept barking this high-pitched, shrill bark, it was horrible. The only thing I could do was to pick her up & she seemed to calm down. She's been around many other dogs since we adopted her at 7 months & she's never displayed this behavior before...only at squirrels!

: Since we are moving within the next month & this park is a place we want to be able to take our dogs on a regular basis, I'd like to correct this behavior before it gets any worse. Is this a case of needing more obedience training? Could it just be her way of protecting herself in an unfamiliar setting? Any advice or training ideas that I could start now before we move would be greatly appreciated! I don't want my little girl to be "banned" from the park by all the other dogs in the neighborhood!

: Thanks for your help!

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This sounds pretty normal and natural for a dog that is new to an area. The only things I know or are Obedicence classes and this will help you to control your dog and properly socialize it more so than you have done.
You have to remember that some barking is normal to a Jack Russell, especially when they see birds and squirrls that they think they should chase, actually there are doing what they are bred to do, and that is to bark at the quarry, remember that this is a hunting breed of terrier, and is a natural instinct that may not be able to be corrected. this hunting instict has been in place for 100's of years and correcting an instinct is quite impossible.
Sorry I can't be of more help to you but time and getting used to a new inviorment may help
Regards
Linda