Re: Still Biting

In Reply to: Still Biting
Posted by:  Ellen Jensen
Posted on:  May 22, 2001 at 16:12:08

: I know you have many questions on biting, but I have looked and none of them seem to answer my question. Our Jack Russell, Roscoe is a very good boy and we have had him in Puppy class as well as in home 1 on 1 training. He is ready for agility classes, except that he is 10 months and we still cannot seem to get him to stop mouthing. He doesn't really get agressive and his biting has curbed a lot, he just likes to put his mouth on us when he is playing. My concern is that he is not really a puppy anymore and that seems to be puppy behavior. We still use the squirt bottle and the firm no bite. We don't really like to grab his muzzle as it makes him more agressive. I am just wondering if we are missing something? He is very well trained, it's just that area that we can't seem to control. Any suggestions?

: Thank you

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Hi, Ellen,

I'm sitting here trying to think of a way to say this without seeming offensive. It's so hard just writing something when you can't see my body language, so you can see that I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I've just got this advice for you... your dog needs to know what "NO" means. It's such a simple word, but one that very few Jack Russells really seem to comprehend. "NO" is the single most important word we can teach our dogs and they really need to understand that "NO" means "NO." It doesn't mean "Maybe" or "just keep doing what you're doing and ignore me" which evidently is what your terrier seems to think.

I don't mean to be disrespectful by suggesting this, so I hope it doesn't come across that way. It would be really best if you could develop a consistant way of saying "NO" and meaning it. In other words, the dog can't ever hear that word unless you're going to follow through. If you need help, I'm sure a single lesson with a good trainer would help you immensely. Don't be afraid to interview trainers until you find one you like and would trust your dog with, even if you'll only be spending one lesson with them.

Hope this helps!