Re: Biting and Agression Towards Owners and Others

In Reply to: Biting and Agression Towards Owners and Others
Category:   Aggression
Posted by:  Georgana
Posted on:  September 24, 2002 at 18:51:49

: I am having a problem that has gotten extensively worse with my Jack Russell. We got Buddy from a family that had no room for him at the beginning of the summer. Since my daughter was on summer break from school, I thought this would be a good time to have them have the chance to bond. He is now almost a year old, and I have had concerns that he might have been abused slightly. He has become more and more agressive. He bite my daughter about a month after we had him, and I put that down to her trying to take food away. Now its even worse. He has tried to bite us both several times, and it's gotten worse since she returned to school. He's now home alone, and unfortunately has to be in his crate as he chews everything he can get. I read your FAQ on how to deal with agressive dogs, and am actually considering getting a muzzle for him, so that when he bites or tries I could put that on him, but I have to be honest I am scared of trying this when he is so agressive. I am going to try to follow the directions in your FAQ but I wondered if you had any other suggestions. Thanks

Response:

Dear Georgana,

The FAQs regarding aggression are designed to help owners recognize and deal with the behavior PRIOR to biting. Once a terrier has bitten a human, the family needs to consult with a behaviorist in order to get a "personal" evaluation of the problem and therefore, a "personal" approach to the problem. Contact your vet/training instructor for a recommendation for a behaviorist; the JRTCA Russell Representative and/or State Representative for your area should be able to provide a recommendation as well (see below.)

Please do not attempt to stop the biting on your own; using a muzzle will only escalate the problem.

Leslie