Re: Please Help us our JRT is really bad

In Reply to: Please Help us our JRT is really bad
Category:   Other
Posted by:  Emily Geelhoed
Posted on:  September 29, 2002 at 14:26:01

: Hi,my name is Emily and I just rescued him from a friend that was going to put him down. Now that I have him as my own he has A LOT of problems. Such as piddling whenever we come up to put him, and attacking us when we try to put him into his crate. He also has a long hard coat and I don't know if we should cut it or leave it. PLEASE HELP!!!!

Response:

Hi Emily,

Calm down, and take a deep breath :) We'll try to help you as much as we can, but remember we can only do so here via a message board.

The piddling sounds to me like submissive urination, I'll provide a link that you can read regarding this matter.

If this terrier had a bad experience being crated this could be why he's having this reaction to being crated. You will have to show him the crate isn't so bad. Please understand that this will take time and patience on your part. You are going to have to try to undo whatever the previous owner did to end up with this behavior. I would start to give him treats that he only gets when he's in his crate. Make them really tempting, something like a stuffed Kong is a great crate treat. Many of us now have our terriers trained to run into their crates on their own waiting to get some treats once they are inside. It beats having to physically drag them over and shove them it!

It's the rare rescue that comes with absolutely no issues, and most of the issues these dogs come with are usually the result of the owner's lack of attention, mishandling, or worse.

I strongly suggest getting him neutered if he hasn't been already. I would also get him enrolled in obedience school, which will help you to train your dog.

As far as his coat, it sounds to me like you have an ungroomed rough coated terrier. His hair should be harsh (so that's a good thing), many terrier people hand-strip the coat, but if you are not going to be showing or working him then it would be perfectly okay to have a groomer cut it.

I am also going to provide you some links where you can find the closest State Rep and Rescue person. These people should be able to help you and might also be able to direct you to a good trainer in your area. If they can't then you should talk with your vet for a recommendation for a trainer as many times clients will let a vet know these things. The vet is also a good source for kennel information.

Emily, you need to understand how attuned this breed is to our emotions. If you are acting panicky and upset, your terrier will pick up on this and act accordingly. Try as best you can to have a calm demeanor when dealing with this dog and it will go a long way to help this situation.

Also remember that this little dog's entire world has been turned upside down recently. He needs time to readjust. You might want to discuss with the previous owner about the routine this dog had. Ask what times he was fed, and how many times a day, how many times he was taken out for potty, etc. The closer you can get to this dog's previous routine, the easier and quicker it will be for him to adjust to his new family and surroundings.

Here's the links:

Submissive Urination FAQ, Crate Training FAQ, JRTCA State Representatives, JRTCA Russell Rescue

Hope some of this helps and thank you for taking this little guy into your home. If you give him half a chance, he will worm his way into your heart, and with a little help from you, you just might end up with the best dog you've ever had!