Re: new JRT

In Reply to: new JRT
Category:   Behavior Problems
Posted by:  Heather Martin
Posted on:  December 28, 2002 at 23:52:05

: My question is a two parter actually. We are a family of 5, myself and my husband and our three children (youngest age 2, two older are 5). We visited a relative and was given a Jack Russell Terrier that they couldn't take care of.. and basically was locked away in a small pen 99% of the time. We took him home and it's been great! The kids love him, he loves the kids.. my question is though, tonite, my youngest was laying with him and yelled "BOO" in his face, he growled more like a warning thing i think.. but I want to make sure?? He was tired and thirsty at the time and I pulled my youngest away from him as to not cause any more friction and not take any chances. I would like to know if this is just normal or if i should worry at all? Also the 2nd part of my question is feeding.. he doesn't seem to like the dog food that his previous owner was giving him, which was basically generic large pellet dog food, so i wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions on what brand/flavor I should use? Thanks for any information!!

Response:

Hi Heather,

First of all if this dog isn't neutered I would get him done as soon as you can.

Terriers in general don't take abuse from children well (whether the "abuse" is intentional or not) so you will need to really watch the dog with the kids. You need to start teaching them the proper way of handling and interacting with the dog which for the 2 year old is going to be tough.

Please make sure you teach the kids NOT to get in the dog's face. Putting your face right up into a dog's face is a sign of aggression to them and you may end up with someone bitten in the face. Remember, dogs don't think like we do, so while maybe one of the kids just wanted to kiss the dog, the dog doesn't know this.

I am going to provide a link to our recommended books. There you will find some about children and dogs. I suggest you try and get a copy of one.

As far as your other question, by all means put this dog on a better quality kibble. These dog foods can be found at pet specialty stores (PetsMart, PetCo, feed stores). Make the switch gradual over about a week by slowly introducing the new food with the old. By the end of the week, you should be able to switch entirely to the new food. Brands like California Natural, Nutro, Fromms, Wellness, etc are all good quality kibbles. There a more out there too.

You don't want to make a fast switch because your dog could end up with gastritis and diarrhea.

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