Re: Correcting Unwanted behavior

In Reply to: Correcting Unwanted behavior
Category:   General Training
Posted by:  Nina Gamble
Posted on:  April 25, 2003 at 00:02:28

: Hello,

: First, I would like to thank you once again for the excellent Forum. It has really been a help to me and Gunnar. He is now 10 months, and I still have a few training issues with my little guy. I enrolled him in Basic Training classes, and he had his last class this past Tuesday, but nothing has really changed, behavior wise from the first day of class up to now. I finally worked up the nerve to address this with the instructor, and she said she had a problem with JRT's, they are too "hyper" for her tastes. Needless to say, I gave her a piece of my mind and I am in the process of requesting a refund for the class. At any rate, I want to get my guy in a REAL training class, with someone that can help me better bring out some of his better manners. I live in Indianapolis, IN. Do you have any suggestions? Also, Gunnar eats anything he finds. I now let him loose in the yard to "go potty" and he will take care of his business, then eat dirt, worms, twigs, mulch, and anything else he can put in his mouth. I end up chasing him around trying to get the object away from him. I tell him No, but he just ignores me. Should I start keeping him on the leash again for backyard outings? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also, Gunnar has this weird thing of if he finds a worm and pulls it out of the ground, he will roll on the ground all over the spot he pulled the worm from, and he does the same thing when he happens upon bird droppings or rabbit droppings. This totally grosses me out, and I cannot understand why he does this. Have you heard of any other JRT's doing this? And lastly, as I stated in the beginning of this posting, Gunnar is 10 months now, but I am still unable to let him have the run of the house. I have to keep him with me at all times, because if not...TOTAL DESTRUCTION! He will run the whole time he is not confined to one room, the only way I can get him to settle down some, is to close off the family room and kitchen and let him have the run of those two rooms. Any suggestions on how I can get my little guy in gear so he can travel around our house with no problems? I don't think we have a problem with boredom, as Gunnar has walks twice, sometimes three times a day, and we have our scheduled play time 45-1hr each day, but really more than that, as he's always engaging me in some play activity with one of his many balls. I work at home, so he is basically with me all the time. Please help me. I want only the best for my Gunnar. He is a great companion, I just need to get the "bugs" out.:o) Thanks for taking the time to read this, and for any suggestions you can give Gunnar and I.

: Sincerely,
: Nina and Gunnar
:

Response:

Hi Nina,

A good trainer understands all types and breeds of dogs and also knows what works for one might not necessarily work for another. They will find the right method to get the best from any particular dog.

I am providing some links for you. You might want to contact a State Rep in your area or even a Rescue Rep for names of trainers. Also it's good to ask at your vet's office, they can be a good source for trainers and kennels.

The key for any training is doing the homework between classes. Short training sessions every day and working on what was learned in class is key to success in a good canine citizen. So continue to work with Gunnar on his basic commands regardless, while you look for someone new.

What to look for in a class is one on the small side seems to work best. Look for classes with no more than 10 dogs in the class and less would be better. This means you get more individual attention. You might even want to consider one or two private classes before getting into a group. But make sure to get into a group class as it's invaluable for socializing your dog. Audit a class before you sign up. Watch the trainer and talk to the people after the class and see what they think of the trainer.

Gunnar is still young so that's one of the reason's he's a "Hoover" so it will be up to you to get him in line. Yes this means he will need to be leashed and you will have to give him corrections for his bad behavior. Hopefully you will be able to find a good trainer and then you will be able to teach Gunnar "LEAVE IT" and "DROP IT" and of course you can work right now on the most important word in a dog's vocabulary, "NO!" I can't tell you how much just this word works wonders! My two know the word well and many times have been stopped getting into trouble by just that tiny word!

Gunnar is high maintenance right now mostly because he's still a pup. So you need to find more things for him to do. So find a new class for the two of you and he's getting to the age where you might be able to get involved in perhaps agility or fly-ball or some other doggy sport that will expend some of that energy. In the interim you're wise to not let him have total run of the house.

Nina, not even my two old timers get total run of my house, even when I am home! Room doors are shut, some rooms have gates up, they just don't get to run willy-nilly all over the place, and when we are gone they get crated.

As far as the creepy things he loves outside, this is very normal! My two will roll in the deer and bunny poop on our property. If it's stinky or dead or both, they are rolling in it or trying to taste it! This is very normal dog behavior that is steeped in their wolf heritage. The rolling is an instinct to mask their own scent with the scent of something else. So when Gunnar roles, he just can't help himself! :)

Hang in there Nina, honest to God it does get better as they get older although having a JRT is like having a perpetual toddler.

Regards,
Marie