Calling owners of difficult dogs HELP

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Thu Jan 22, 2015 4:48 pm

I never believed I would ever admit defeat but I hold my hands up In defeat.

All of my adult life I have had rescue dogs. I have had many head basket cases In some of those also Including one who ate my husbands shed and another with a deep seated hatred for anything remotely connected with a bicycle.

Also over the years, I have read much on dog behaviour and applied It with success.

I vowed I'd never have another Jack Russell but some months ago was asked to take a pedigree Parson Jack who'd had a rotten start In life. Every one of her ribs stuck out and looked like a whippet and she wouldn't let you go near the top of her head where she'd been hit. She got to 7 months living In an attic bedsit unable to run off her energy.

She's Incredibly loving now and loves cuddles and kisses but It's the defiance that I am struggling with. She's gone from a timid little thing scared of her own shadow to a bossy, domineering nightmare.

I have done everything. All the training I have used In the past, the praise, reward system. I exercise her til I drop to tire her out and still It's like a whirling dervish. She doesn't seem to sleep longer than 20 minutes.

She's a thief despite being spoiled with toys, treats, chews etc.

Turn your back for seconds and she's nicked your cigg packet or your headphones.

Regular cleans of her basket yield toothpaste tubes, socks, screwdrivers, tea bags etc etc.

I enrolled her In behaviour classes that have led to failure and embarrassment. She tries to dominate every other dog and again, It's the defiance.

Let her off her lead and spend two hours trying to get her back. She'll come within a foot of you and then Nah.

Call In her from the garden and she'll look you straight In the eye with Nah.

Tell her to drop the ciggs she just pinched and she'll look you In the eye with nah and take them Into the garden.

Any Idea's ?

I'm sure she just thinks everything Is all just a game..

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 3:31 am

Walk away, when she steals something she wants you to chase her don't ignore her then make a big fuss when she drops it. On the other hand of you don't want your headphones wrecked that's maybe not a good idea but don't play tug of war with her. My dogs will leave or drop things on command now I barely need to raise my voice initially I used to yell and throw something noisy beside them and once they dropped it made a big fuss when they dropped whatever it was. Reward a dog don't bribe it, they're not stupid once they learn they get treats by not handing things back what do you think they will do in the future?

Any yelling yo do is just you barking in excitement at the game you are playing. What do you do when you find stuff in the bed make a fuss or have no reaction - do you do anything that might be rewarding the behaviour? My dogs don't bark to get balls thrown for them for the simple reason I ignore them on the other hand one has learned that if he drops a ball at a strangers feet and barks they will throw it for him - never throw a ball or do anything else playwise for a barking dog.

Won't come in? shut the door and leave her outside especially effective on cold nights. When she comes within two feet of you do you try and grab her straight away? Train her to come back first then worry about putting leads on. My two occasionally don't want to come back because they know I am going to put a lead on but it's now a conditioned response the reward is I say good dog and pat them. I make a point of calling them to me and just rewarding them every now and then. You see it all the time , people only call their dog to come when they want to put them on a lead and grab them when they come near and don't understand why they won't return on command.

I'm sure she just thinks everything Is all just a game..

It is to her you just need to outthink her and remember you are the one setting the rules dogs aren't stupid they want to interact with you if they think you want to chase them or play tuggy games what do you think they are going to do? It's not what you want it's what does the dog think you want you need to work out how to communicate your wishes. Just exercise doesn't work you need to tire them mentally as well.

Easy for me to say I had rescue pups, on the other hand I have an obedient dalmatian that reurns on command retreives etc etc, it was only after I trained him I read they are supposed to be untrainable, never occurred to me he wouldn't be.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 4:11 am

Thank you for that. You have taken trouble to write that and I found It extremely helpful,

In order...

I don't give her treats for not handing things back. She can run so damn quick and once she realises that you've spotted what she's nicked, she's down the bottom of the garden. When she finally gives up, I praise her and give her a treat. Throwing something noisy behind her Is not something I've tried yet but will try now. That's a good Idea.

I don't and never yell at her. She had too much of that In her former home. I always use one word commands. Leave, stay, drop, NO, here and the one I use the most ENOUGH... That's In the main when she's antagonising the cats. When I find her treasure trove In her basket, I gather them all up and Ignore her. As for throwing balls. I took Milan's advice years ago and dedicate play time each day. Just 10 or 15 minutes twice a day where I play with her. Outside, I do throw balls for her but she's not really that Interested. She seems to find running full belt until she can't breath more pleasurable. I have spent hours and hours In the field doing recall with her. She started off really well and would come back every time for a treat. It's like she's bored with that now and wants to play the game of catch me If you can. I've always had my own trick with recall which Is to keep calling them back and then letting them run off again. That way, they don't associate coming back with end of walk time.

It's actually reached a point where we dare not let her out In the garden after 9 pm. The minute she spots a Fox she goes Into a frenzy, up and down the fence for hours. This Is when selective hearing comes In and If I want to go to bed, I have absolutely no option but to go our there and try to get her back In. She runs so quick and can turn on a sixpence making It Impossible to catch her. I'll take your advice and shut the door on her. See If that works. Last night she decided she was going to sleep In the bath. Why, I have no Idea. I was so tired that I just said ' sod yer then' when she wouldn't come out. Once she realised I'd gone to bed and Ignored her, she started crying. So that may work.

She Is absolutely typical of the breed. They are notoriously difficult to manage. Domineering, territorial and fearless.

Parson Russell Terrier - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thanks again... some good advice here.

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 9:12 am

I dont envy you the task. Its frustrating when you think you know what it is you should do but it doesnt work.

We are lucky that we have a whippet which has been very easy to train. She is an ideal dog for us in many ways. The important thing was that she was good with our grandaughters and she certainly is.

She is typical for her breed. Not particular about walks but when her feet touch grass, she runs like the wind and loves to chase and be chased, until exhausted, then can sleep for England. Must be comfortable and must be warm.

The wonderful thing is and is typical of Whippets and Greyhounds is that she doesnt have any "doggy" odour at all. Thats a blessing.

Down side...bit of a thief, especially with food. An opportunist when the youngest grandaughter might have a biscuit and is partial to small objects like make-up, pens and especially socks

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 9:47 am

You're lucky in a way, I find with the dalmatian if I don't contantly thow a ball or a stick or keep him emgaged he will bugger off after squirrels or deer or anythng remotely more interesting than just walking along. I've been mountain biking with him doing 20-30 miles an hour on a forest and he will swing off after a deer if I don't see it first. I do get him back but any sheep around and he stays on the lead. On the other hand he can't fit down rabbit holes.

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 9:52 am

I have to take the whippet to a dedicated dog park with fenced off paddocks. I live around farmland. Too many pheasants and ducks to let her go here

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 9:59 am

gmc;1472425 wrote: You're lucky in a way, I find with the dalmatian if I don't contantly thow a ball or a stick or keep him emgaged he will bugger off after squirrels or deer or anythng remotely more interesting than just walking along. I've been mountain biking with him doing 20-30 miles an hour on a forest and he will swing off after a deer if I don't see it first. I do get him back but any sheep around and he stays on the lead. On the other hand he can't fit down rabbit holes.
Oh blimey, don't mention Deer and rabbit burrows. It's Impossible to let her off the lead on the river due to Deer and rabbits. Same with sheep. I wouldn't dare. A farmer would have shot her by now. She's also so easily distracted the same as yours. Spots a squirrel and she's gone.

Tell a lie, I have screamed at her once. In the field she found a bone. I guess one of the Foxes had dropped It there. I think due to her penchant for theft, she believed that I was going to take It off her as I do when she steals things off the coffee table. The more I approached her the more she ran. She got out of the field and Into the lane. I was following calling her back, rattling the treats and nothing worked. I even tried walking In the opposite direction calling ' Bye then' which works on my minature Jack every time.

She was getting further and further away until she got to the end of the lane which Is a dead end. Then she ran Into the back garden of the end house and realised she could get even further by running up their passage way and now she's In their front garden which Is on a busy road. I was having kittens and I have never run so fast In my life. I caught up with her In the front garden just as she was about to go Into the road and I screamed STAY at her. She froze and I managed to grab her collar. Then a woman came out and asked what the bloody hell I was doing In her garden.

Snowflake... good to here the little Whippy Is doing well. Yes, It's so frustrating when all that has worked In the past, Is failing now.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 10:21 am

Snowfire;1472427 wrote: I have to take the whippet to a dedicated dog park with fenced off paddocks. I live around farmland. Too many pheasants and ducks to let her go here

Sensible. I could just Imagine Auld Yin out with the dog here.

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 10:29 am

Ive got a feeling she would just want to play. An elderly lady my wife visits has a tortoise that drives Meg up the wall with its refusal to join in the chase.

Play seems to be the biggest thing in her life....next to sleeping

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Fri Jan 23, 2015 10:33 am

Snowfire;1472442 wrote: Ive got a feeling she would just want to play. An elderly lady my wife visits has a tortoise that drives Meg up the wall with its refusal to join in the chase.

Play seems to be the biggest thing in her life....next to sleeping
Have you tried tying the tortoise to the dog's collar ?