What can we do ???

Question

We've got a 4 years old Jack Russel who has a bad temper. With me he is lovely, with my husband he can be really nasty but with other people... he is a nightmare, especially with kids. He never bit anyone but I think it's because I never let him the chance !
I am 7 months pregnant and even if I really love him, we won't be able to keep him because his bad behavour towards children. But we haven't found yet a new home for him... his temper!!! What can we do of him if nobody wants him ??? Please help us.... we've got only 2 months left to find something !

For everyone who think that I am a bad owner, I just want to say that is not right. I found Sony in a kennel when he was already 1 year old. I have tried my best to train him but I can't afford the cost of a trainer, they are so expensive !!!

Answer 1

Firstly, well done you for making this tough, but responsible decision.

There is a Jack Russell club who may have details of people looking to rehome a JR, or the local dog rehoming centre can help you with this. It may be that you JR goes to the home to wait for his new parents to find him. Someone will want him some where and he will make their lives complete. In a few years, when your baby is a little older you can look to get another dog who will be used to sharing your time and attention with a little person.

Again well done you - you are what a good, responsible owner should be.

Answer 2

Ask a rescue or some animal society. They are small dogs, so i suppose they are quite easy to find homes for them. Your other alternatives are:
1. Get him trained. I know with the baby now this is not your biggest concern, but some good training might help. Carefull, find someone who uses no violence, because that will make him worse.
2. Ask the doctor if you can give him pills, like soft tranquillisers. I know it sounds unreasonable, but if you have no other option...
3. Go around the house with a doll, that he is not allowed to touch. Make sure his husband takescare of him now, so that he doesn't miss your attention when the baby comes. You might have to have him there for a while. By the way, the baby doesn't walk around at first, so if you keep the dog outside his room, or even in a crate at some hours you want him out of the way, I think it could work.
Please just don't leave him in the streets or kill him! Death penalty for bad temper is just too much. You have a responsibility towards the dog too.

Answer 3

I really feel for you as it cant be easy at the moment being pregnant and all. He obviously has bonded with you and maybe is a bit jealous of your husband! Also as he is a rescued dog you dont know what he has suffered before now. I think he will probably be very jealous of the time you will be spending with your new baby so maybe finding a mature family home would be best(I'm dying to have a JR again as my rescued one died in 1998 and there were tears from my grumpy husband and my heartbroken 18year old hardman son as well as myself) Mine hated my eldest son as much as he loved my youngest but as they were 11 and 16 it didnt matter. One of my dogs at the moment is part JR and part terrier and she was tossed out of her original home when their first baby came and eventually she came to us, shes about 13 now and still a bit grumpy but she no longer attacks other dogs and dosent snap at children anymore. One reply was spot on , a dog is a pack animal and needs to know where in the pack they are situated , and in a family that means shes the lowest down after you, your husband and any children, thats why dogs should never be let sleep on sofas , chairs or beds, only in their designated area, and especially very dominant animals and JRs may be small but they have big personalities!

Answer 4

my 2 cents ...
Jack Russells are great, fearless hunting dogs that are bred to hunt foxes, weasels etc. & will also defend their territory vigorously.

You are "top dog" so you are fine - everyone else is an inferior dog in your Jack's territory, so can get attacked.

You can train your Jack (& you need to train the people around you) but it may take time and patience - as their teeth & speed & aggression & jumping up are intimidating.

Your dog is just doing what comes naturally ... but it may not be the best behaviour in your new household.

Hope you find a good trainer or a good home or a good solution!

What is your Jack's name?
.

Answer 5

Hiya Odre
Oh my you have got a problem, have you had him spayed, this WILL stop 80% of his aggression.... You also need to take him to a good trainer who will show you how to handle your dog (get your husband to go as well) Jack Russell are Very protective dogs, that's all he is doing, he is protecting You, they are fearless, stubborn, very loyal to there masters, if you love him as you say you do, please take on board what i have said, if you do, you will have a dog that will protect you, and you family, especially the baby, you will not have to worry about leaving your baby outside a shop, or in the garden, if he is there with the baby

Answer 6

you could pay for a dog trainer? or join a group of the same.

we had a dog balled blue (you should shee his icy eyes), and he did tricks and sat, stayed etc, motor vehicals and bikes were the problem, and outside the house he'd forget all his training. and" we have cet cats, and he terrified them both. the place we took blue to- a pet rescue place, they trained him so that he couldnt hurt any more people and so he'd be obedient ourdoors, because really, its the dogs best interest to be good. maybe you could ask around about getting a pet rescue place to look after him and train thim while youre pregnant and introduce him to the family when the training is complete.

library is a good idea also- they will have books on dog training

Answer 7

I think that you have to get your priorities right. You have a child coming and you have a dog who is likely to be jealous of your baby and has a bad track record. I think it's time to go to your local rescue centre, tell them the facts and they will take your dog and rehome it. If they can't then it's unfortunate but you have given it a good home when you could.

Answer 8

this is a very good example of owners not training the dog properly and in the long term, sentencing him to death.

Nobody is going to want your savage untrained little dog. YOU made him this way by allowing him to get away with bad behaviour. Put him to sleep because he will end up being bounced from home to unsuitable home, beaten and kicked by people who will try to knock it out of him.
Neutering will not stop this behaviour as others have suggested. Neutering helps only with controlling hormone related aggression and this is not what is being displayed here.
I do think it tells a story that you are not prepared to make any effort to train this little dog yourself so that he can become a friendly safe member of your family. Instead you ruined him and now want to pass him on to someone else. He was your baby for 4 years but now that you are having a real life human baby you don't want him any more.
Why did you allow his savage behaviour to go on for 4 years?
Jack russells are one of the commonest small dogs to end up in rescue. At my friends rescue kennels, out of 80 odd dogs there, all the small ones will be Jack Russells. She will have up to 10 at any time and nobody wants them. They end up staying for months. Usually because they weren't trained by their owners and ended up like yours. Thery are not suitable to go with kids, they are not suitable to go with elderly epople, they cannot be trusted with other animals so that rather narrows down the sort of homes which could be available to them. My friend ooperates a no kill shelter and I know she has JRT that have been with her for 4 years or more.
Poor little sods, doomed to a life of loneliness in kennels for years and all because their first owner could not be bothered to ensure they were trained properly.

Answer 9

great fun dogs. Most of the time a dog can be trained to behave properly and like suggested you need to let him know whos the boss. But i have to warn you that sometimes the problem can't be solved like it was the case with my neighbour's jack russel after seeing a trainer/shrink. The dog was a ticking timebomb and they had to sleep him in... unfortunately. Just preparing you for the worst...

Answer 10

get in touch with a local jack russel rescue centre, look on the net, you need to get rid of this dog before your baby comes along, it will see it as a threat and god knows what could happen!
the rescue centre will put it with right people, where it will be no danger, if its beyond help the best thing for it and you and others is to put it down.