JRT Growling At My Son

by Diane Galloway
(Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom)

Hey,

I have got a JRT and we have had her maybe 3-4 months. My son is 14 and they have done every thing together and he has been so nice to her but she keeps growling at him. She jumps up on him and he pets her and she growls. Its not like she does it to every one just him. My son is getting really fed up with her. What should i do. please help.

Many Thanks

Diane

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Dec 04, 2010
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starstar 		Growling,Snapping, Biting = Me BOSS you NOT!!
by: Lunafire

(3of3)Very small children are also not necessarily excluded from the pecking order, though a tiny infant; if not viewed as competition for love, affection and attention, MAY be for a short time.
To this end it is NEVER a good idea to leave any dog alone with small children and or babies, no matter how briefly and no matter How well behaved the dog has been up to the present.

Dominance behaviours are not just limited to Overt acts, and aggressiveness.

They can and Will also take the form of manipulative and subtle dominance behaviours.

Behaviour such as sitting/lying on your feet, leaning on you, trying to sit or lie on you, getting up on furniture, including your bed, mouthing parts of your body, stealing, begging/mooching for food. Whining, crying and screaming for no apparent reason to name some.

Whenever your dog demands your attention, he believes it is his/her RIGHT to receive it, because he/she thinks he is ALPHA. This also includes jumping up on people, gripping/hugging you with their front legs, nudging you for your attention.
Think you have them believing you are the boss and let the rules slip or go soft and JRT will be right there to challenge your authority and try to become the ALPHA = more biting, growling, snapping, scent marking...
Subtle and Manipulative dominance behaviors are there because they tend to work by invoking sympathy and affection...

Visitors and new family members are going to be seen as potential underlings to the dog. Acting weak, fearful will NOT earn the dogs respect. Coddling, baby talk and encouraging bad behaviors such as jumping up, will encourage more dominance behaviors.


Good Luck
Dec 04, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Growling,Snapping, Biting = Me BOSS you NOT!!
by: Lunafire

(3of3)
Very small children are also not necessarily excluded from the pecking order, though a tiny infant; if not viewed as competition for love, affection and attention, MAY be for a short time.
To this end it is NEVER a good idea to leave any dog alone with small children and or babies, no matter how briefly and no matter How well behaved the dog has been up to the present.

Dominance behaviours are not just limited to Overt acts, and aggressiveness.

They can and Will also take the form of manipulative and subtle dominance behaviours.

Behaviour such as sitting/lying on your feet, leaning on you, trying to sit or lie on you, getting up on furniture, including your bed, mouthing parts of your body, stealing, begging/mooching for food. Whining, crying and screaming for no apparent reason to name some.

Whenever your dog demands your attention, he believes it is his/her RIGHT to receive it, because he/she thinks he is ALPHA. This also includes jumping up on people, gripping/hugging you with their front legs, nudging you for your attention.
Think you have them believing you are the boss and let the rules slip or go soft and JRT will be right there to challenge your authority and try to become the ALPHA = more biting, growling, snapping, scent marking...
Subtle and Manipulative dominance behaviors are there because they tend to work by invoking sympathy and affection...

Visitors and new family members are going to be seen as potential underlings to the dog. Acting weak, fearful will NOT earn the dogs respect. Coddling, baby talk and encouraging bad behaviors such as jumping up, will encourage more dominance behaviors.


Good Luck
Dec 04, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Growling,Snapping, Biting = Me BOSS you NOT!!
by: Lunafire

(3of3)
Very small children are also not necessarily excluded from the pecking order, though a tiny infant; if not viewed as competition for love, affection and attention, MAY be for a short time.
To this end it is NEVER a good idea to leave any dog alone with small children and or babies, no matter how briefly and no matter How well behaved the dog has been up to the present.

Dominance behaviours are not just limited to Overt acts, and aggressiveness.

They can and Will also take the form of manipulative and subtle dominance behaviours.

Behaviour such as sitting/lying on your feet, leaning on you, trying to sit or lie on you, getting up on furniture, including your bed, mouthing parts of your body, stealing, begging/mooching for food. Whining, crying and screaming for no apparent reason to name some.

Whenever your dog demands your attention, he believes it is his/her RIGHT to receive it, because he/she thinks he is ALPHA. This also includes jumping up on people, gripping/hugging you with their front legs, nudging you for your attention.
Think you have them believing you are the boss and let the rules slip or go soft and JRT will be right there to challenge your authority and try to become the ALPHA = more biting, growling, snapping, scent marking...
Subtle and Manipulative dominance behaviors are there because they tend to work by invoking sympathy and affection...

Visitors and new family members are going to be seen as potential underlings to the dog. Acting weak, fearful will NOT earn the dogs respect. Coddling, baby talk and encouraging bad behaviors such as jumping up, will encourage more dominance behaviors.


Good Luck
Dec 04, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Growling,Snapping, Biting = Me BOSS you NOT!!
by: Lunafire

(3of3)
Dec 04, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Growling,Snapping, Biting = Me BOSS you NOT!!
by: Lunafire


This does Not mean being Abusive: Punching,Beating, Kicking and Throwing the dog are Not correct.
The only time these are warranted is if you must do so in order to break up a bad fight and or stop a dog who is attacking you, or someone else including another animal.
Realize and remember YOU have to do the training and maintain it. Sending your dog away to 'doggie boot camp' will only teach them that the people training them there are the Boss...
JRT are VERY Intelligent, Strong Willed and VERY stubborn and many will Continually try to push their limits and over throw, usurp your authority.

Each individual human member of your family must teach the dog, 'I am your boss'...

Think Pecking order...
Each member of the family is potentially a boss or an inferiour.
According to how they handle/behave towards the dog is where they are in the pecking order in the dog's mind.
This is Also a Dynamic order; never Static.
Which is both good and bad because even the most Dominant Dog can be Subordinated in time and with persistence and patience. BUT U must also always Actively maintain your ALPHA status.

Regardless of which person(s) is the boss of the human part of the family.
To your dog You might be seen as it's inferior, whilst some other member of the family has gained the dog's respect.

Reward Good Behavior and Punish Bad.
Ignoring works for things like when the dog is demanding your attention.
The use of 'treats' is under contention.
Should you have to give a dog/human a treat EVERYTIME they do something They are SUPPOSED to Do.
A dog is not going to 'obey', because they believe you are their boss, respect you as boss and therefore believe it is their duty; they will do so for the treat...
So what happens if you have no Treat!

Dogs recognize the individual, not the group as either Boss or Inferior. Each individual being must establish their own status within the 'pack'.
There is no Inferred status.
For example: A human youngster may train the dog obedience, NEVER acts submissively towards the dog or lets the dog get away with negative behaviors; and has therefore earned the dogs respect as Alpha; who will then obey commands, not growl, snap or bit, ect; whilst even the human 'man of the house', if he/she coddles, spoils, acts scared of and or Fails to appropriately and or Consistently correct bad behavior including growls, snarls and biting of the dog, will be seen as inferior; all orders Ignored and treated to dominance behaviors such as being growled, snapped at and even bitten and peed on.
Dec 04, 2010
Rating
starstar 		Growling,Snapping, Biting = Me BOSS you NOT!!
by: Lunafire

(1of3)
JRT are a VERY dominant breed.
After checking with ur vet for any illnesses or injuries remember that most JRTs WANT to be the Boss.
They want to be the ALPHA.
JRT are ALSO VERY HIGH Energy Dogs... They are VERY Intelligent: They NEED A LOT of Exercise and Mental Stimulation... If you cannot CONSISTENTLY provide these you WILL have trouble.

Dominance Behaviours happen because the dog either Wants to be Boss or already believes it IS Boss. It feels entitled to be treated as Boss and wants to remain Boss.

In the dog world (other then due to illness or injury); biting, snarling, growling, humping and scent marking are Some of their Dominance tools.

They are putting in UR place as Their Inferiors.
Your Failure to Obey Them, can lead to more and more worse biting, snapping and other aggressive behaviors as they will become frustrated with YOUR disobedience.

Scent marking/peeing on things is all about Territory; This object/person is MINE!
If your stuff is peed on; you are not Alpha.
If you are peed on, you are Defiantly NOT ALPHA.
This should not be confused with Submissive peeing... (Look Up Submissive Peeing) Which is Actually in the dog world; a sign of respect Given as a Gift To an Alpha By a Subordinate.

These behaviors will NOT go away in time, they will Escalate if not corrected.
You need to teach them You are The Boss!!

Talking 'baby talk' to them, coddling, spoiling them May work for awhile, but in the long run it will only encourage an escalation in their Dominating behaviors, especially when you are wanting them to do anything they do not want to do, or doing anything to them they don't like or want.
Think of the stereo typical Diva: Disrespectful of others and others property both as in destructive and thieving; Believe whatever they want is automatically theirs; exaggerated sense of entitlement, Bitchy, Manipulative, Temper Tantrums, Tirades, Tyrannical, Crying, Whining, Bossy, Pushy, Selfish, Demanding, Loud, Abusive, Sulky, Aggressive,drama queen/king...
Not the best ways of getting what they want but they can and often do... As long as those around them allow, let them get away with it; actively encourage and or permit it to happen.

I would strongly recommend obedience training. Obedience training from people who have worked with a lot of JRT is Best.
Two good places for ideas and techniques/to start are Stanley Coren, the Caesar Millan:'Dog Whisperer'and Brad Pattison.
Before you start thinking that some of their techniques seem harsh; Dogs have No qualms about Biting, Snapping, Snarling and Growling at and Peeing on Humans/You. Being Aggressive and or Pushing past you and trying to exit and enter buildings and openings Before you, pulling on the leash, staring you down...
It is the way they interact with other dogs. Dogs see U as just another dog. Dogs are NOT Humans.
Apr 27, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		baby talk
by: Anonymous

Our 2yr old male JRT does the same thing--he does it to me and my husband, I just baby talk him and he stops and I just gentlely say "NO GROWL" I also don't have an answer as to why--I think it is habit--but enough people have this problem it must just be a trait--tell your son not to take it personally, I just call ours a "Grumbling Gus" so far its really been no big deal. Good luck.
Mar 12, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Growling at daughter
by: Anonymous

Hi there! Sorry I don't have an answer to your problem but I do have the same problem. We ttok on a PRT from another family and he is fine with my partner, myself and my son but growls all the time at my daughter. If anyone has any tips I would be grateful.
He is ok with her occasionally but generally he growls at her. He always knows when its her touching him even when he's not looking.

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