New Puppy Owner - Jack Russell Terrier - Charlie

karen walker

karen walker

New Member
Hello
I bought a 6-7 month old puppy JRT to our home 3 months ago, he is now 9 - 10 months old, and has adapted well to our lifestyle, he is not neutered, but he is still very anxious when we leave him, and has taken to chewing my hall curtain and barking/whining. We have removed it, but WE are anxious he will find something else to chew. Will he grow out of this ?
When he is put in a crate, he barks all the time we are out, and pulls at the bars, bending them.

I had a Whippet/JRT for 15 years previously, 8 years ago, and he did grow out of the chewing/whining/barking

I dont work now, so I am at home a lot, whereas with my previous dog I worked full time while he was a puppy !

Any tips would be great, my dog is good in a lot of ways, a quick learner, quite obedient, but really boisterous, as you would expect from a pup.
 
Jean Cote

Jean Cote

Administrator
Staff member
Does he have anything he can chew on? Most puppies have a strong need to chew on things when growing up, your job is to let them know they can chew on the proper things. I'd suggest getting a KONG, it's practically indestructible and it will amuse your puppy for hours. You can stuff peanut butter in there and treats to keep him occupied once you leave the home.

As for the crating problem. Do not ever let him out if he is barking or chewing on the bars or anything. Otherwise it will just teach him that barking is the way to get out. Do your thing until he is calm for five minutes before opening the crate. But you also have to make the crate a positive thing. Train him to go into the crate on his own with clicker training or by throwing treats in it. So that the crate isn't this place where he gets locked up.
 
rouen

rouen

Experienced Member
He sounds like he may be a little understimulated. chewing random objects is a common issue with dogs that dont have a way to exert their energy. What Jean said will help, it couldn;t hurt to get him more active in a sport or some sort of mental activity as well.

When you put him in the crate how long does it take him to get noisy? You make is sound like once he starts he wont stop, have you tried rewarding him for being quiet and calm before he gets to that point?
 
srdogtrainer

srdogtrainer

Experienced Member
I will also add to feed him in his crate. At first I wouldn't even close the door. The first few times leave the door open, then start closing it briefly while he is eating, then a minute after he is done eating and gradually lengthen the time. You may also want to find a toy he really likes and reserve it for the crate.

I recommend the DVD crate games. It is a little pricey but you will probably find that it is worth it if your dog is really not enjoying his crate. http://www.clickerdogs.com/crate_games.php
Another tip to keep a dog quiet in the kennel is to put a blanket on the top. Although, if your dog is very active and upset he may end up pulling the blanket through the crate if he is able to.

I will also reinstate the import ants of exercise and mental stimulation. I know a lot of people tend to work solely on house training first and then start training obedience, but it is quite beneficial to start training early to work a dogs mind. If you haven’t already an easy way to incorporate training into his everyday routine would be to start incorporating meal time as training time. Work on a few behaviors/ tricks and then put the rest of his food in his crate. Over time he will start to choose to go into his crate. It will also be beneficial to work on waits and stays to teach your dog patience.

Other games that would be great to teach include searching for a hidden toy or maybe finding your keys. Playing tug and/or fetch. Maybe teaching a target and work on distance until it is across the room, or see if you can work on getting him to run into his kennel from the opposite side of the house. Or playing the come game. Having one person call him and give him a tasty treat, and then another person call him and give him a treat. Each time the person calling could take a step backward, until you are across the room from each other, or in different rooms.

To start teaching him to search for a toy have someone hold his collar and then show him the toy. Tease him with it as you walk around a corner and place it in plain site at first. Then release him to go find it. Then you can “hide’ it under a chair where it is pretty obvious at first. Then place it just barley behind something etc., until it is completely hidden from view.
Remember for distance work to increase the distance in small increments. If it ever seems that you have gone too fast, don’t be afraid to go back a step.

Maybe consider taking a class with him such as nose work, agility, flyball…or something else that will provide stimulation and exercise.

Also make sure to take him on walks, (if it is safe) off leash runs, see about finding him a playmate or consider dropping him off at a doggy day care a few times a week, where he will be able to play with other dogs.

Good luck with your puppy! ...and please post updates!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top