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| Nicki Platt | |
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| IS THIS YOUR PROBLEM? “Most aggressive episodes are triggered by the fear of being caught in a particular situation. Contrary to popular belief, it’s very rare indeed that an aggressive dog is a dominant dog. Dogs aren’t born aggressive, they become aggressive for a myriad of reasons. They have a large variety of body language that they use to convey a “stay away” message. People frequently misinterpret this body language and approach the dog inappropriately and are bitten. The sad thing is that most episodes of aggression aren’t investigated and treated properly. Consequently, the reason for the aggression is usually buried with the dog.” Nicki Platt
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BREED: PATTERDALE/LAKELAND Hi Nicki, Before I go to bed I always let her out in to the garden to wee. For the last month she has gone bonkers when i have let her out, running around the garden about 20 times panting and grunting and she will not come in. I've tried the positive reinforcement, not working. Tonight it took me 2o mins to get her in, it was freezing. I was really annoyed with her, I made her go in her bed for 10 mins whilst I watched the TV in another room, she cried but I ignored her, help! Ang Beale BREED: PATTERDALE/LAKELAND Hi Ang, Sounds like your terrier has found something the hunt in your garden! Could be foxes coming in and leaving scent, could be rats, frogs or anything that could interested a terrier hunter! It's probably a temporary issue for the spring when other creatures are more active, but obviously if it's getting you angry and she hears that in your voice, she'll definitely not want to come back to you. To keep things calm, you need to put yourself in a "winning" position, so get a 20ft cotton training lead to do some recall work with her in the garden. Do a training session every day, with her on long lead and do recall by crouching down and call in happy voice. If she ignores you because she's sniffing or something, do a growly voice "bad" and give the lead a little tug. As soon as she starts to move in your direction, get going with excited praise and give her a big fuss and cuddle when she gets to you. If you do this every day for a couple of weeks she should get the idea that she can't get away with not listening. Don't' "reel" her in to you, you want her to decide to come because you've asked her so little tugs when saying growly BAD then relax lead and praise like mad as she's coming to you. Also, to begin with last thing at night when you let her out put the long lead on her so she can drag it and you can pick it up and get her in calmly and in control without getting high blood pressure!! Hope this helps. Regards, BREED: STAFFORDSHIRE BULL Claire's Problem: Hi Nicki, I inherited a staffi puppy and she is lovely and well behaved with family but when we take her out she barks at everyone, growls and then crys if you stop. Once she knows people she is lovely again she has been attacked twice by other dogs is there anything i can do. Claire Atkinson BREED: STAFFORDSHIRE BULL Hi Claire, Your Staffie puppy sounds like she’s nervous outside in the big wide world. Firstly you will need to teach her to walk on a loose lead next to you as a dog in front thinks she’s being told to make decisions! Do this by changing direction, letting the lead be loose so that she suddenly finds you are gone encourage and then she will turn to get back to you, keep changing and you’ll find that she’ll start to follow. Choose a safe area to do this with few or no distractions. Once you have achieved this, one of the ways to help her is to get strangers to help you. Take her to a supermarket on a day when it’s not too busy. Take some of her favourite treats something that doesn’t roll away, like small cubes of dried chicken or small pieces of jerky, and get the help of various people. Just get them to walk slowly past you without looking or talking to her and drop a treat or two on the ground so she can find them. This will get her to realise that strangers are pretty ok! Also, if you have a hatch back or estate car, you could try parking it where people walk past and have her sitting in the back with you next to her to give her confidence reward her when quiet as they pass. Hope one of these works for you. Hope this helps. Regards, BREED: IRISH Our 2 year old Irish Terrier Mossy appears to have a fear of wasps and not other flying insects. Two questions, is this just a natural fear/dislike like humans have with wasps or do you think something in his early formative months could have given him some sort of fear/phobia? Jon McGowan BREED: IRISH Hi Jon, You don’t say what Mossy does when he hears or sees a wasp. It is possible that someone went into a panic and screamed or shouted flapping arms around to get rid of one at some time, which has created his fear. Or he may have been stung by one at some time. You could try doing some fun training when there are wasps around, getting him to focus on a treat ball or a game of hunt the treat hidden in the room somewhere. If he just runs away and hides from them, I reckon he’s being very sensible – I’ve been stung before!! Just ensure you have a safe re-call with him, use a long line if you feel he may get into danger running and hiding so you can condition him to always come back to you and praise and reward when he does. This way when he sees/hears a wasp he will be looking for you and his reward ! Hope this helps. Regards, BREED: SOFT COATED WHEATEN Teresa's Problem: My one year old wheaten has started to wet in her bed and sometimes in our other dogs bed, She woke from her sleep this afternoon and wet on her mat while we were all in the room. She was dry, I am not sure what to do, do i start to leave paper down again or move her bed? BREED: SOFT COATED WHEATEN Hi Teresa · Don’t' tell her off if you find a wet patch, as this will make her more anxious. Just clear it up using suitable products designed to eliminate and neutralise the urine. Ordinary household cleaners don't do this. · It sounds like she really can’t help herself, so it is possible that she has a urine infections so get her checked by the vet. · She may be coming into season if she hasn’t been spayed, so she may be marking, but my instinct suggests an infection rather than a behavioural issue. · Depending on the circumstances, dogs may wee to show respect to other dogs or people, but that is usually obvious as they show submissive body language when the do it. · Very occasionally, spaying has been known to affect the bladder, so again check with your vet if she has recently been spayed. · Feed and scatter feed outside in the garden, to encourage her to “save” her wee to mark and protect around her feeding area. Hope this helps. Regards, BREED: BEDLINGTON Dear Nicki, BREED: BEDLINGTON You don't say how old your Bedlington is, but here are the usual reasons for toileting in the house and cocking his leg all the time. If he is still entire he will be marking his territory on walks, so castration may help with that. Otherwise, make sure that you don't stop every time he wants to sniff - carry on walking and give a little tug on his lead, but when you think he "needs" a wee, take him to a likely spot and give him permission to wee. Choose a word or phrase so he gets to know by association that he can now relieve himself. Weeing in the house overnight - · Never tell him off if you find a puddle - this will only make him more anxious. Just clear it up using suitable products designed to eliminate and neutralise the urine. Ordinary household cleaners don't do this. · If this has only recently started he may have a urinary tract infection, so get him checked out by the vet. · He may be anxious at night by sounds like foxes and have too much space to look after (dogs use their wee/poo to "protect" their territory) therefore it could be caused by him having too much space to "look after" at night, so consider giving him a smaller space, such as utility room or a cosy covered crate to sleep in. Dogs don't like to wee in their sleeping area, so don't make the crate too big. · If he's being fed on dry food, he will be drinking a lot, so research changing his food to natural raw food or a good quality meat based food. · Feed and scatter feed in the garden, to encourage him to "save" his wee to mark around his feeding area. Hope this helps. Regards, BREED: MANCHESTER Dear Nicki, He was well socialised as a puppy and plays very well with friends dogs in our house, on the beach and in parks off the lead. He has been neutered, at about 6 months old. As soon as he gets close enough to greet other dogs when he is on the lead, he is happy and friendly, and sometimes a little bit timid, but other owners often don't want him to greet with their dogs as his barking seems so aggressive. BREED: MANCHESTER Hi Sadie, Nero sounds like a sweetie! It is interesting that you say he can be quite submissive to some dogs as we usually find that almost all aggression results from a dog feeling nervous, fear or anxiety about a situation. When he is off lead he is more confident in his ability to "read" other dogs and to give them suitable body language to indicate his friendliness and wish to play. The situation changes when he's on lead: He is "trapped" and also close to you possibly, because of his previous behaviour you may well be tightening up on the lead as soon as you see another dog coming. This reaction is totally understandable and difficult to stop, but Nero will interpret it as YOU being worried, him feeling he has to protect you and the only thing that is causing the problem is the approaching dog, so he reacts aggressively to "chase" it away! The best way to help this issue is that when you see a dog coming towards you, immediately start to watch Nero intently. DO NOT tighten the lead, watch his ears and when they prick up as he sees the dog, that is the time to refocus him on you, don't wait till he starts being silly. To refocus him use your voice or treat and if you use a standard collar a little tug and release to get his attention then change direction encouraging him to listen to you. Keep changing direction and every time he pricks up his ears, it means that he is not focusing on you. Praise as soon as focus on you. You can practice this when there are no dogs around to get the technique and to help you to relax, as he will no doubt bet focused on other distractions during a walk. It's important to practice so that it becomes second nature to take control at any time that he loses focus on you. I hope this helps. BREED: PATTERDALE /LAKELAND (It is a requirement that owners give a 'Location' to have their questions published) Mike's Problem: Dear Nicki, my patterdale terrier has started growling at my son and his girlfriend when they come in and approach him to say hello and also won't come anywhere near them, then he can be ok. Mike Gibson. (No Location Given) BREED: PATTERDALE /LAKELAND The way he is reacting to your son and his girlfriend, it sounds like he is anxious about the situation. Some dogs of a slightly nervous or timid nature can find it very intimidating when people look at them and go towards them, no matter how nice the people are behaving according to our world. Dogs are a different species and if another dog stares at one and walks towards it, that body language looks the same from a human and can be worrying. Sometimes the more you "try", the more worried a dog gets. The best way to deal with this situation is that when they come in they should completely ignore your Lakeland as if he doesn't exist, greet you, make a cup of tea, then your dog will not feel under threat of being approached. You can leave it until the dog comes up to sniff, but still ignore, then when things are nicely settled, they should sit down and call your dog over for a cuddle. If he is nervous of them, it is best to leave him and not keep trying, just letting him settle and be relaxed around them being ignored. It can take a few weeks, but after a while he will feel much less threatened and be happy to come when called. Just don't put too much pressure on him. Like people some dogs are shy and it is best not to confront them - they usually settle much better if ignored. I hope this helps. BREED: PARSON /LAKELAND (It is a requirement that owners give a 'Location' to have their questions published) Janice's Problem: Dear Nicki, We have a 5 year old male neutered parson/lakeland cross - the majority of the time he is brilliant. We removed the dog from the room. When he came back in he was calm but again as she went to leave him he became aggressive. Similar events happened at Christmas. He does spend the majority of the time with me ~wonder if in some way he's protecting ? Janice Gellett BREED: PARSON /LAKELAND Hi Janice, Without seeing him it is difficult to assess him, but from your description of his behaviour, I think you have hit the nail on the head! As you do spend a lot of time with him I can picture him following you around, resting mainly when you sit down, but then he's up the moment you move to check on you. He probably comes up to you for lots of cuddles or maybe even barks at you for attention and brings you toys for you to play with him. If you look at it from a dog's point of view, he has control of you and his growling and snapping at people who come near you is merely his way of keeping you to himself! Although it is difficult, the best way to help him, as I suspect he's "on duty" all the time and pretty exhausted with it - is to teach him to go to bed on command and every time he tries to follow you or demands attention, you quietly and calmly ask him to go to bed. A suitable indoor den (crate) would be useful completely covered and cosy - you would need to let him get used to it gradually without closing the door - so that you can ensure that he gets sufficient rest. At other times, you should completely ignore his requests for attention until he gives up and then if you wish, call him over for a fuss, but make sure he's wandered off and isn't just sitting staring at you waiting for you to acknowledge him! If he tries to sit with you when you have visitors, ask him to go to bed, remember, this is NOT a punishment, it is merely to show him that he has no need to protect you and will keep visitors safe and him safe from making a horrible mistake - just because he thinks it's his job to keep you all to himself! I hope this helps. BREED: LAKELAND Leah's Problem - Water obsession Hi Nicki, I wonder if you can advise what we can do about our 15 month old Lakeland bitch please? BREED:LAKELAND Hi Leah, It often starts as a game with a new puppy such as with a laser light getting the pup to chase and praising the game and can end up with a dog obsessed with sunlight, shadows etc spending hours "looking" for the adrenalin rush they get from it. You can use a growly voice "bad" to refocus her on you. Make sure you praise her well when she gets it right. Once you have got these types of control (total 15 mins consistent daily work is required - 2/3 mins on each exercise through the day, you can start working with the water problem. Don't get frustrated, if you find it's not working stop the session on a success, i.e. sit and finish. Then next time you try, change what you were doing slightly as she just may not have understood. Try first using a tasty treat hotdog sausage, dried liver something she is not used too to reward her for leaving and not jumping. You can also use something dropped on the floor near her (like a bunch of keys) at the same time as using "bad" in a growly voice. Give her lots of voice praise the moment she gets 4 feet back on the floor. Again practice this every day until you can stop her from jumping up at people/tables etc., and then start working on the more "exciting" distraction of a running tap. BREED: PATTERDALE (It is a requirement that owners give a 'Location' to have their questions published) I have a 1 year old patterdale dog, he is lovely natured, however, he will not come back to me if I let him of the lead on the beach. Any advice? Hi Abigail, To get good recall on the beach, you must have 100% recall in house and garden and it's easy to just get out the treat tin or give up and allow the dog to "get away with it"! So get a 3mtr training lead - a lunge line from a horse tack shop or pet shops will sell them. If his recall is 100% at home and garden you can start on the beach, if not, perfect it at home first. If he looks at you keep calling and praising all the time he's coming towards you and give huge lavish fuss and praise when he gets to you. If you hold him tight on a short lead he then thinks that you are worried about the passer by too and try to protect both you and him! If it gets really worrying get a basket muzzle and seek help from a local behaviourist who should be able to show you what to do. I hope this helps, Nicki. BREED: FOX (WIRE) Dear Nicki, The main problem is the continuos and
very aggresiv fighting between them. On other times the bitch starts the fight, specially before a walk or before eating. How can we stop this behaviour? Schulte Sabine BREED: FOX (WIRE) Hi, Sibling rivalry can be very distressing to owners; and dogs can cause serious injuries to each other. It develops from one or both dogs thinking they are the pack leader in the household and fighting for top position, or a subordinate dog being pitied and therefore favoured by the owner or not having the same rules for both dogs. Sometimes it happens when one of the dogs is aging or ill and showing weakness. You may have to temporarily separate them to prevent injury. Check to see if it only happens when you are around, it may be that they are vying for your attention - so best to be more aloof with them and not give attention when they demand it. It must always be on your terms when they are not asking! Work with each dog separately and do lots of work where the dog has to obey you, never be aggressive in your voice or body language, but be calm and strong and make things happen. Try doing lots of sit/stay down/stay, stop all barking at any noise, correct them for barging past you, ensure you are always in front on walk, (loose lead). Nicki. BREED:MANCHESTER Hi Nicki, I have tried telling her off but she takes no notice. Can you please help? BREED:MANCHESTER Hi Teresa, On walks, you will need to make sure that she is walking calmly next to you on a loose lead. If she is in front then you are in effect giving her permission to make the decisions. Practice leadwork for a couple of weeks until you have her walking perfectly without any distractions, then go somewhere where you will see a few dogs, but at a distance. When you know a dog is around, watch your girl and look for the body language that shows you she's seen it. Pricked ears, hackles, and staring are obvious signs, and THAT is the time to correct, don't wait until she starts as the adrenalin will stop her listening! Work at keep her focus on you, by changing direction frequently and then she won't even notice other dogs. So start slowly do daily training sessions keep calm and controlled and end on a good note after 2/3 minutes. I hope this helps, Nicki. BREED: LAKELAND Hi Nicki, I live in Dorset and have a Lakeland 11 months old. She's been spayed and her dominance problem has gone except when someone puts a lead on their smaller dog in her presence! The remaining problems are:- I become
invisible when we are in the local field and she will run with other dogs BREED: LAKELAND Hi Jill, Your girl is now a teenager and is finding out her capabilities, making decisions on her own which are obviously unsafe. It sounds like she thinks she's in charge of you and not the other way around! Obedience training like clicker work can be good fun, but when you are dealing with instinctive behaviour, i.e. wanting to interact with other dogs, investigate hedges, woods etc., it is often doesn't work. It's great to hear that she's on rmb - that will certainly help. With your bad back it's important to teach her to walk on a loose lead next to you and sometimes a well designed head collar can help with this. I've used one called a Canny Collar with great success, so that's something you can investigate. You will also need to teach her to follow rather than be in front, so never use an extendable lead with her especially not on a head collar. Get her to follow by frequently and silently changing direction, allowing the lead to slip to its full length, 6 ft is best, (make sure it's safe to do so) so she has to watch you and not wait for a command or feel through the lead where you are. To start off you can use a tasty treat, dried liver is a good one or with a terrier a squeaky toy may work better. Gradually as you get more confident you can reduce the use of the bribe and rely on the fact that she trusts your decisions more than her own. If you struggle with these techniques, do consider getting a professional behaviourist to help you, so that you can see it working for yourself. I hope this helps, Nicki. BREED: BEDLINGTON Hi Nicki, We live in Gateshead and have an 8 month old male bedlington. He was the cutest, brightest and most loving pup until last week, when he growled and bit my 11 year old daughter. Since then he has growled regularily when we try to stroke or pet him and has even snapped at myself, my daughter and other children visiting our home. I'm starting to get really worried as he seems so very agressive now, in fact we are becoming a bit afraid of him. I have looked him straight in the eye and made a loud 'NO' which always used to work when he was doing something he shouldn't i.e chewing furniture etc. However now he just stays very still and we are finding it quite intimidating. We feel like he has undergone an awful personality change and we can't work out why...help please...? Carol Williamson BREED: BEDLINGTON Hi Carol, Unfortunately this sometimes happens in previously "cute, bright and loving" pups. It's their very personalities that can at times ensure that they get away with behaviour that otherwise would have been corrected in a moreboisterous or "naughty" puppy. Bedlingtons as you know too well, look like little lambs and for the most part, act like little lambs as well. I don'tnormally attribute behaviour in a breedist way, but in all my years of working with dogs, this is the first time I've ever heard of an aggressive Bedlington. This makes me think that there could be a mix-up in your communications with him. I would also get a vet check to ensure nothing wrong to cause the change in behaviour. There is one very revealing sentence in your query: "I have looked him straight in the eye and made a loud NO which always used to work when he was doing something he shouldn't - ie chewing furniture etc". I know that you think you have an unpredictable, aggressive dog on your hands. But I have to say that I think he thinks that you're unpredictable and aggressive too and I think he might be trying to defend himself in the only way he knows, with his voice and his teeth. You may not realise it but looking a dog straight in the eye is very, very aggressive behaviour from where he stands and if you got your timing wrong, he wouldn't have a clue as to why he was being challenged so aggressively. The only time you can properly correct a dog is when he's actually in the act of doing something, or better still, when you can see from his body language that he's thinking about doing something. Once the act is over, there's no point in bringing a dog to the scene of the "crime" and reprimanding him. Perhaps this is what you've done unwittingly in the past? Any kind of "tapping on the nose" (which I've heard recommended by many) ends up in a dog trying to defend himself when approached. I would need more details of your case to comment accurately, but it seems to me that now that your lad is starting to grow up into his equivalent teenage years, he's starting to stand up for himself. The rise in his testosterone would help him in the courage department too. Of course, once he sees that it works,he'll continue to do it. You really should get some one-on-one help to try to sort out what's happening. You could just have a miscommunication happening as mentioned above, but it needs to be properly investigated and the proper steps taken to recover your relationship with him. It seems to me too that you're going up to him to pat him. Until you get some professional help (we have a therapist in your area) it would be best to call him over to you for a pat rather than going up to him to pat him, particularly if he's in his bed, in a corner, on the couch or otherwise left with no escape route. When he comes over to you, read his body language. If he appears afraid (tail under, ears back, head down) then don't stroke him, just talk lovingly to him and walk away. This is a whole new way of dealing with your dog, but if you don't change your behaviour, then his behaviour won't change either. With regards to him biting your daughter, I can't comment because I don't have enough information. This is something that you must discuss in detail with your trainer. Don't lose hope. I understand that this is a testing time for all of you but with some good care and re-training of both you and your dog, I'm sure you will get back to the loving relationship you once had with him. Hope this helps, Kind Regards BREED: BEDLINGTON Mel's Problem Dear Nicki hi I was wondering; we are a family of 4 and we have a bedlington terrier age 8 years old when I and only I go to leave the house my dog follows me around while I get my coat on then when i leave the house he jumps at the door and barks. Why has he started doing this your view would be greatfully received Thanks Mel. Mel Richardson (No Location Given) Hi Mel, You've given me very little information with which to form an opinion, but speaking generally, this usually happens when you are the one feeding the dog. Or, you are giving the dog something that the others aren't (in the form of titbits?) Because it's happened so recently in an 8 year-old dog, this can also be an indication that the dog's sight could be fading too. This isn't always the case, but when you get a dramatic change of behaviour at a later age, it's something that should be looked at. Ask your vet to just have a look over him and check all okay. I reiterate that It's hard to tell from the information you've given me and I can only generalise, but this is worth a try. BREED: WELSH Dear Nicki, Rusty is a 4 year old welsh terrier who has been the best compion you could ask for, he is quiet and only barks if he has a cat or something up a tree or a ground hog out of reach. He would hardly leave my husbands side for very long. Lately, he has started taking off and not coming back for hours, especially at night, (we live in the country) when he does come home he will sit on the porch looking out into the yard and refuses to come inside, he will actually run off the porch and acts like he is afraid of you and will not come when called! Rusty has never been mistreated. He has always come when called, sits when asked, shake hands, rolls over, and he sleeps by my husband, hikes with my husband etc, so this new behavior is very troublesome, as we are now starting to get coyotes and bears in our neighborhood along with all the other animals that go bumb in the night. We are thinking of purchaseing a "shock" collar for him when he won't stop and come back, only thing is that he will figure out that when its on him he won't run off, but as soon as you take it off, he'll be gone, so I don't see where that will work. We just need to know what is up with him. Rusty is NOT locked up all day, he goes to work with my husband where he gets plenty of exercise. He even rides on the back of my husbands motorcycle. He is the first one in the vehicle when we get ready to go somewhere, its just that he takes off when he gets home! Now I don't know if the fact that we now have a cat has anything to do with his new behavior or not. He loves Kitkit, they are best buds. If Kitkit gets outside and we can't find her, we ask Rusty to find her, and within 10 minutes he is herding her to the front door. Can you help? I am afraid he is going to get killed by something bigger than him, or snake bitten as we have copperheads around here. Rusty used to play with the lab next door all day long, for the past several months he doesn't want to play with her anymore, could it be that she won't leave her yard? I can't figure this one out. Phyllis Breeden BREED: WELSH It sounds to me that Rusty has partaken of Nature's bounty and likes what he found and wants more, more, more. It could be that KitKit introduced him to hunting? It might sound somewhat controversial, but this is what he was born to do. He's a carnivore who was fashioned to eat ground-dwelling herbivores, yet we feed our dogs biscuits. It sounds like Rusty has a great life, but that's got nothing to do with what's happening at the moment. The thrill of the kill has taken over his life and he's turned into a bit of an addict. A change of diet is my recommendation and give him plenty of it so that he builds up a stash in his own territory. Keep him away from temptation in the early morning and early evening until the diet kicks in. BREED: WELSH Dear Nicki, We have Reg a 2 yr old Welshie, (Welsh Terrier ) who has been a great little chap, house trained, but on quite a few occasions he has soiled in the house always of a night. (a lovely present to come down to) He is kept in the kitchen overnight and this problem can happen up to twice/three times a week. We have tried letting him out very late (often past midnight), changed feeding times to see if that makes any difference, standing around to see if he goes quite often he doesn't go but nothing in the morning there is no pattern to it. We are up early in the morning so its not like he has been left for hours on the very odd occasion he has been left in the daytime its never happened at all, only thru the night. We don't know what to do we have tried so many things, if he is asleep on our lap or on the lounge floor quite often he Thank you Sharon Ford BREED: WELSH Hi Sharon, This will especially be the case if you feed him in the kitchen; he may be leaving his “presents” near a food preparation area, a table where you eat, food bowls, by the kitchen door or near a fridge, these are the common areas that show us that he’s “protecting”. Say nothing, any solid matter should be taken outside and put in the area that you want him to use and just quietly clean up. I hope that this helps, Nicki. BREED: BEDLINGTON Dear Nicki, We know that he had at least two homes and two foster homes before he came to us and were warned that he chewed things up and would relieve himself indoors. With regular walks and attention, neither of these two things ever happened. His last owner was at work all day and his walks were short and sweet. I think he spent many hours alone, shut in abasement flat. From what was said, I got the impression a boyfriend said 'It's me or the dog'. We are retired so he is with us all day. He has always been a nervous dog. He is afraid of pillows and cushions and even making the bed sets him off. He attacks but does not bite and knows immediately he has done wrong and retreats to his bed. Recently, however, he has become very jealous
of my husband and these attacks are for no reason at all. For health We love
this dog. He didn't have a very good start in life but what can we do? BREED: BEDLINGTON One of the big mistakes we humans make when we take on a dog that hasn't had a very good start in life, is to feel sorry for him. Sadly that's the worse thing you can do. Try to make sure that you aren't talking, fussing him too much and that when he's anxious don't try to "comfort" him in soft voice. By doing that he will think he's being praised because of the tone of you voice. Try to establish a nice safe place for him to go to and teach him "go to bed". Never harsh voice, not a punishment, and if you find him getting stressed or know a situation is going to arise, send him to bed gently and make sure he stays. A crate would be excellent for this, covered up it makes a cosy den and will help too when thunder or fireworks are likely. I hope this helps but do contact a behavioural expert, as you may need one to one work to ensure that this lucky rescue goes on to relax and be happy. Also Read About Spot The Shelter Dog Nicki BREED: PARSON RUSSELL Dear Nicki, I have a 3 year old Parson Russell , I have not had him from a Pup he was my mothers dog first. He doesn't want to eat , I know my Mum would fret to the extent of trying anything, she bought loads of meat, dog foods etc until he ate one, but I refuse too. The last thing she was feeding him was minced beef, but he won't eat that now. I have tried the put it down, walk away, leave it 20/30 minutes, pick it up, give him nothing else, repeat until he eats. It does not work, and I do not believe it is a dominance issue any more. His behaviour otherwise is good, he responds to me when we are out walking, walks to heel, and I have just managed to get him to recall enough to let him off the lead. I have no issues with him except the eating it has always been hit and miss with him, but I am slowly becoming concerned for his health? Should I be? Does he want to find wild food - Should I give him a carcass or what? Thanks BREED: PARSON RUSSELL Hi Simon and Harry, I would first suggest that you get a vet to check his teeth, if he has pain or discomfort in his mouth he may find it difficult to eat. Then, if all is ok in his mouth and general health, definitely stop giving him treats on walks as that will be reducing his appetite therefore allowing him to refuse food. Some foods and treats have additives and sugar in them and the dogs become addicted to these so it's important to make sure that all the food is additive and sugar free. It's sometimes tempting to stand and watch in the hopes that he will eat and make encouraging noises or even get down and try to hand feed him, which will only cause him concern and anxiety. If he likes scraps from your own meals, you could add these to his chosen food and only offer small meals to begin with. I hope this helps Nicki BREED: LAKELAND Fiona's Problem Dear Nicki, He has never bitten anyone. If I try and put him in this room during the day and close the door he will do the same. If the door is open he will happily take himself off to his bed for an afternoon snooze with no problems. How can I get him not to growl - he can be quite frightening to watch? Secondly his constant barking at the doorbell or passers by. I have tried allsorts, 'NO', "Speak/Quiet", I have also tried a clicker trainer but he was far more interested in who was at the door I have recently had him neutered but it is too early to see if this will make a difference. Fiona Watson Location: Merseyside BREED: LAKELAND Here is the answer : although very tricky he is going to need some help to sort him :) Hi Fiona. As much as I would like to have a magic wand for you, this is a more complex problem that first meets the eye. Lakelands can be notorious for running households and they can be very difficult to dissuade. It seems to me that you've got yourself a minder and you're going to need some professional help to turn the situation around effectively. As far as he sees it, he's the family's minder and as such he will object strongly to "going off duty" - eg - into a room at night where he can't see what's going on. Every dog worth his salt knows instinctively that night time is the time when the predators emerge to create havoc, so I can understand why he's refusing to go off duty. He's not really being naughty - quite the reverse - he's trying to be the best minder that he can be, whether you want one or not. You will need professional help to encourage him to give up his day job for a start. Once you're successful with that, you will then be able to effectively work on getting him to relinquish his night job too. He must be exhausted, working day and night to mind you and your family, just getting a little afternoon snooze to carry him through. BREED: BULL (English) Margaret's Problem Dear Nicki, I have a English Bull Terrier who is 6 and a half months old she
is very lovely and friendly. I have given her toys which i was told to rotate every 3-4 days which i do so she does not get bored and she goes out for walks. I really dont know what else to do with her and she is so rewarding but when she is destroying things you can not replace cause they cost too much money. How can
I go about teaching her thats is not acceptable for her to do this?
BREED: BULL (English) Hi Margaret, English Bull Terriers grow from a very small puppy to a very large dog over six months. They need to be feeding all the time to satisfy their nutritional needs. You are her food provider so she won't want you out of her sight for very long. Going for walks for them is going on a food hunting expedition - you must seem like a very poor hunter to her, since you never find anything worthwhile to eat when you're out walking. She will instinctively try to satisfy her need to graze by picking up anything she finds in the house that has a whiff of food about it. I've seen dogs eat an entire sofa - turns out the owners always used to eat their dinner sitting on the sofa watching TV. Touch the remote control with sticky fingers and they'll eat that too. Their nose can sniff out the most remote of scents and since her need for nutrition is driving her, nothing that you've touched is safe. In the meantime, use a large metal pot or baking dish or food bowl and fill it with all kinds of raw, whole fruit and vegetables - carrots, apples, broccoli, cauliflower, beans, celery, bananas, whole raw eggs, sprouts, whole pineapples - use your imagination - you don't have to buy high quality foodstuffs, anything that's marked down in the supermarket will do very well. Leave the bowl on the floor for her. Don't give her onions, potatoes, raisins or grapes. Don't cut the fruit and vegetables up - just give her whole apples, the full head of broccoli and/or cauliflower, carrots etc. Ensure the bowl is replenished regularly and you should findthe chewing problem will disappear. Be sensible with the amount of space you give her - confine her to one or two rooms until you're satisfied that all your possessions are safe - it shouldn't take too long and you'll be amazed at what they get a taste for. She might make a bit of a mess chewingher way through all that you leave for her, but I'm sure you'd agree thatthat's better than having to replace precious, expensive items. And do your research on the rawmeatybones website and try to think more towards nature. Nicki. BREED: BEDLINGTON Dear Nicki, My Bedlington bich is now 7 months old,as soon as she wakes up she starts banging on the doors till you get up, Christine Mills. (No Location Given) BREED: BEDLINGTON Hi Christine, To treat the symptoms: Sleep her in your room in the her crate or in a bed and when she wakes you up, correct her then ignore her. She has to learn that her behaviour won't be rewarded with positive attention. I know it is hard but if you keep going down to her she is getting what she wants and it will never stop. Once she has slept in the crate or bed a few nights without waking you up you can start moving her back downstairs. However; To Treat the cause: She's not waking you up just to be annoying. At her age, she's focussed on food and processed food sometimes doesn't satisfy. Feed her an evening meal of raw chicken carcasses or lamb necks. Refer to www.rawmeatybones.com to get your information re raw feeding. You need to give her a meal that will satisfy her and carry her through the night. She's waking you up because you're the one who feeds her. A growing dog often does better if they're fed that which Nature intended. They can survive very well on manufactured food, but when you have a problem like this, nothing satisfies quite like a natural diet. If you wish, you can combine the two solutions above to get the result you need. BREED:FRENCH BULLDOGS Dear Nicki, I also have 3 french bulldogs,mum dad and there 9 month old daughter,the problem is the 2 bitch,s eat poo if you dont catch them doing it.It seems to be a thing Frenchies do.The youngest mostly comes back indoor and does it in her bed are, then eats it. Christine Mills. (No Location Given) Nicki. BREED:FRENCH BULLDOGS Hi again Christine, So many behavioural problems in dogs are based in diet. It's not just Frenchies that do this. I've seen a Springer Spaniel who was curled into a circle, eating her own poo before it hit the ground. Bitches are the hunters in the dog world and they have all sorts of tricks to supplement their diet if they find it inadequate. I know you're trying to give them a good diet, but imagine what they'd eat if they were living in a forest. They would instinctively catch, kill and eat any small, ground-dwelling herbivore. This is as Nature intended. You can stop this habit by putting your dogs onto a more natural diet. Refer to www.rawmeatybones.com When they're eating raw, meaty bones, their excrement becomes hard, white and unpalatable. What's more to the point is the dogs will be totally satisfied, both physically and nutritionally and won't need to seek nutrients elsewhere. I would suggest that you look into following Mother Nature's direction. I hope that this helps you with your two problems Nicki BREED: PARSON RUSSELL Dear Nicki, The pup is rather boisterous but does submit when told off. At present we keep them apart and only let them mix when out walking but he has attacked her when she became a bit too cheeky with him. Any suggestions please? BREED: PARSON RUSSELL Hi Ann, Sounds like cheeky teenager syndrome which also invades our world at times. The male minder is keeping order in the pack on behalf of the lead female - the youngster is submitting when told off - which is just as well because if she didn't show respect and submit, the older female would correct her then there'd be real problems with continuing integration. As it is, it's probably best that this relatively gentle control being exhibited by the male is allowed to continue and it might be helpful if the humans in the pack became a little more demanding of the pup in terms of respect too. Young pups are really, really cute and they can sometimes get away with more than they should. This is what's happening here and the male is just doing what comes naturally to keep the pack strong and in order. He's getting a bit frustrated because he needs some help from the rest of the pack (humans) but they keep elevating the pup over and above her station. Hope this helps, Kind Regards Nicki. BREED: ENGLISH BULL I have taken on a Bull terrier from my local sspca. He is deaf but has been well looked after and has hand signals which he understands for 'come' and 'sit'. He gets off the lead a lot as we live in the country so all in all he is a happy dog. I have been trying to find anyone else with a deaf dog as I would like to continue his training but looking for advice. Ann Markey Hi Ann It sounds like you're doing very well already. If you think about it, we don't really need words to teach a dog to do things. However, if you use accurate body language and treats most dogs respond beautifully. It would probably help me to give you a more comprehensive answer if I knew what you had in mind that you wish to teach him. It's one thing to teach a dog to DO something, but quite another to teach a dog to STOP doing something. If he has some behavioural problems that you need to address, I would be happy to discuss these with you if you would like to contact me. [If you wish to contact Nick directly; email Terrierworld and I will forward your details to Nicki Ed.] You are very kind to take on a deaf dog and I do commend you for it. I'm sure you'll find that he'll surprise you (if he hasn't already) with his ability to understand and respond once your lines of communication with him are opened up. Kind Regards Nicki BREED: KERRY BLUE TERRIER Dear Nicki, My 15week old Kerry pup doesn't wee and poo when we go for walks. He does go in my garden (and in the house). Thanks. Sue Bailey BREED: KERRY BLUE TERRIER Hi Sue A dog's urine and faeces are powerful fence-making material and they learn to drop it only where it will be most useful - ie the outer and inner areas where he gets his food. This is normal behaviour in a young puppy and the best you can do is to feed him outside where you want him to toilet. If he's using the house, it will probably be near to a much-used entry/exit or a window where there's a lot of activity outside or where he has been fed. If this is so in your case, you should confine your puppy in a smaller space for a bit longer and feed him outside without exception. To get him started outside, roll a whole, raw egg out in the area where you want him to toilet - dogs will mark around an area where they found meaningful food. Give him some raw chicken wings and dried liver out there too and he'll very quickly start going outside to mark and re-mark the area where he found it. If he has these traits so early, it normally means that he's going to take his minder responsibilities very seriously, so be sure to curb any early unnecessary barking. He should start minding sensibly by the time he's around 14-18 months old - any unwitting, early encouragement will quickly develop into nuisance barking. BREED: BORDER TERRIER Hi Nicki, I have two terriers (both bitches) and the younger one, Sooty, has become aggressive both to other dogs and towards the older terrier, Hattie, to the point where there have been a couple of nasty spats in the back of my car. I'mworried she's going to seriously injure the older dog, which is nearly 13. Any advice would be welcome. Many thanks. Sue Prince BREED: BORDER TERRIER Dear Sue Sibling rivalry is far too complex a problem to risk giving advice without proper assessment. There is no one-size-fits-all remedy for this complex problem. Your entire situation needs to be investigated thoroughly because inappropriate advice could make the matter much worse. It would be advisable to contact me and let me know the area in which you live. I may be able to put you in touch with one of my colleagues so that you can progress through this problem in a way that is suitable to you, Sooty and Hattie. You need to know that this problem can be solved but great care needs to be taken so that the steps towards peace in your household are the correct ones. WWW.Barkbusters.co.uk/merseyside Kind Regards BREED: BORDER TERRIER Dear Nicki, Recently Indi (terrier) has been getting more aggressive towards Thai(Springer). If Thai leaves a room & wants to come back Indi's body language will change - his ears will drop, his head comes forward & he starts growling. They have had a couple of fights each time they get more nasty.The last time I seperated them Thai had been hurt. So I decided to have Indi Neutered. This was a 2 wks ago. During this recovery period I have seperated them but Indi is still growling at Thai. Will this stop in time or is there other issue's that need to be addressed? Anne Rendle
Hi Anne, Sibling rivalry usually happens between two dogs of the same sex, with similar temperaments. You've done the right thing in getting Indy castrated but I would be inclined to have Thai done as well. This will then reduce the aggression hormone testosterone in both dogs and it will make the solution to your problem easier to isolate and treat. I would also have Thai's health checked out too at the same time, because ill health in the underdog is often the trigger to this behaviour. You may not think Thai is unwell, but Indy could well be detecting a change in Thai's body chemistry which indicates that he's no longer a strong leader. I would urge you to get in touch with www.Barkbusters.co.uk in your area so that we can recommend somebody to visit you to fully assess your situation and to put in place a successful rehabilitation programme. Kind Regards
BREED: KERRY BLUE TERRIER Dear Nicki, Hi, I have a 8 month old kerry blue. When he went to his first show he was fine, now he is starting to back off the judge when they go over him, it seems to have just started, he is very outgoing, but seems shy of people now. Please can you help me? Julie Moss BREED: KERRY BLUE TERRIER Hi Julie, There's nothing wrong in this, it's just the way he was born and it can be verified if he reacts strongly to either thunder storms, fireworks or loud sounds. Nervous dogs frequently present the dichotomy of being generally outgoing but wary of strangers. Many nervous dogs do very well in the show ring, but their owners need to do lots of work to build up theirconfidence with strangers. Nothing traumatic has happened to create his wariness of strangers, it's just part of the complex nature of the nervous dog. Kind Regards BREED: STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER Teresa's Problem: Dear Nicki, Hello, please could you give me some advice. I have a 10 year old bitch who lost her partner of 9 years last nov. We have just got a 9 week old puppy and she does not like him at all, she won't look at him. We only let them together when we are there with them. We make a lot of fuss with her and try and not to keep them apart. Could you please help me. BREED: STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER Hi Teresa, She does love him, but she's trying to discipline him. Just because she's trying to discipline him doesn't mean that she doesn't love him - any parent will recognise this. In the dog world (and our world for that matter), ignorning certain behaviour is the highest form of dominance - that's why she's not looking at him. What she can't ignore, she's disciplining in the only way she knows - with her voice tone and body language. You're quite right that she meant it - she needs to see him submit to her and recognise that there are rules and boundaries that he must adhere to. It won't be long before he'll be much stronger physically than she is. She needs to pull him into line now while he's still small and young so that she can rely on him in the future to be a strong pack member. She will always be the leader of the two of them and she's working hard to gain order and respect. They will eventually be the best of friends and he will follow her everywhere - but she needs your help to get it right nowwhile he's young. She needs you to discipline him too - do it in exactly the same way that she's doing it - with voice tones and body language. Kind Regards, BREED: BORDER TERRIER Dear Nickie, I have a 4 month old border terrier and ever since I've started taking her out for walks(12 weeks) she barks at people and dogs. I find her so embarrasing! I've been told to ignore her when she barks and praise her a few seconds after she's stopped barking. If i can see someone walking towards us in the distance I try to get her to sit and give her treats but this isn't veryeffective! She's an extremely happy doggy...I don't think she's aggressive.I'm pretty sure she does it for attention because as soon as someone gives her attention she stops barking! I need some advice please. I don't really want to go down the route of using "barking detterrent collars". I look forward to your reply. Sharon Belding BREED: BORDER TERRIER Hi Sharon She sounds like a clever little thing and being a terrier, you're definitely doing the right thing in getting this sorted before she's too much older. Terriers love to bark and sometimes it's not too long before it's all gone pear-shaped and become an entrenched habit that's difficult to shift. Get yourself a little water spray and every time she exhibits the body language where you just KNOW she's going to bark, squirt her and growl at he same time - don't wait til the bark happens, try to treat the body language. As soon as she responds to you (ears down, licking lips, taildown), vocally tell her she's a good girl - but be ready to squirt again if she repeats the behaviour. It just sounds like she got a little mixed up and thought that she was getting attention/treats for the barking. She's a baby and needs your direction - if you don't have a failure signal, she won't learn. You can use "uh-uh" as we do with little kids when they're heading in the wrong direction, just accompany the vocal signal with the water spray and it will all be a thing of the past very quickly. It won't take long before you won't need the water spray at all - just the vocal warning sound. BREED: PARSON JACK RUSSELL Vicky's Problem: Dear Nicki, I have a 5 1/2 month old jack russell who's trying to dominate by getting on the couch showing his teeth and begging at the dinner table he has tried to bite me and bitten my little boy I know these dogs are teritorial andprotective over certain members of the family i didn't want that when i bought this puppy for the kids. Vicky Sinclair BREED: PARSON JACK RUSSELL Hi Vicky, There's nothing cuter than a Jack Russell puppy and he may have been able to get away with a little too much just because he's so cute and still very, very young. The body language for submission is the tail and ears drop down and they commonly lick their lips. Once he does this, then verbally tell him he's a good boy in a soft voice of approval but he's a strong-minded little lad, so beprepared to use a stern voice and the water spray again if he tries to persist once you've praised his submission. The way to clear up the miscommunication is to crouch down and gently call him off the couch. If he comes off quickly, praise him but be prepared to growl and use the water spray if his body language indicates that he's going to go straight back up there. However, if he just looks at you and doesn't get off the couch when your body language is clearly inviting, then use the water spray and growl at him, then immediately step back and crouch down and call him gently. I've never seen this fail to get the message through to even the most stubborn of dogs. If you want to train him to stay off the couch, then be sure that the whole family is consistent. Inconsistency will prolong the problem. If you want to keep him off the couch when you're not there, you might have to think about crating him in your absences or put a piece of alfoil over the couch cushions - or turn them up. If the number of meals he's being given has been reduced recently, it might be well worth increasing his food intakeagain for a bit longer. So the choices are either lock him away outside whilst you're eating if you can't resist those big brown eyes or consider changing his diet to a more natural fare - check out www.rawmeatybones.com This will be more satisfying for him and a lot of the problems outlined will dissipate. He needs to be fed two to three times a day until he's at least 2 years old. If he's fed naturally, he won't overeat and will self-regulate his intake by walking away from offered food. Kind Regards BREED: PARSON JACK RUSSELL Dear Nicki, our Jack Russell, male terrier (fixed) is extremely jealous of our neutered male norwich and our fixed female wheaten. He snaps at them and it beginning to terrorize them. Can you help? BREED: PARSON JACK RUSSELL Hi Amanda, I would need to know exactly when the aggression is happening, the ages of the dogs, the health status of all three, the eating habits of all three and particularly, how the family regards each dog. Sibling rivalry is a complex subject and the comments above are a mere outline of just some of the triggers that happen in a multi member mixed pack. This problem can be solved so I would urge you to contact me personally so that we can exchange specific information with a view to setting in place a rehabilitation programme to bring peace to your household. Kind Regards BREED: PATTERDALE TERRIER CROSSBREED Dear Nicki, (end of my tether Lea) BREED: PATTERDALE TERRIER CROSSBREED Hi Lea, BREED: LAKELAND Debra's Problem Dear Nicki, hello - we have a 3 yr old lakeland who is lovely, but she barks at anything and everything even when in the house. BREED: LAKELAND Hi Debra, • Barking at people who pass by the property is nuisance barking. Hope to hear from you soon, Kind Regards, BREED: BORDER Lorraine's Problem Dear Nicki, Thanks, Lorraine Wallace BREED: BORDER Hope this helps, BREED: KERRY BLUE Sharon's Problem Dear Nicki, We rescued our lovely Kerry Blue, Benji, over 3 months ago. He is nearly 4 years old and came with a couple of issues. Thanks a million, Sharon BREED: KERRY BLUE BREED: KERRY BLUE Rossane's Problem: Dear Nicki, Mary Kate my Kerry(named after Maureen O'Hara's character in The Quiet Man) paws at me for attention. I have tried "off", "no", etc. It's very annoying. She's a real lover - so it's not lack of attention. Thanks! BREED: KERRY BLUE Dear Rossane, BREED: LAKELAND I am now the proud owner of a sweet two year old Lakeland Terrier named Duey. He is one of the kindest, agreeable, and affectionate males. There's only one issue...he doesn't like to be left alone and barks continually (for hours). I've left the radio and TV on without any success. Thanks. BREED: BEDLINGTON Dear Nicki, Regards, BREED: BEDLINGTON Dear Susan BREED: CAIRN - CAIRN/SCOTTIE CROSS BREED Dear Nicki, BREED: CAIRN - CAIRN/SCOTTIE CROSS BREED BREED:KERRY BLUE Dianne Collins BREED:KERRY BLUE Hi Dianne
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