Hi folks,

Yes, I believe our little male JRT is in fact a fear biter. He is just over 4 months old. (I had a previous post titled "Attacking Puppy" under this section). I have read the Fear Biter section on this site & would like to know where we go from here?.

He will take treats from people, but hates being stroked, touched or picked up by them (he is fine with the 2 of us, all other dogs & our year old female).

We got him a 7 weeks old & socialised him right from the start. There were no signs of any problem until about a month ago, when he started to "flip" when strangers went to touch him.

He will at times tremble if he is really unsure of a situation, & whine & look to us for reassurance. Couple of nights ago we had a dinner party, he would not be touched by anyone apart from us, but did take treats from the kids (under heavy supervision), but retreated to his crate when he had enough.

If pushed passed his security point (eg: someone goes to touch him), he will growl, snarl & snap.

Where do we go from here?, do we tell people not to touch him, or do we keep socialising him like crazy?. He does not initiate any aggression at all - everything is fine UNTIL SOMEONE TRIES TO TOUCH HIM.

We have had some improvements with the vet & he took treats & let her check him over when we took our older female.

On walks he seems to be really quite interested in people, will walk up to them for a sniff, but does not want to be stroked. We ask people to give him a treat if they are willing to.

What does the future hold for us?

Any help would be gratefully received!

Well, what the future holds depends alot on what you expect of him.

The fact that you aware of the problem at this age is both a plus and a minus - it's a plus in that you are able to read your dog that well and understand the behavior. A big plus, really. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
It's a minus in the fact that the behavior is obvious already at this age. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

So, using caution when the dog is around strangers and avoiding situations that the dog simply can't deal with will be of importance ( and you sound like you are showing good owners skills regarding this already). You will have to display alot of situational awareness, which can be kind of tiring sometimes. And medical procedures at the vet are going to be more time consuming and dangerous for the staff with your animals temperment.

Does the dog provide enough positives in your life that makes the extra work worth it? Only you can decide that. There are alot of us that post on this board that would consider putting a dog down for poor temperment - this is a working dog site, remember. I'd rather the dog was in your hands, tho, than most pet owners that I know - it'd be a real hazard in the wrong hands.
Good Luck!

Thanks for your reply Will,

He is a very happy little chappie 99% of the time. Yes, the vet's visits are very stessful for him (and us!! - culminated in the vet having to ask us to muzzle him last time, as she couldn;t get near him). We have been paying extra visits just to say g'day, get a treat, stand on the scales & he has been letting them pat him! *amazed look*.

At this pont in time, we feel he is worth it. I feel for the dog & will always be there to look out for when he feels threatened.

It may be a different story if things get worse as he gets older. Is that a possibility - or is what we have now, all we can expect?.

Is there anything at all we can do to improve this - other than what we are already trying? (yes, we will be going to OB classes, but I am putting him through a second go at puppy socialisation first).

With thanks

Julie, as another owner of an edgy JRT, find an obedience class that teaches with motivation. My little crazy would bite out of panic if he was pressured to much with compulsion. As it is, he's done quite well, but never totally trustworthy outside of my family, and the people we hunt with. At almost 7yrs old, he's been a handful because of his temperment.

Old Earth Dog,

Nice to know we are not alone :rolleyes: . The puppy classes use food as motivation/reward - as does their adult class. So I will continue with them.

I won't trust him with anyone other than us and the very few other people he will allow to touch him (close friends who also have JRT's).

Unfortunately, children are drawn to him because he looks so sweet!. I'll always be on guard. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Ummm.....Derek,

She's talking about a JRT here. A Jack Russell Terrier. You know....like about 18 lbs total weight for a grown male? Maybe not the best candidate for patrol work, to be sure. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Hi Derek,

thanks for your reply.

As mentioned, the dog in question is a JRT = Jack Russell Terrier! (some of them would make awsome partol dogs <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> )

I guess that this puts a different slant to your post?.

Sometimes he will back away from strangers when they go to touch him, other times he will stand and snarl etc.

It seems to me, that if he is not in control of the situation (eg: he initiaties), he gets worried about it.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> ummm, Yeah!, The bad guys won't know if its a Jack R. or a German S. comin for them by the sound of it. LOL.

Check out jackruss.page The good ones are like 15 lb Mals. Mine ain't a good one except for hunting. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />