Quote: alyssa myracle

Our dogs don't need canine friends.

Alyssa posted this in the "Personal Space Issues" thread but I'll post that here in order to avoid derailing the other post:

I would just like mine to behave in presence of other dogs.

Example: I often go see relatives that live several hours from my home, so I generally spend the week-end there, and my dog comes with me.

They got a Yorkshire Terrier, my dog is a JRT. Both are males.

They get along, but my JRT is a hyperactive lad (and also weight two times the YT) and has a tendency to show dominance over him (pawing, keeps smelling his crotch over and over). This generally happens in the first few moments they spend together. While I can contain the dominance behaviors, it’s his excitement that I cannot control without a relatively high level prong correction, and it’s something I’m not enclined to perform with relatives (including children) around.

I might be asking too much, but I would like my dog to simply don’t care about the YT (or any other dog or animal) The thing is I’m dealing with a hyper dog who gets on fire with the tiniest spark of excitement. So naturally, when he sees other dogs, I can’t get him out of his “OMG it’s play time!!!!!” state.

So whenever I go to these relatives, I generally end out with the dog tethered to me because he’ll bark his lounges out if I tether him away or crate him. The YT is roaming unleashed and there’s not much I can do about that (I have a dumb mother-in-law). He doesn’t bother my dog, however, I guess because of established rank.

He gets relatively easier to control after like 10minutes. But I can clearly see that he would take any opportunity to give a run for his money to the Yorkshire (I’m talking chasing/playing here, not brawling). I tried tiring him down by playing fetch for over a hour before going to my relatives in hope having an easier time with control, but Hell will freeze over before I can see the end of this dog’s energy.

All of this being said, I would VERY MUCH enjoy fixing his behavior instead of containing it, but I really can’t see how I could find anything motivating enough to positive-train him out of it, or compulse-train him out of this without him going into avoidance any time he sees a dog.

It CAN be done.
The question is, are you willing to devote the time to training?

You'll have to work on "watch me", "heel", "sit", "down" and "leave it" until the are 100% fail-proof without distraction.

Then you will have to repeat the process under mild distraction.
Then under moderate distraction.

Then under severe distraction, like other dogs.

It could take awhile, and it WILL take a lot of work.

 Quote: Alyssa Myracle

It could take awhile, and it WILL take a lot of work.

Ditto, Alyssa's suggestions are spot on, but however you increase you're training, make sure you're ALSO keeping up with the exercise (ball throwing, walking, jogging, what-have-you). Only a combination of training and meeting a dog's energy needs will result in the kind of behavior you're looking for - even a well trained dog will get antsy if it isn't getting enough exercise (and it does take a LOT to drain the tank of a JRT ).

~Natalya

Hopefully Bob Scott will find and chime in on this thread.

I, for one have never met a JRT drained of energy. Is it actually possible?
Add to that their insistence of dominant behavior make for bad ends if not controlled.

Personally I think control is your only option.

BOB, WHERE ARE YOU?

Randy

I dropped a request to Bob, the expert.

I want to add that taking a tired one to an exciting event WILL help. It probably takes more than an hour of fetch for this one, so I would probably invest in the kind of toy that has me sitting in a lawn chair while the dog runs his butt off.

http://leerburg.com/772.htm

I also agree a million percent with these responses above. My granddogs are Border Terriers, and I know whereof I speak. (Not compared to Bob, though .... nowhere near.)

A tired terrier!???????
Does not compute Will Robinson!
My JRT is 12 yrs old. I "think" I saw him snoozing the other day so, just maybe he's slowing down.
The down side to terriers is they seem less inclined to pack structure then many other breeds. I've had good luck keeping multiple dogs together, even multiple males with bitches.
If ther temperment is sound any YOUR leadership skills are well honed then it's not a huge problem.
One problem is when the $#!+ hiits the fan even the ones you may think are low on the pole will happily jump in the fray. You best be able to have great voice control cause those little bassides are a LOT quicker then ANY 60+ lb dog and have more attitude them any of them.
For the OP's situation I'm not surre how well it will work.
Reason;
Your only going there on weekends with your dog.
I've had a couple of them that would jump a dog that had only left the yard with me for a few hours. I never got really excited because I could read that it was any kind of a "fight to the death" situation. Just a natural reaction to the little bassids. Maybe not natural but for sure not an UNnatural reaction for them.
An example;
I'm one of 7 kids. Most of us are doggy and our dogs go with us most of the time.
In the past, on any given Sunday at my mom and dad's house there may be 6-7 dogs. Bull Terrier, GSD, Flat coated Retriever, Norwich Terrier, Australian Shepherd, Border Terrier, mom and dad's mutt.
Anyone of us could be outside and never have a problem. We all read dogspretty well.
If nobody was going to be outside then one or more of the terriers would have to be put up, depending on whose was there. They just seemed to be drawn to one another's chip on the shoulder.
My only terrier now is the old JRT. He's NOT allowed outside without me, and me only if the GSDs are loose in the yard. I think he's actually afraid of the older GSD now but, being a terrier, he has no "Say uncle" in him.
Again, if YOUR leadership skills aren't top notch, don't leave them alone on these weekend visits.
Just a side note; When terrier racing first began there werer no muzzles. Once all the dogs were inside the finish line (hay bales) the $#!+ ALWAYS hit the fan. The "quarry" was gone and you've got 5-6 crazy little bassids going after one another.
The way they wer separated was with long electricialns gloves and a couple of 55 gal drums filled with water. You scooped them up and tossed them in.
You always ran across the one or three that wouldn't quit and they had to be held down...just a bit .
There is a reason that the little bassids, JRTs in particular are called Min-Mals. The only difference is the JRTs don't have any environmental issues. You can stick two on top of a flag pole and they will argue about who hits the ground first when they jump off.

I just reread my post. I know my spelling is bad but this one sucked! LOL!
Sorry Will! I know how you love that.
Connie, being a proof reader, has learned to just shake her head at my posts.

 Quote: Bob Scott

There is a reason that the little bassids, JRTs in particular are called Min-Mals. The only difference is the JRTs don't have any environmental issues. You can stick two on top of a flag pole and they will argue about who hits the ground first when they jump off.

That was a brilliant post, Bob.
The breed specific element must always be considered when designing a training program... or a random Coney Island canine stunt.

Thanks for the JRT insight!

~Natalya

Thanks to everyone who dropped their 2 pennies worth.

Bob, your stories are always as helpful as they are entertaining.

I've yet to witness in my JRT the gladiator temperament you're describing. I've met several dogs with him and there were only two in the lot to which he showed dominance signs (but never agressively).

When I was at my beginnings with him, he used to rip my arm off to go meet other dogs, then promptly crawl down as soon as he had smelled their butt. A local behaviorist illustrated him as a punk wearing leather, studs and whatnot to look intimidating but takes off any time someone shows any sign of not being impressed.

Now I actually got some sort of control over him but it's nowhere near 100% bullet-proof. And no, I never ever thought of leaving both dogs together unattended. He's over 2years old and I still crate him when I leave him alone at home. I was looking for advices in making supervision less tedious.

 Quote: Bob Scott

There is a reason that the little bassids, JRTs in particular are called Min-Mals. The only difference is the JRTs don't have any environmental issues. You can stick two on top of a flag pole and they will argue about who hits the ground first when they jump off.

AH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

OK, I defer. I thought Borders were bad (and they ARE!), but my granddogs can be tired eventually. (Of course, they are now ages 9 and 12. LOL)