No, but she is becoming more deaf I believe. I noticed recently she is having a harder time understanding what people are saying to her. Sometimes when Pirate begins what I now refer to as 'the growl' (at her) she does not hear it. Perhaps her being hard of hearing is part of the problem as by the time she hears the growling Pirate has already escalated to a more intense state where I must then step in.
Does anyone have any ideas as to how I should diffuse the situation as it is happening? I am keeping him on a short leash and right now I just grab the leash hold him firm (no yanking) and say "No Pirate." then say "Come Pirate" walk him away from her to another location in the house, usually my bedroom where I keep his crate.
Another question: I have read on here about the different types of aggression.
So far this is what I have noticed:
I know for sure he guards his food from my Mom (even though she has given it to him) although I am able to handle the food bowl empty, half eaten or full with no reaction from him.
When my Mom is at the stove and uses the frying pan he gets very upset with that action.
When my Mom handles food containers at the butcher block table island he does not like that either.
I know for sure he is guarding the house when anyone comes to the door he will bark.
I also think he may be a bit possessive of me.
When he is by me and my Mom walks by he will growl as if to warn her away from us.
I am beginning to think that somehow this aggression to my mother is related to food. He was given back to the breeder because of fighting over food with other dogs. Perhaps he sees her as a threat to his food even though she is the one feeding him. I am still going to try and record the behavior so y'all can view it should you want to. Sometime when in the situation it is difficult to see your mistakes.

 Quote: Sue Sulkowski

No, but she is becoming more deaf I believe. I noticed recently she is having a harder time understanding what people are saying to her. Sometimes when Pirate begins what I now refer to as 'the growl' (at her) she does not hear it. Perhaps her being hard of hearing is part of the problem as by the time she hears the growling Pirate has already escalated to a more intense state where I must then step in.
Does anyone have any ideas as to how I should diffuse the situation as it is happening? I am keeping him on a short leash and right now I just grab the leash hold him firm (no yanking) and say "No Pirate." then say "Come Pirate" walk him away from her to another location in the house, usually my bedroom where I keep his crate.
Another question: I have read on here about the different types of aggression.
So far this is what I have noticed:
I know for sure he guards his food from my Mom (even though she has given it to him) although I am able to handle the food bowl empty, half eaten or full with no reaction from him.
When my Mom is at the stove and uses the frying pan he gets very upset with that action.
When my Mom handles food containers at the butcher block table island he does not like that either.
I know for sure he is guarding the house when anyone comes to the door he will bark.
I also think he may be a bit possessive of me.
When he is by me and my Mom walks by he will growl as if to warn her away from us.
I am beginning to think that somehow this aggression to my mother is related to food. He was given back to the breeder because of fighting over food with other dogs. Perhaps he sees her as a threat to his food even though she is the one feeding him. I am still going to try and record the behavior so y'all can view it should you want to. Sometime when in the situation it is difficult to see your mistakes.

Hi sue

I don't know if you saw my earlier message or not, but I'll repeat myself here...

IMHO, Pirate needs some strict "Groundwork Protocol" for a good Two Weeks to determine whether your mom can become reliably SAFE around him -- Did you get a chance to read the PDF that I posted before ???

http://leerburg.com/pdf/packstructure.pdf

Small dogs that rule the roost like little dictators can end up seriously injuring someone who is at any disadvantage compared to themselves, such as senior citizens, young children, handicapped folks, etcetera -- Pirate does not need to be lurking in the kitchen & threatening your mom while she's cooking ... And he does not need to be in a position of privilege around you warning her to "Keep Away Or Else" !!! Right now I believe that the cause of his aggression (dominance OR fear OR territorialtiy OR whatever) is of much less import than the fact that he is being allowed to get away with exhibiting it.

well sue , it sounds like you are making progress on two fronts ... anticipating what is triggering these reactions and improving your responses if and when they do happen .

however like candi has stated above , in my observation pirate hasn't earned the right to free run of the house yet , and possibly won't for quite some time .

maybe i stated this before , but unless you are actively involved with him , inside outside or wherever , then he is in a crate , or an ex-pen .

i've never owned or handled a JRT, but i know enough about them to know that they have a ton of energy , which must be expended either through some type of structured , meaningful ( to him ) activity , or a very long walk each day . it doesn't sound like you have much time for the very long walk each day . this is not a breed that is going to be happy laying around the house and like other active breeds is going to start finding his own ways of entertaining himself . bossing your mom around is one of those ways .

i'll play the devils' advocate ( again ) and suggest that maybe this breed , this dog isn't a great fit for you at this point in your life . the fact that he's already been returned over food issues is a clear sign that he's going to require more work than you might have at first thought .

if you ( and mom ) are not getting what you want from the relationship , and pirate is not getting what he needs , it might be in everyones' best interest to let the breeder find a home better suited to his particular requirements .

good luck with however you decide to play it .

I'll be straightforward, because I know that's what you want.

I'm not totally sure about how he is being restricted from free rein. Is he always on a short lead indoors, with you at the other end? (You mentioned walking him to another area.)

Have you begun pack structure groundwork? (Growling at your mother when he is near you is unacceptable, and he has no consequences at all. I gather that you are walking away with him.)

Also, how is it that you "must then step in"? If the dog is tethered to you or restricted from free rein, how is he focusing on your mother to the point of growling and you "stepping in"?

I'm a little afraid that what we are unanimously saying, that he has too much freedom right now, isn't fully coming across. Management, too, is crucial. That is, keeping repeated events from occurring and becoming ingrained trumps "walking him away" from a situation.


About food. Do you give him a command and set down the food when he complies and then leave him with it? If so, how are there food-guarding events? IMO, there's enough going on right now to set the food stuff aside and don't even let such events occur (again, management). Feed him in the crate if that's what is needed for his food to be 100% safe in his perception. Not everyone will agree with this, but I pick my battles, and this one can become a non-issue very easily for the time being.

How are he and your mother alone in the kitchen when she is cooking, etc.? This is another management/freedom thing.


What kind of exercise and how much is he getting (daily)?

bump

Thanks for the input Connie.
I totally agree on small dogs can be dangerous if let to rule the roost. I had been allowing Pirate in the same room as my Mom in an attempt to figure out what she does that is the stimulus to 'the growl'. He was tethered to me on a very short leash at all times when she was in the same room as we are. That is why I was 'stepping in'. I am actually right there.
I am pretty certain now that it is food issues. She gives him his breakfast and supper bowl and he is well behaved and does show her affection. But when she is in the kitchen handling food otherwise he then becomes aggressive.
So not to reinforce 'the growl' over food I now keep him away from the stimulus, which appears to be my Mom handling food in the kitchen. When she is in the kitchen, we are not except for Pirate's feed time. All goes well at those times between the two of them.
I also believe he is being possessive of me. So when he is near me I am sure my mother is not near by. Again trying to avoid the stimulus so as not to strengthen 'the growl' behavior. I am not sure how to stop that posessiveness however.
When I am out side, I crate him. He likes his crate and my mother says he naps. She does not talk to him or go near his crate when he is in it. Better safe than sorry.
When my mother is outside and comes in the house, Pirate greets her happily just as he does me. No problems there.
So basically right now, I am keeping him away from that which stimulates 'the growl' behavior so as not to reinforce it.
I totally agree that my management of Pirate has not been as good as it should be. I am working on that. JRT will definitely take advantage of any lapse in pack leadership.

Thanks Ian for your input.
Pirate does get loads of exercise each day. We live on one acre in the country with lots of critter inhabitants.
Pirate loves tracking the critters.
I walk him around the entire acre at least 4 times a day. I love being outside too. We go all different directions but each walk is usually around and about that one acre 5 or 6 times. During a walk he will often find a 'fresh' critter scent and being on a long line, I allow him to freely track that critter. He loves tracking the rabbits and has become quite good at flushing them out of their hiding spots. He hasn't caught one yet but has come quite close. He has caught and quickly dispatched several moles already.
After a walk I then allow him to patrol the fenced in area of the backyard on a shorter long line and we do play with a rubber ball and rubber Kong frisbee. He loves that too. So he does get much needed JRT exercise. But I was thinking the other way... Perhaps he is getting too much and then becoming a bit grouchy toward evening. I now crate him for the night about 8:30 PM and he does go right to sleep.
Luckily the neighbor's donkeys and the other neighbor's cows are of no interest to him at all.
Although he will chase a critter with abandon I am making progress with the "Pirate come". He will now come when called pretty reliably (if there is no critter chase going on) and also if I tell him "this way" he will listen even if he really wants to go another direction. He will also go where I point now. So basically outside he is well behaved JRT (for a JRT...lol).

Thanks Candi.
Yes I have downloaded and do read over and over that pdf.
And yes, you are right on the being allowed to get away with it.
My fault for sure. Am attempting to become a better pack leader and correct that. He definitely looks to me for signals when I walk him and in the house. I need to make sure I am giving him the right ones. And I am pretty certain now it is a food issue so Mom and Pirate are no longer in the kitchen at the same time except for when she feeds him breakfast and supper. All goes fine at those times.

AGGRESSION TOWARD FAMILY MEMBERS

Some really helpful info in this PDF regarding this problem.
Those who have responded to this post, Adopted adult JRT behavioral problem , have done a great job helping and this pdf file confirms their spot on advice! Thanks forum post responders!

Hi, Sue,

Good!

What changes have you made?