My JRT bit me.

by Mike

Yesterday my dog grabbed a plastic bag and ran under the table with it. I yelled "No" firmly and when I went to take it from him, he showed his teeth and snapped at me. I put my fist near him so a bite wouldn't hurt so bad and he kept biting my fist aggressively. My first instinct was to pin him on his side and he calmed down immediately. I put him in the crate for the rest of the night.(it was bed time anyway) It was pretty frightening and I teach him the drop it command on a daily basis but when he gets something he can't have he knows it and the training doesn't work. What should I do? I never want him to bite me again.

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Jun 18, 2011
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by: Anonymous

So sorry to hear about your scary experience with your jack russell terrier. You mentioned that he is a boy.....is he neutered? I ask because dogs that are neutered show much lower levels of aggression than those that are not. Also, make an appointment with a vet to mak sure there is nothing medically wrong with him. A session with a trainer is also in order......god forbid your JRT should ever bite you hard or another person......you want to prevent this from ever happening. Here are a few pointers that I discuss more in length in my book.

It appears as though your dog is testing your dominance as the alpha pack leader. If you were pegged as the alpha, he would never have attempted to bite at you. You must show that you are the alpha but you cannot treat his biting with punitive punishment. Your instinct to crate him for time-out was right on target....that's showing him that you are the boss and biting will not be tolerated.

Each subsequent time he is acting possessive over an item, use the command "drop it" and give him a treat. In this way, he associates giving up something with a treat....eventually, you will get to the point, where you no longer need to give him a treat to get him to drop something.

- The Jack Russell Team

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