The wife and I adopted a 6 year old Jack (Parson’s) Russel from the local shelter. She’s a wonderful well behaved dog in the house.She knows all of her commands, sit, stay etc . She won’t even cross a threshold without being told to do so.
However, once across the threshold and gets outdoors she’s a completely different dog. She drags us by the leash down the street lurching and barking at people and other dogs. The shelter told us to try different types of collars.
We tried a harness, a halter and an easy walk harness. Nothing has helped. A friend suggested trying a prong collar but to me, those things look like a torture device.
We are both in our 70 's and I feel it’s only a matter of time before one of us takes a fall from her pulling. She’s very strong. It takes 2 hands to hold her back.
We have already fallen in love with her. It would break our hearts to return her to the shelter.
I will welcome any advice that might help in correcting her outdoor behavior.
That’s going to require A LOT of work, which might be beyond someone in their 70s who is already expressing concerns about falling. I’ve never used a prong collar, but suspect I would be able to dissuade a Jack Russell from lunging with a standard choke collar (which some will come in here and contend is cruelty.) But I’m 2 decades younger than you, steady on my feet, and used to getting much larger dogs to act properly.
You CAN teach an old dog new tricks - but at your age, I’d suggest you carefully consider if that is what you thought you were signing up for when you decided to get a dog. My suspicion is that you intended the dog to be an ADDITION to all aspects of your life, including an encouragement to get outdoors exercise. No shame from the realization that the dog isn’t keeping up their share of the bargain. At 6, you are inheriting someone else’s problems, and success will require time and effort, and is not guaranteed. Did you intend to adopt a “project”, or a companion?
I’d take it back to the shelter, and look for something other than a JR terrier. Also - a reputable shelter should be aware of such behavior issues (and lunging IS a significant behavior issue), and consider such issues when matching animals with prospective owners. I’d consider a different shelter.
I’ve never used one, but I think you’re looking for a Head Halter. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/how_to_use_head_halter.html
This discourages a dog from pulling because when he does, it turns his head back to you.
Take your pup to a trainer who uses positive-reinforcement techniques (not punitive techniques) and they can help you fairly quickly. Do NOT use a prong collar on such a small dog. (I don’t like them on any dog, but some people love them for the “stubborn” breeds like bulldogs and such. Dogs with thick skin, lots of fat or lots of fur.)
Also, I have to ask: are you using a flexi lead? If so, throw it out and get a leather or nylon leash. Flexi’s encourage pulling, the dog gets used to having tension on his neck. You want your dog to get used to having NO tension when out walking.
If you can’t afford a trainer, you can do it yourself with some dedicated, focused work:
Start a short walk, the instant the dog pulls, you stop dead in your tracks. When dog stops pulling, you can proceed. He pulls, you stop. He pulls, you stop. After a while he gets the idea that if he pulls, he can’t go for walkies.
If that doesn’t seem to work, then you do the same thing but instead of stopping and then proceeding, you turn around and go in the opposite direction. Like this: he pulls, you about-face and go back, he pulls, you about-face and go back. Don’t worry about looking like an idiot to passers-by. They’ll know what you’re trying to accomplish. The dog will learn that if he wants to go places, he has to walk without pulling you along, otherwise you’ll go where he DOESN’T want to go.
She will adjust eventually. You need patience. As JcWoman says above, don’t let her engage in this behavior on walks. If she pulls then stop. It will make a walk torturous for you initially, but she’ll catch on in time. Since your age is a factor hiring a trainer for this makes a lot of sense. You still need to be prepared for it to continue in some circumstances though, some sound, sight, or smell may rile her up at any moment so you’ll have to keep a tight grip on the leash and make sure you can’t be easily pulled over.
Pulling on the lead isn’t that hard to stop. Whenever you’re out walking, and the dog pulls, stop dead like you’re a tree, immovable! Pull the dog back and make them sit. Now restart your walk. Repeat relentlessly, NEVER wavering. After a few days of really tedious stop and start walks, your dog will figure it out, and your problem will be solved!
It will work, in a short period of time, but you truly have to be zero tolerance, no exceptions. Ultimately dogs do what you allow them to do.
Wishing you Good Luck!
This method is tough love. It works. You don’t need any special collar, although a prong collar will give you faster progress with this method. A basic neck collar works fine. Don’t use a shoulder harness. At your age this method will require some strength (at any age, really), but you should have enough leverage if you figure out the right technique, with your feet, legs, and arms.
This approach may seem cruel but it’s not and it will work effectively. You are the Alpha in this relationship, not Jack Russell.
Ideally, have the collar riding high on Jack’s neck, as high as possible, close to its head. When Jack pulls, firmly hold the leash with both hands, firmly plant both of your feet (you’ve briefly stopped walking at this point), and strongly YANK back on the leash. Yank in such a manner that little Jack suddenly flies off its feet towards you!
Every time Jack pulls, even just a little, do the same thing. Over and over and over again. Pretty soon Jack will realize that when you stop and firmly plant your feet, you’re about to YANK, and Jack will stop pulling.
Seems abrupt and cruel, maybe, but Jack has developed some bad habits and these need to be broken. Firmly.
After a few of these violent, repeated YANKS, Jack will start to behave civilly. Soon, only a quick, firm tug (a quick snap!) on the leash will remind Jack of what the expected behavior is. Be consistent, don’t let Jack pull you.
For obvious reasons it’s best to start this technique with nobody around, because it looks cruel as hell. Especially don’t have any other dog walkers around!
If this method seems over the top, use a prong collar riding high on Jack’s neck, and use the same approach but don’t yank so strongly.
You are the Alpha in this relationship, not Jack Russell.
I second all this advice. If you want to add even more positive reinforcement, you can give the dog a treat every time he stops pulling and looks at you. For example, the dog is pulling. You stop. He’ll keep pulling on the leash at first. The second he stops and relaxes, and turns his head towards you (even a little at first), you say “GOOD boy” and drop him a treat. Then you start walking again. I even had a trainer suggest walking with peanut butter on a long handled wooden spoon to quickly snag the dog’s interest and get him back towards my side. Dog starts pulling ahead, I call his name, he eases up on leash and looks at me, I lower the peanut butter spoon to where he can reach it as his reward. I want his attention on me, and I don’t want him pulling.
Good luck.
The post quoted above is aggressive nonsense. “Alpha” dominance theory is discredited and was based on poor observation in the first place. Mistreating your family member this way is indeed cruel but also shortsighted – you will gain nothing from raising your already-anxious dog’s stress hormones, and may provoke him into misbehaving worse.
Positive training techniques, desensitization to the stimuli that overexcite him (other dogs and people) and perhaps some safety gear for you for now (elbow and knee pads when walking?) are your better bet.
Our dog used to do this and a pronged collar was recommended by the trainer & it WORKED. I used to think they were cruel, but the trainer said it was designed to feel like the mother dog nipping at the pup when they were misbehaving. Go into a petstore & see what it feels like on you–it looks much worse than it actually feels & worked like a charm for our dog.
This is functionally what we’ve done with our ~ 2 year old mixed up breed and I fully support this method.
I agree with this^^^^.
I use a prong collar (German pinch collar) on my dalmatian. She walks by my leg exactly as she should without any tension on the leash (This still required a lengthy training period of walking her everyday). It looks way worse than it is. I had the same reservations, but I actually put it on my own neck before ever putting on my dog.
My dog does not seem to mind the prong collar, as long as she does not pull. She gets quite excited when she hears it jingle and happily pokes her head into it for a walk. I love my dog and would never intentionally do anything to hurt her.
This has to be done carefully, you don’t want the dog to get the impression that pulling will result in a treat. In my experience with new dogs I’ve found they don’t always make the right connection. In this case I’d suggest first rewarding when her name is called in other circumstances so she understands what the reward is for.
Practice walking on the leash indoors, where she behaves well. See if you can teach her to heel. If she is very food-motivated, you may get her to heel by holding food near your leg just above her head, and making her hold the heel command for several steps before giving the treat to her. Mix the food rewards with praise.
Eventually, get her heeling indoors with just praise. Then take her outside. Give her the heel command, and be prepared to give her food rewards again.
The advice to turn a 180 when she fails to heel is good advice as well.
I have taught dogs to heel, and eventually even do so off-leash, this way. We didn’t start in the house, because they were not necessarily better behaved in the house, but this dog is exceptional in this way, so I’d try it.
As a new dog owner, I think it’s really worth your time to talk to a professional about dog trainer. We can tell you thing on the internet but getting some hands on advice from an experienced dog handler will make both you and the dog more comfortable.
I would recommend looking for a trainer that works with Victoria Stillwell’s methods. She focuses on positive communication with your pet and I think that will work. Your new friend is obviously clever and trainable. You need to find a way to communicate with her what you want her to do, in a way that engages her desire to do tricks.
In re: prong collars - a waste of time in my opinion. They look cruel but I’ve seen loads of dogs who just learn to ignore them. The big problem is that they turn training into a battle of physicality, and most dogs (but especially a high-prey drive Jack) are going to win that battle. As a human, your advantage is your brain. Use it to reach your clever pup’s brain. You want to make walking nicely another of your smart dog’s party tricks.
Having said all that - you know, I wouldn’t hold it against you if you decided this dog was too much. Even experienced dog owners hesitate to take on JRT’s. They’re just a lot of work. They need real exercise. They need mental stimulation. They have a stupidly high prey drive. They can be a lot of fun, if you’re into working with your dog, but it is work, and it doesn’t stop. A nice middle age lab or golden might be a better fit for the two of you, and the Russel might need a more active home.
This is a horrible idea and terrible “advice”. This will result in injuries to the dog and possibly to the owners as well. So-called “alpha-dog” bullshit is outdated nonsense.
Group training classes are inexpensive and will do you and pooch a world of good. Your vet or the local SPCA will have information on where to find a class. It sounds like you’ve got a lovely little companion who needs some work in one area.
Learning to walk properly on a leash is very doable and doesn’t need to be done with anger and violence.
Good luck!
Whatever you do, do NOT engage in punishment-based methods. You don’t build a relationship with your pup by being a bully, you build it with kindness and patience. DON’T rule with fear. Rule with love. The end goal is for the dog to WANT TO PLEASE YOU.
I recommend with with a professional trainer, both one-on-one and in a group setting. JRTs are feisty, strong-willed little dogs and you need to be strong and consistent with her.
And ditto on doing away with the flexi-leash if you’re using one. Those are just bad in multiple ways, and can get your dog in trouble interacting with dogs who aren’t friendly.
Good luck! We require photographic evidence of this dog.
StG
We have walked her in the house and use the heel command and she’s just the perfect dog. Stays right by my side and no pulling.
As soon as she gets outside, her nose goes to the ground and she’s off and running pulling me along with her. I hold the leash as close to the collar as possible but when she’s pulling she starts choking so I let her have more lead. It’s a 6 foot nylon leash.
The majority of you that have replied ,and I appreciate all of the replies, suggest stopping and or reversing every time she pulls. I’ll start using this technique along with some of the other tips from this thread next time out.
I’ve also been looking for trainers. I found one nearby that offers 2- 75 minute sessions for $300. This is just for proper walking behavior.(Pulling lunging and heeling) On his web page he says that the price includes a prong collar. Says he’s internationally known and has or had a radio show. If I don’t have any success in a few months, I think this is the route to go. Just not so sure about the prong collar.
Thanks everybody for giving me some sound advice. I really appreciate it.
Don’t go with that trainer. Just the fact that he recommends prong collars - without even meeting you and your dog first - says that he uses dominance theory (which has been thoroughly debunked) and punishment. Search for dog trainers with this key phrase “positive reinforcement”.
It doesn’t mean squat that he’s been on a radio show or is known internationally. That’s marketing hype. Don’t fall for it.
Also, I want to add: yanking on the leash is punishment and bullying behavior. Avoid anybody who tells you to do that.