Re: New JRT Nipping..etc

In Reply to: New JRT Nipping..etc
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Posted by:  Justin
Posted on:  April 29, 2003 at 09:30:46

: My fiance and I have wanted a JRT for quite some time, this past weekend we finally found one. He was 8 weeks old last Friday. I know this is a bit on the young side but never the less I have a few questions:

: 1) He seems to be pretty aggressive in the nipping area. I have read the FAQ and have tried everything but I just don't think its helping. I know that he is a puppy and very new to our family but I think the pinching & covering his mouth is just instigating him further. I get the feeling he thinks I'm playing with him. I don't really want to do the TimeOut deal because I don't want him to think that his crate is punishment. So yesterday I tried a new technique...the water bottle. Every time I'm having trouble with him calming down and chewing things I spray him with it. This seems to immediately get his attention and I follow it with a "No Bite" or "No Chew". So far this seems to be working. Again I know he is young and I certainly do not want to overuse this technique but I does seem to work quite well. Mainly I just want to be sure that there aren't any harmful side affects from doing this?

: 2) He also seems to be chewing on his feet and scratching. He doesn't have any flea's so I"m not sure what he is scratching for...might be his collar? The chewing on his feet/leg kinda worries me...and strikes me as somewhat neurotic but I don't want to bring too much attention to it so I've ignored it so far. Any thoughts?

: 3) Shortly after bringing him home I noticed a rather large mass/lump on the right side of his back just under his sholder. A friend said his dog had these when he was a pump and said it was from his shots...it doesn't seem to have gone down much in the past few days. Any clue what it could be? I plan on taking him in to the vet next week for the next round of shots.

: 4) He doesn't seem to be interested in toys..mostly just my feet, arms, and hands. Are there certain toys you guys would recommend?

: 5) So far I've been feeding him Pedigree Puppy mix (Hard) because this is what the breader feed him. He seems to like it just fine but isn't a big eater...should I just stick with this?

: 6) I know this is kinda picky but he has some very bad Doggy Breath! :) Now I know where that saying comes from...anything I can do to help?

: Sorry for the long post but just excited..and want to be a good pet owner. Mainly I just don't want him to be a really hyper dog...his parents were not this way but I know that his temperment will have alot to do with the way I treat him.

: Thanks for your time,

: Justin

: PS: Still haven't decided on a name what are your thoughts:

: Bailey
: Tucker
: Chase (Because he always chases me around)

Response:

Dear Justin,

Congratulations on your new puppy! I certainly understand your excitement but you need to calm down or you'll wear yourself out long before your pup learns anything! The keys to training are patience and consistency.

(1) If you've found something that works, then you should stick with it which means doing the same thing every time and doing it the same way. A technique usually stops working when we fail to follow through.

(2) & (3) These are questions you need to address with your vet and I suggest you do so before he goes in for his next shot. In my opinion, a pup's first trip to a vet clinic should be a "meet and greet" sort of event. Be sure to take plenty of treats for the staff to give him. :-)

(4) It's not unusual for such a young pup to be more interested in their humans then their toys; he'll come around soon enough. Before they started getting heavily into chewing, our terriers loved their fleece "chewmen." First they snuggled up to them in their crates and then they discovered how to make them squeak...now that's fun!

(5) It's always a good idea to continue feeding a pup what they're used to when you first bring it home. However, I'm not a big fan of dog food that can be purchased at a grocery store. I'm providing a link to a FAQ that will give you more information about what to feed your pup.

(6) It is unusual for an 8 week old pup to have really bad breath. Of course, I happen to love "puppy breath" but that's different from "doggy breath." :-) Coupled with him not being a big eater, I suggest this is another reason to get your little guy to the vet sooner rather then later.

As for his name -- it looks like you're leaning toward Chase because of his behavior. That's as good a reason as any to name a dog. :-)