Letters from readers:

Does my dog need more training?

Hello,
I have an 18-month-old Jack Russell terrier and as I don't want him to develop any problem behaviours I have been trying my best to keep myself as leader of the pack. I take him for two walks daily of up to an hour. If he is particularly unco-operative I extend the walk for another half hour and walk faster. I work part-time and sometimes when I get home I find he has chewed the carpet or a chair leg or something in the room - I leave him in the laundry when I go out as I can't yet trust him to be in any of the other rooms. Am I being too soft on him - should I take him to obedience classes? I would be very grateful for any other suggestions. - Sandy (Leicester)

Hello Sandy,
Well first I have to say that a Jack Russell is a lovely breed - developed as a hunter it has natural instincts for digging holes and chasing other small animals such as cats. If we have our dog from puppy stage we can do a lot towards not letting these chasing instincts kick in if it is to be a pet. We must refrain from throwing things like balls for the puppy to chase; never indulge in games like towel pulling and tug-o-war; and never let the children play chase with the puppy. Instead, keep him occupied with games that require brain work and nose work - areas where dogs excel! Hide things for him to find, put treats in a cardboard box and let him work his way into it and pull the box to shreds if he wants to.

You are taking your little boy for some long walks - I would recommend that you cut the walks in half and don't do extensions - as well as that, how are his walks conducted? Remember that the walks are for HIM, not you - if you want a brisk walk go by yourself. The purpose of a dog's walk is to give him interaction with smells and sights of other dogs and people. Dogs must have the length of lead and the slow pace of walk to be able to spend time sniffing interesting smells and and leaving their own messages for other dogs (pee mail)!

Why do you want to be leader of the pack? I would think that a pet dog requires a friend he can rely on and trust to look after his needs and always take him safely out of difficult or scary situations ... not a prison guard!

Does your wee boy have a collar or harness? The best option is a soft, padded, very wide harness that can be bought at specialised shops. Collars are also available in very wide sizes with soft padding but the harness is best unless your dog really hates it, because they distribute the weight evenly over the shoulder areas and the centre of gravity is in the middle of the dog's back (where the lead clips on). Collars are capable of inflicting huge damage to the neck of your pet - the neck contains nerves and blood vessels and the optic nerve that can damage your pet's sight if it becomes injured. If a collar is too thin the edge can be pulled between vertebrae and you can imagine the damage that can do then!

Finally, his destruction of things when you are away - this is separation anxiety and there are things you can do to help him get over that. When you go out, leave him with a large kong full of yummy stuff like rice, meat pieces, cream or cottage cheese, softened and mashed oatmeal biscuits and anything else he is especially fond of. Mix it together and stuff it in the kong. If you freeze it that will keep him occupied for even longer and the chewing has a very calming effect - he will probably need a sleep when he has finished. Leave him other things to do also like hide his favourite toy in a cardboard box, hide little treat biscuits around the room, and make sure he has a new toy to play with (rotate his toys daily so that he never gets bored with one).

Leaving the radio or tevevision switched on also helps many dogs to settle, and make sure that his day bed or basket is in the room and a bowl of fresh water is available. Obedience classes seldom help dogs with problems but it is okay to try him at such classes - he may really enjoy them. But if you see signs of stress arising from the classes he could begin to show further problems as a result of the stress. Just keep his classes carefully monitored.

I do hope this helps and that you are able to enjoy a better quality of life with your little friend and companion. - Ed