Hey Team! Long time reader, first time post. I have an older Jack Russell who still nips, bites, hollas, howls, growls, and is a straight-up mean machine. I don't understand why? Gave him so much love and affection over the years, but the second there is a steak around- all emotions are out the window. I think that my dog suffers from an attachment disorder/sociopathology. He also glares at me from time to time. Does anyone else have these problems?? Yours truly, Big Daddy
Hello - first of all how old is your boy and how old/young was he when he came to you. Secondly, have you spoken to your vet about this and explained his behaviour? Depending on his current age and behaviour, it could be some kind of senile action even if he is fairly young. You mentioned there being steak around - what do you currently feed him on? I do not know much about canine attachment disorder/sociopathology but maybe he is trying to tell you he does not like whatever you are feeding him on. I am a raw feeder so cannot help there, but maybe there is something in his current food that triggers these actions in him. Maybe try something with a different protein content? I am sure there are far more knowledgeable Breedia members who feed kibble who would be able to help you more than I can. Good Luck and sorry I can not really help you. Juli
Hi Juli! Thanks so much for your reply! No, don't be silly- any help is help. He is about 14, I think, I will post some photos. In regard to protein etc, he actually loves the steak- which is why he keeps barking for it! I think that your point about the current diet may very well be onto something. What is this raw feeding method? He is just very excitable and always has been. I don't want to talk to a VET, he would be uneasy around them too. He also snaps at me when I walk to the door, and when I try to pick him up sometimes, especially when putting on socks!
I It is just that he is older, and I never really trained him but wish I could learn to retrain him, even if it is a little bit late, so be a bit quieter around dinner time, and also not to bite sometimes.
Only a vet can really advise you, although as they do not get much diet/nutritional training - usually recommending/selling the brand that representatives of that brand sell them. Raw feeding? "A rough BARF diet" by @Tarimoor on Dogsey https://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?p=2108670#post2108670 taught me the basics, but as I can not obtain most of that I tweaked it to what I can get. I started feeding Pereg raw around mid 2011 and Tikva has been on raw since she was weaned. I think some of the pictures might have gone as they were on PhotoBucket who removed everything unless people left their free site and paid a lot to be able to keep using it, but the words and descriptions are still fine. And you do not have to follow it exactly. I do not - I worked out what I could do with what I could get, roughly to the information Tarimoor gave. Your little Jack would probably love being on raw, but whether it will help him, I do not know. I still think you should take him to a vet as it could be something as easy as maybe a change in protein in his normal food, with a bit of raw minced meat on it might help. Or it could be his age. The socks thing is definitely not a food thing.