Doggy Advice Needed

CFC

Thank you for all of your advice, however the rescue seems quite disorganised and have rehomed him elsewhere without any conversation with me whilie I was waiting for the homecheck.
I think I will go elsewhere to find a dog.

orlao

IMHO, if you have a terrier, they can be very hard work to train - while they are fantastic dogs (I have 2:D) this one sounds as if he would benefit from going to a home with another well trained dog to provide both guidance and canine company.


Whenever someone tells me they are thinking of getting a terrier (same for any breed, really) I always ask if they have taken into account that they are

• A working breed
• Big dogs in little bodies;)
• Independent minded - to say the least.
• Prone to chasing and catching small furries
• NOT lap dogs
• Very high energy

I'm sure you have taken all the above into account already but it is scary how many people don't realise that little dog doesn't always mean lapdog!As for the escape artist bit, while training that out do you have the facilities - good fencing etc - to prevent escapes?

slummymummyof3

My terrier loves sitting on laps!

orlao

slummymummyof3 wrote: »

My terrier loves sitting on laps!

:rotfl::rotfl:So do mine but I'm sure that's only so they can get a better view of their empire :rotfl::rotfl:

WeirdoMagnet

We have a rescued parsons - she is great.

I think it would take time for an independent dog to listen to you on walks, and the running for kids/dogs could be trained out. You would need to keep him on a harness and lead whilst his training is ongoing, as to him contact with the kids/dogs seems to be rewarding.

slummymummyof3 wrote: »

My terrier loves sitting on laps!

Mine does too -but I'm sure she uses her 'lap time' solely to charge her terrier batteries! Orlao is right, when we're out, I never forget that she is: a working breed/big dog in little body/independent minded/highly likely to chase and kill [STRIKE]small furries[/STRIKE] anything furry/feathery that runs! In fact my mum says she's got a split personality - an angel inside but not outside! I think that's a bit harsh!:rotfl:

foreign_correspondent

Some terriers are escape artists by nature - my old one, Che, whilst fantastically affectionate and well behaved in general, always had an urge to explore, and would escape at any opportunity, through the tiniest of holes and gaps, and would go selectively deaf if I tried to call her back. This was not helped by the old man next door rewarding her with digestive biscuits if she managed to 'escape' into his garden - bless his heart, he was a kind old soul, but not much help in training her! She never lost her urge to wander, even in extreme old age!

Bear in mind that he is a very young lad in JRT/terrier terms - many small terriers live to 16-18, so you do need to think about it as a far longer-term commitment than some other breeds...

I love terriers, but they are very interested in what is going on around them - however, remember, today, you were just a stranger taking him for a walk - there is no reason for the dog to find you more interesting than the noisy, fast moving and exciting kids he saw - if you get a dog you have to make yourself more interesting to them than other distractions, by tapping into what interests them, which may be food, treats, games, toys or a fuss...

Terriers have been bred to hunt, and will catch and kill mice and rats given half the chance - not the ideal breed if you also have small furries! Che used to catch quite a few frogs in the back garden!They are also busy little dogs, and need plenty of stimulation - if they get bored they will tend to find something to occupy them, whether chewing or barking at every little noise.

Havng said all that, individual dogs do vary a lot and the foster home should be able to tell you what he is like as an individual - terriers also have a lot of character and are often great fun - I do like them - I think so much depends on your circumstances and what you expect from a dog. If you want a very placid lap dog, then he may not be right, if you want an active and intelligent dog, (and have the time and inclination for a terrier) he may be...

slummymummyof3

Oh she loves her cuddles and will curl up like a cat and go to sleep - however, during the day if I am not at work and am sitting in an armchair in the living room, she will use my lap as a look out post!

OP do you have a good dog training class that you could go to? My terrier has got excellent recall when we are out and always amazes other dog walkers with her obedience.

CFC

Thanks guys. I have found an training class locally and have also researched into clicker training. I guess what worries me most is that

a)mutt was found as a stray - nobody knows how he ended up as a stray, and of course in my mind is the possibility that he was always a little devil for doing a runner.
b) will I ever be more interesting to him than other dogs/kids etc?

I don't have other pets and if he keeps the cats away from my garden I'm all for that

Pic is below.

Froglet

The dog we had for 13 years until sadly she died last year,was a stray,we got her from the council dog pound.She was obviously owned and trained by someone but she had the same wandering tendencies as it would appear your proposed rescue dog.So we think she must have got lost by straying too far,and no one ever looked for her.

She was a real tearaway for quite a while after we had her,and once or twice we thought she had gone too far whilst running about on a walk but after a while when she realised it was a pretty good home she had come to,and her humans spoilt her, she always made sure she kept us in sight and gradually got better.

So i think it is highly likely yours would settle down and want to return to you.

foreign_correspondent

Well, he is very handsome...

a) My mum's gorgeous dog was a stray too - obviously, we dont know if this is because she was dumped, or if she went off after a squirrel or rabbit and got lost, (she is a bit of an hunter, and very swift) or what happened... you will never know with this lad either, but you can reduce the risks of him escaping by making sure your fencing is good, and thinking about what you do with the dog when you open the door, and working on recall so you can be confident he will come back when off lead. A lot of dogs will stray given the opportunity. This lad may have been allowed to wander, or even dumped.

b) yes, if you work at it - working on being 'fun' and the focus of his attention through training, games, lots of praise, silly voices, smelly and tasty treats, balls, tuggy toys, squeaky toys etc... you need to be prepared to make a prat of yourself in public places basically!

gettingready

CFC wrote: »

Question - is this the right dog for me?

Depends on your liofestyle really - as know nothing about it, difficult to judge.

I always look at it from the other angle - am I the right person for THAT dog?



All the best