Rescue Dog (Parson Russell Terrier) Not Settling Down After 5 Weeks.

[grandpajoe]

We got Max a 2 year old Parson Russell Terrier about 5 weeks ago from a rescue facility and at first he was fine. My wife had been to the kennels about 6-8 times to walk him and he had been on a home visit . We have found out since that he had been born into a Gipsy environment his nose is scared and there are scars on his back legs. His tail has been docked. He is wonderful with our young grand children and is really well house trained. He sleeps on the landing in a bed.
On the lead ,however , he is a different dog. With me he is good but with my wife he is BAD! He barks at everybody and his dog which he wants to fight. We were talking to a neighbour , who had his dog on a lead as ours was and Max lunged at the dog and nipped it. We were passing a lady with her young Alsatian when Max also lunged at the big dog and clamped his jaws onto it's bottom jaw. I got badly bitten in the ensuing threesome but both dogs were OK (Don't lecture me, I wont do it again ) When my wife is not with us he is quiet in the extreme and shy's away from dogs he usually wants to kill. We have let him off the lead on some deserted places and he is a joy. We love him.
But what is to be done with him? We have had a behaviorists advice and different collars have been tried .

In the pecking order of Alpha male I believe I am top and the dog thinks he's 2 I/C with my wife on the bottom. We know this from our readings but nothing seems to be improving.

Does anybody have any meaningful ideas, know anyone who has had similar experiences and have any advice please.

We are out this afternoon for 2 hours and he will cry all the time. Chris

[robert551069]

I have heard of a collar which you can put on a dog to stop it barking.
When the dog barks, a spray is ejected on to its nose. It soon learns not to bark.

[Tilly2]

You could try a halti headcollar which might give you and your wife more control over the dog when he lunges. You also need to tell him off, properly, when he does jump at other dogs. He needs to learn not to do it and only you can teach him.

[Tilly2]

Here's a link
http://www.halti.co.uk/howto.php

[viv38]

I agree wholeheartedly about a halti headcollar, it is much easier to control an excitable dog with one of those.

[frugalfred]

Split the feeding between you and your wife - so that you each feed him once per day.
Don't feed him until after you have had your own meal. In the pack order, the leader eats first, then down the "pecking order".
The spray collar mentioned above might be useful; though in my experience, with such a dog, the reservoir of spray quickly runs out.

[grandpajoe]

The Halti looks similar to the Gentle Leader which we have tried which was good, initially, but he chewed it to bits when in one of his rages. The next is a Canny Collar,which looks interesting . which we collect tomorrow! Meanwhile I am off out with him , when this flipping shower ends,on a normal collar and lead which will be enough for me. Says me crossing fingers!!!!Chris

[Tilly2]

Good luck with the canny collar and the training.

[HappyCrows]

I have 5 year old Parson who could be the clone of Max . And every Parson I have met is a complete headcase. They are for hunting foxes remember.
He used to succeed and wish to have a go at just about everyone but has always been OK with other dogs either ignoring them or playing with them , though I can tell he is fearful of some.
He is not rescue but did grow up in an isolated place and was never really socialised as a puppy , so when he came to me in a city he just exhibited fear aggression the whole time.
It has taken me a long time (2 years) to calm him down and get him "under control" and relaxed , but I still have to keep a very close eye on him as some people he just does not like .
At first I never let him off the lead , then only in places I could see anyone coming (like a beach) , and now I only let him off in remote areas or to play with a ball or a stick , if he is occupied he doesn't notice people so much.
His targets are random , women,men , always differently dressed etc so no behaviourist could do much as we could not reproduce the events.
All I can say is he is so strong willed I have to be without question the boss , in the early days I would have to pin him down and hold him down with a hand on his throat until he submitted , this combined with endless re assurance has made him manageable.
I never feed him before me , he is not allowed to go through a door or gate first , cross a road first etc etc, And I never let anyone give him treats.
As I live alone I don't know for you , but in some way let him know you are both the boss . I have heard Parsons are one man dogs , and mine sure hates it when I'm not around and always needs to know were I am. All I can say is forget being nice if it gets results , I used to hate getting so tough but it works and he can take it, the breeder he came from showed me this with his brother who had bitten someone , now he is OK. I would never have belied I needed to be so tough with a dog , my previous dogs just responded to good boy.
I know some other Parson owners who have resorted to shock collars , I hate them and would never , but the have had success , but more with recall problems for aggression I think it could backfire badly. After two or three sprays he just ignored spray collars.
Frugalfred sounds right on the feeding , make you both alphas?

It is worth it , well it was for us , we have a great time and he is funny,intelligent and playful . We are currently climbing in Scotland and his energy has no limits.

[grandpajoe]

Thanks for that "Happy" Yes they are clones I am just thankful Max is brill with the Grand kids. I am not entirely happy with either heavy handed tactics or those the behaviorist recommends and as yet I/we have not laid a hand, or rolled newspaper
on him but we will,I know!

I have had Two Labs in the past one who was a complete nutter but he loved me and i loved him.T' other was a Lab pure n simple a lovely dog in every way. Now we have this enigma. He is gorgeous looking even though his mush is covered in scars, his tail is docked and he has been castrated!! We have the option to take him back and will do but are giving him till Christmas ish to improve but of course he does not know that. I don't mind him falling in love with my wife 'cause I did ,lol, but it is seriously annoying, sad and funny when he sits on my knee howling for when she leaves the house!! Any way my wounds are at the itchy stage and we are getting more attached to him each day so we will persevere . Cheers Chris

[grandpajoe]

An update if your interested :- My wife struggled on with Max for 12 weeks but he wouldn't walk easy for her so she took him back to "rescue" last Thurs 6th Nov. He really was/is impossible for her BUT not for me. I have grown to love him and am so depressed that he is in kennels again and worry that he will not come out. Am wondering if after another stay would he, handled differently, behave differently??? I would have him back but of course that is irrational as we are a couple and must be able to take out the pooch TOGETHER. Any more thoughts?? I have told her that if he is still in "prison" next Spring I will go and get him out!