Post by searer on Sept 2, 2006 19:33:02 GMT -5
I am currently the very happy owner/mistress/mommy of a female very good tempered (no barking, never a nip and no pulling on the leash, chasing, growling, in fact she's very sweet, sociable and genuinely likes all people and most other dogs) and well socialised 7 years-old Jack Russel Terrier dog and of two rescued cats (one female tabby, a male Maine Coon mix, both neutered). The dog and the cats are very friendly toward each other (they sleep together, the tabby accompanies us for walks, we live on a small island in the Venice lagoon, without cars). In the past I have had another female JRT, also very sweet tempered, and some other cats and I never had any problems between them. I understand (from reading books and online forums) that I have been very lucky. Now we (my husband and I) would like to have a second dog and we have been offered a 5 year old unneutered Jack Russell Terrier by a shelter. This dog, that is very cute and rather affectionate, has been abused by his fomer owners: they have admitted to beating him, keeping him in a room for days and shouting and screaming at him. They finally surrendered him for "unsubordination and general disobedience" and because he was biting them. I have had him in my home for a trial day and I recognize that he's completely untrained (he pulls the leash to the point of choking, does not know even elementary commands like Sit or Stay), scared and reactive (he actually bit me when I unvoluntarily moved a rolled newspaper near his head- I did not know he was routinedly beaten with it by his former owners) but he's also very trainable (he learned to Sit and to not pull the leash in about two sittings) and willing to trust people (he let me handle and pet him, came to sit at my feet, was very quiet and steady on the car and on the boat, slept quietly in his crate and was generally very happy when we were all together). Plus he rarely barks. He was also very good with my dog, playing, no competition over food and toys. The main problem for me are the cats: he became very excited just looking at them and tried to chase them (he was on the leash the whole time). The cats were unfazed (they are even too friendly towards dogs) but I was worried. On the advice of my veterinarian I did consulted another vet, specialised in canine behaviour, that has told me rather curtly that no terrier can be trusted near cats, that my own dog is just the exception that proves the rule (but I know other terriers, even Staffordshire and Bull, living peacefully with cats) and that a grown up JRT that has not been socialised as a puppy with cats and possibly with young children ( he has cautioned me against having children with even my own dog in the house) is a lost cause.
I would really like to try to adopt this dog (I like him very much) and my husband and I have really the resources (plus an house with a walled garden), the experience with the breed and the time (I work at home, my husband teach at university) necessary to train and socialise properly him but we don't really want to put our cats at risk. While the cats have their own cat'door and plenty of high and confortable places both inside the house and in the garden, due to the house plan, it would be impossible to divide permanently our home in two separate (cats' and dogs') areas so they should eventually learn to live peacefully if not amicably together.
Is possible to teach a 6 year old terrier not to chase (or worse) cats ?
Any advice would be very appreciated.
I would really like to try to adopt this dog (I like him very much) and my husband and I have really the resources (plus an house with a walled garden), the experience with the breed and the time (I work at home, my husband teach at university) necessary to train and socialise properly him but we don't really want to put our cats at risk. While the cats have their own cat'door and plenty of high and confortable places both inside the house and in the garden, due to the house plan, it would be impossible to divide permanently our home in two separate (cats' and dogs') areas so they should eventually learn to live peacefully if not amicably together.
Is possible to teach a 6 year old terrier not to chase (or worse) cats ?
Any advice would be very appreciated.