Once a dog bites.....

[VTJess03]

Belle would get really aggressive around time for her heat cycle before we had her spayed, and she's not as bad now, so for me, the spay/neuter theory seems to be working. Another thing with her that we noticed (actually the woman running the boarding kennel pointed it out to us the only time we boarded them) was that when she feels very nervous, she is prone to lash out...in the case of the boarding kennel it was at Maggie, our other dog and she had to separate them into two separate pens. The woman told us that as soon as Belle realized we were leaving her there at this new, strange place, she immediately turned on Maggie. It wasn't so much an aggressive behavior, but an overly defensive behavior (she didn't have anything to 'guard' this time and nothing to be jealous of)...at least that was her opinion, and having seen it some more, I agree. When she is nervous or anticipating something/excited, she wants her space.

Does your JRT associate new people at the door with something bad (i.e. have people stepped on him by accident or something), or does the picking up maybe freak him out? Belle loves to be picked up (at 45 pounds, she can get heavy, lol, but her favorite is to jump up and be caught and held), but Maggie hates it.

Try to get him to associate good things with the situations he fears, and maybe the fear will go away and so will the defensive/aggressive (whatever!) behavior.

[lemongirl134]

First, thank you all for your wonderful caring responses! He is fixed. I didnt mention it,but the behavior didnt start until after we fixed him (im thinking male emasculation issues..hmmm... ) anyway, we are trying the NILIF program, but i think im just going to have to completely keep him out of the upstairs. 90% of the time,hes the sweetest little thing..im almost thinking that maybe a new place would be a good thing for him..so maybe we could train him not to be so possessive without so much having to break the behavior..i dont know if that makes any sense..but ive never had a problem dog before.

[bckrazy]

I would do NILIF at all times, buy good books from good trainers (link= http://4pawsu.com/bookstore.htm ), and keep him on-leash with a rolled or flat leather collar that fits snugly (allows room for 2 fingers). You HAVE TO be alpha and all members of the family must get involved. Having him on-leash when guests are expected will give you control and not risk getting bitten. If he starts acting up, just sharply pop the leash and tell him "quiet" or "leave it" or "wrong", or take him aside and have him watch you until he settles down. Obedience is really key, he needs to know these commands, he needs to know to "watch" and "off". Most importantly, leashing him to you will keep you in control of his biting and it'll give him more time to learn that you are in control. You also cannot give him an inch with any of this, as long as you're very consistent it should help. Maybe try another behaviorist - just one visit should give you LOTS of great tips.

[Camie Heuer]

You know the situation in your home regarding the dog better than anybody here,trust your instincts to guide you. Will the dog bite again?
Do you know your dogs personality well enough to make a solid decision?
I personallly can't say.

[labmomma]

I saw a segment dealing with that on National Geographic on "The Dog Whisperer" program. I can remember excactly how he solved it but it was almost the same identical problem. You may be able to look on the internet and find reference to that particular segment. In the meantime, I'll check around and see what I can find out.
Donna