Fearful Jack

Hi, I hope this page can help me. I have just been given an unwanted 2yr Jack Russel. He is very attached to me, but displays aggression to all men including my partner. I am sure it is fear as he runs to me for reassurance, he also shakes and cowers with his tail down. What can i do???

Victoria Stilwell had a case like yours in Its Me or the Dog. She advised the lady's partner not to approach too close but to get as close as is comfortable for the dog and toss the dog a high value treat every now and then (cheese, liver etc) so it learns that good things come from him. This gradually moved on to giving the treats by hand and by the end of the programme the dog was sitting on his lap! She also got any male visitors to come with treats and do the same. Definitely don't approach the dog though if you're a man was the message, wait until it comes to you. It definitely seemed to work although your jr might get a bit fat!

Welcome to dogsey

My poor Jackjack (now gone to the bridge) was the same, and I'm sorry to say, I never entirely fixed the problem.. There weren't enough treats in the world for all men!

But I agree with the above, start with your partner dropping nice treats (Jackjack has so much cheese we had to constantly watch his weight),

When I first got my Jackjack he wouldn't come near me or let me touch him either. I sat on the floor and read to him for a week to get him used to my presence and voice with a bowl of treats on my lap feeding and petting my other dog. Any movement he made towards me to investigate, he got a treat. People on dog height are less threatening, you could ask your partner to try this, sit on the floor let the dog sniff around him but DON'T reach out and touch the dog while he does... just have a treat in your partners hand, let the dog sniff all round and find it... gradually bring the treat up on to his lap.

With Jackjack I would also lie on the floor and let him have a good sniff, but I wouldn't move at all. Gradually he got used to me and I upped the ante and he had to touch me with a foot to get a treat, then sit on my lap. Still not touch and no eye contact. Then slowly I would reach up with the other hand and touch him on his chest... It took maybe 6 months of this before I could give my little Jackjack a cuddle.

When my ex partner moved in, we went through the process again and it took about a month for Jackjack to accept him. Some of my friends Jackjack just never liked and had to wear a muzzle around them or be put in his crate. Unfortunately as Jackjack's confidence grew his fear turned to aggression. I never trusted him around children. Once Jackjack had got used to you and your manner of being, you could never change that manner, any unpredictable move would be met with a nip and fear again, even me.

You need to be quiet and consistent around him all the time, at least until he gets a bit more confident.

Good luck with your boy. Hopefully he is not as badly broken as my little Jackjack.

Thanks for sharing your problem/advice. Charlie is slowly accepting men with lots of treats and interaction

Ops was trying to thank you for your advice but not sure where i posted it. lol
Charlie is slowly accepting men with lots of treats and interaction with men.

Thanks for advice Charlie is slowly accepting men. Long way to go but i am sure he will be worth all the hard work

Thanks for advice Charlie is slowly accepting men. Long way to go but i am sure he will be worth all the hard work.
Not sure if i am doing this right as my message is tagged on end of yours?