strange habits

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Victoria
Posts: 735
Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 10:33 am

strange habits

Post by Victoria »

Hi

I have a little dog hes a cross jack russel/ fox terrier type. He was found last year in a potato field just outside the villiage with two other dogs by my son.

Dispite all our efforts including local TV his owner was never traced. We tried to get him re-homed but he was returned 4 times with a list of problems, nervous, jumpy, not house trained, not affectionate, not good with other dogs ect ect.

We never had any problem with him. Nor did my other two dogs!

He does have strange habits though, when I let him off the lead he dashes off into the bushes and only emerges when he feels like it, recently I followed him and saw him scrape a shallow trench then as bugs and worms crawled into the trench he was eating them, he plucks berries from bushes and Ive even caught him digging a root bare, scraping it until the white bit shows and then chewing it.

Most people Ive talked to say his behaviour is more that of a fox than a domestic dog. I would agree that he may have lived wild for a while but what I dont understand is that at home he is a totally different dog, he never raids the dustbin or fruit bowl and is the perfect companion even now laying by my feet.

Could these just be habits he cant shake when he gets outside or does he really like the taste of worm?

Has anyone else had this with their dog?
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valerie
Posts: 7125
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2004 12:00 pm

strange habits

Post by valerie »

First thing to do is quit letting him off the lead! He's not ready for it,

probably never will be.



JRT's are sometimes a tough breed to own. They need a lot from

their owners. Obedience training, has he had that? And more exercise

than you probably are giving him, more than you can believe. Including

exercising his MIND.



He may be good in the house, but he needs to learn all humans are

ALPHA, he doesn't know it.



Here is a program to try, gets great results:



NILIF
Tamsen's Dogster Page

http://www.dogster.com/?27525



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valerie
Posts: 7125
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2004 12:00 pm

strange habits

Post by valerie »

P.S. If you are going to continue to let him eat things he shouldn't,

get him a vet check-up. He could be picking up who-knows-what

and be loaded with parasites.
Tamsen's Dogster Page

http://www.dogster.com/?27525



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SuzyB
Posts: 6028
Joined: Sat Sep 16, 2006 2:52 pm

strange habits

Post by SuzyB »

I am so sorry to hijack this thread, but Val I am so glad to see you here :-6:-4
I am nobody..nobody is perfect...therefore I must be Perfect!





Victoria
Posts: 735
Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 10:33 am

strange habits

Post by Victoria »

Thanks

I know he needs lots of exercize and he gets it together with my other two dogs a border collie and a beagle we are out for about 3 hours a day in park or rough countryside.

We do play games, ball frisbee stick hide and seek type games so he's not bored. He is getting better at coming back when I call him but if I stop letting him loose he cant learn?

As for organized programms in this area,only for snobs with breed standard puppy's so me and my rescue dogs dont fit the bill there.

According to the vet hes fit and healthy so thats no problem. A few worms or blackberries wont harm him.

I just wanted to know if anyone had had similar experiences?:thinking:
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