# Fox Terrier X training!



## ThelifeofPi (Mar 18, 2013)

Hi, I'm new here, mainly because we have just adopted a mongrel.
We have brought him back from the dog pound and have 15 days to make a decision on keeping him or not. We have studied his looks and decided that the nearest thing he resembles is a fox terrier but he's certainly not a pure breed.

We are both very used to dogs. We lost our border collie from old age 2 years ago and prior to that we had a lurcher for 13 years. This is the first time we have considered a smaller dog, though he's really not that small!

We live in the southern French alps and I walk for miles every day. Its only right to have a friend to walk with and I very much hope that Pi will be that friend. 

I have always trained my dogs and to be honest collies and lurchers are easy to train. 

I have been reading about the characteristics of fox terriers and it doesn't sound hopeful . I have repeatedly read that you need to always keep them on a lead because they will pick up a scent and just vanish. 

We brought him home only 3 days ago and he was like this thing on speed. The pound gave him tranquilizers to calm him and told us to continue but Im not doing that. I really need to know the true nature of this dog and its not like he's stressed or at least showing signs of stress. He's castrated, wormed, de-flead and far too skinny but the food they have sent with him is for puppies and this little chap is 2 and a half. 

He has already learnt that he mustn't jump up, must not beg at the table and makes good eye contact when his name is called. On a leash he just pulls (we are snowed in at the moment and so don't have the opportunity to buy him a training collar). He's seen plenty of other dogs. They are all entires round here and none walk on a lead so they all just try to hump him  It doesn't seem to bother him though and he doesn't snap at them or put his hackles up. Today he met some children and wagged his tail. 

My biggest concern is letting him off the lead and him vanishing. The walking here is fantastic but its a vast area of mountains and glaciers. I really do need a dog who will come when called and not have me walking off the beaten path in search of a dog who can only follow his nose... a scent, whilst ignoring his owners call. 

Has anyone here successfully trained a fox terrier type and been able to happily and safely walk their dog off the leash?


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## BoredomBusters (Dec 8, 2011)

Hello there! We do need a photo, it's essential. 

I have walked Fox Terriers off the lead with no problem, I own and train terriers as a speciality and have no problems. But with a rescue you won't know if previous owners ever taught a reliable recall, and in some cases owners train dogs not to come back without realising it.

Terriers are an active small breed, and do seem to operate at a high speed, have you looked up how long tranquilizers take to clear the system? As until they are gone you won't find out his real character. In some cases rescues don't show their true character for weeks or even months.

If recall really is the most important thing to you, then decide to put the effort into this little dog no matter what it takes, and teach him.

One of the fox terriers I walk used to play up something terrible for her owner, and when I first walked her she would have a habit of disappearing into a bush and refusing to come out (she was usually digging in there). As I got to know her I knew when she got that look on the back of her head and told her not to go in the bushes, and she wouldn't. Never have a problem now, although her owner did for about a year after I did as she wasn't observing her dog in the same way I was.

There's no reason a terrier can't come back when called. Nobody has ever bred a dog to run off every time they come off the lead. And if you've trained lurchers which a lot of people think are untrainable! Then a terrier shouldn't cause you any worse problems, although possibly of a different kind.


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## Owned By A Yellow Lab (May 16, 2012)

He sounds like a sweetheart 

Fifteen days is still really early. I rehomed a 14 month Lab and it took three months for him to even start to relax! 

As for recall - practise it now in the home. Personally I wouldn't let him off the leash for a while, my Lab had zero recall and it took ages to get a more reliable one. You need to do training with your boy and even though he may prove a more 'challenging'  mix of breeds than you've had previously, don't assume you won't be able to get a good recall 

How about using a long line or Flexi lead for a while...?


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## ThelifeofPi (Mar 18, 2013)

Thank you both for such positive replies. 

He really is a sweet guy who just wants to be loved. He's had a bad start and he deserves better.

Our collie was a working dog or at least he thought he was. We ran an equestrian yard and he spent his days trying to round up the horses!

Our lurcher became Surreys champion agility dog. He was a wonderfully responsive dog to train and a loving and loyal friend to the end. 

This little chap in many ways reminds me of Alfie, the lurcher. He's obviously very intelligent and he seems eager to please. 

Since I wrote the first post I took him out and allowed him off the leash. I carried some liver treats and did plenty of recall with him which he was very responsive to. I think food is a big thing for him!! At one point he did try to run off over a snow bank but ended up in a snow hole which I think unnerved him a little because he stayed close to me after that. 

I know its early days, very early days but on the 15th day, his microchip and his passport will be registered to our name. As far as we are concerned, that is when he will spend the rest of his days with us but we don't want those days to be a heap of hard work and worry, waiting for him to come home or searching dog pounds for him. We live right on the border of Italy and if he took off over the border and ended up in an Italian pound, they would just destroy him. 

I'm already getting very attached to him which is a good sign. I'm not keen on naughty bad mannered dogs and although I appreciate its often the fault of the owner, certain breeds just don't respond well to training.

You have given me lots of hope and I'm feeling much more confident and positive. 

I'm adding a picture of him off the leash today in the snow!

Thank you.


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## Sarah1983 (Nov 2, 2011)

If you're set on keeping him then I would highly recommend getting a book called When Pigs Fly by Jane Killion. Lots of good advice on working with the less biddable breeds and getting them to want to do what you want them to


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## ThelifeofPi (Mar 18, 2013)

Thanks Sarah, I will do that.


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## missnaomi (Jun 4, 2010)

I would also recommend the book Total Recall by Pippa Mattinson - it's great.
Naomi


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## Riff Raff (Feb 12, 2013)

ThelifeofPi said:


> We brought him home only 3 days ago and he was like this thing on speed. The pound gave him tranquilizers to calm him and told us to continue but Im not doing that. I really need to know the true nature of this dog and its not like he's stressed or at least showing signs of stress.


Hi, you have had some good advice, just wanted to add that actually hyper-activity or hyper-vigilance can definitely be a result of stress. I foster dogs, and they all handle the stress of being in a new environment in different ways. Some shut down somewhat, and go very quiet, they show a lack of behaviour, others go the other way. It is much harder to determine whether the hyper active behaviour is a result of stress, and I think it is often missed. Of course terrier types do tend to be very active, so no way to know for sure, but definitely a possibility. I have had many dogs through the home who need a lot of help to learn to chill, and their panting, pacing, arousal fed default behaviour can be very irritating to live with. I have found tethers very useful in the early stages, as well as longer term teaching a go to mat behaviour, and using stuffed kongs to have the dog reinforce itself for calm chewing behaviour.

I am sure you can teach a recall to your dog if you are prepared to put in the work.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

ThelifeofPi said:


> Hi, I'm new here, mainly because we have just adopted a mongrel.
> We have brought him back from the dog pound and have 15 days to make a decision on keeping him or not. We have studied his looks and decided that the nearest thing he resembles is a fox terrier but he's certainly not a pure breed.
> 
> We are both very used to dogs. We lost our border collie from old age 2 years ago and prior to that we had a lurcher for 13 years. This is the first time we have considered a smaller dog, though he's really not that small!
> ...


Dogs can get kennel stressed and it can manifest in what seems to be extreme hyper behaviour, they can constantly bark, pace and run backwards and forwards in their kennels and runs and even continuously literally bounce off the walls, some just dont do well in kennels at all, so that was maybe why they have to give him medication in there, once he is settled in your home it could well likely stop and he wont need the medication at all. Like you say too if you continue to give them you are not geting a good idea of what he is really like either if he is doped up. He could well be skinny too if he was kennel stressed as they usually just drop weight and it continues to fall off them and they cant put on weight, again as he settled if it was kennel stress he should start to put it on.

He sounds a bright intelligent little dog from what you have managed to teach him already. I would go back to basics with recall training and to save any worrries about him running off while you are retraining you could at first keep him on a long line while you are doing it. Another idea may be training him to a whistle too, you start indoors with high value treats cheese, chicken, hotdogs sausages anything liver based is good usually too, fins a couple he really finds irrestible and use them only for recall. You walk around and for every blow of the whistle you immediately treat, he should follow you about. You can then try it standing by the back door of the house when he is sniffing in the garden and whidtle and treat when he comes, and then maybe whistle from inside the house when he is out in the garden. When that goes OK you can start to use it outside.


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## ThelifeofPi (Mar 18, 2013)

missnaomi, that books is also now ordered from Amazon... ty.

RR & SDHotel, some good advice, thanks for taking the time. 

I didn't know about kennel stress and that probably explains his skinniness. He is already putting on weight and he has calmed right down. I didn't give him anymore tranquilizers because I didn't feel he needed them. 

I have spent most of my life as a horse trainer and stressed horses, like dogs, need a firm but loving hand. With this little guy I'm being calm and gentle but consistently firm and he's responding better than I expected. I do need to get my husband to be as consistent as me though. He's running circles round him which is annoying but not the dogs fault.

To be honest, since I wrote this initial post, I have been letting him off the leash when we go out. He responds very well to making eye contact when you call his name and so far so good. He runs back hell for leather, skids to a sitting position on the snow and gets his treat! 

I will get a whistle though. Sometimes it gets windy up high and hearing me may be a problem. 

So far he's a perfect little chap. He does try to sneak onto the sofa when I'm not looking and he did manage to get into the kitchen bin. He's an opportunist for sure! 

I was meant to be going to Ikea in Italy today with a friend but I haven't yet left him on his own for more than twenty minutes... though he does sleep on his own and not in our bedroom. The next big test for him is going out of the front door and leaving him on his own for a couple of hours.


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## ThelifeofPi (Mar 18, 2013)

Sorry about this. I wrote back to you guys this morning but just come back to find my post isn't up?

He's very settled but now we seem to have another problem. He barks at every little noise and his bark is ear piercing.


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## BoredomBusters (Dec 8, 2011)

ThelifeofPi said:


> Sorry about this. I wrote back to you guys this morning but just come back to find my post isn't up?
> 
> He's very settled but now we seem to have another problem. He barks at every little noise and his bark is ear piercing.


If he is a terrier mix they are known as watch dogs, he is alerting you. When I got my Fred (JRT x Patterdale) he did the same, and still does if he's in a strange place. I found making him a cosy den in a crate really helped. Or is it when he's out on a walk?


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## ThelifeofPi (Mar 18, 2013)

When he's out for a walk he's fine. He sees other dogs and is very polite. Not heard him growl or bark at all when out. 

The more he is getting settled in the house and he does seem very settled, the more he barks at every little noise. 

This afternoon I have been anticipating when he's about to bark... ears suddenly pricked, running to the door or window and each time I have walked up to him, distracted him and told him to 'shush' (yeah I got a pocket full of shushes as well as liver treats!) I don't believe it can happen this fast but he seems to understand that I don't want him to bark. 

I have never owned a yappy dog. My other rescue was given up because apparently he barked so much. I don't think I ever heard that dog bark. 

I do want him to tell me if he wants to go out in the garden but a gentle whine will suffice.

Fingers crossed and I will persevere with my pocket full of shushes!

I am so wanting this little chap to be right for us. I have a good feeling about him and he already absolutely adores me as I do him.


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

ThelifeofPi said:


> The more he's... settled in the house [& he does seem very settled], the more he barks at every little noise.
> 
> This afternoon I've been anticipating when he's about to bark... ears suddenly pricked, running to the door
> or window... each time I [walk] up to him, [distract] him & [say] 'shush' -- (I got a pocket full of shushes
> ...


How to train a dog to stop barking - by Diane Garrod

the 3-bark rule, courtesy of fellow dog-trainer extraordinaire, *Diane Garrod*.


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## Picklelily (Jan 2, 2013)

Hi your really doing quite well, I rehomed a fox terrier schnauzer cross in December and it took 2 months to get to the stage your at after 2 weeks.

Fox terrier schnauzer crosses are being bred here as designer dogs that don't shed. They are being called snoxies or snauzers, riduculous I know. Since we rehomed our girl I can be found frequently muttering who would cross two such high energy breeds .

We rehomed our dog at 10 months from a family who had 3 children and a yorkie, they said that she was bulling the older dog. When we got her she had no basic training, wasn't properly house trained, very reactive to other dogs and traffic, nervous and submissive.

The manic behaviour of running around the room like a maniac all over the furniture is very recognisable to me. We have found clicker training brilliant with our girl she gets less over excited with the clicker than with just food rewards. A kong has been a great help too.

I'm with you I'm not very partial to naughty dogs but we too are getting there and the naughtiness is now more normal puppy than maniac. I do find she has a very low boredom threshhold and needs a good off lead run. Its taken 2 months to get her to a reasonable recall using a long line. She does excell at learning tricks using the clicker and adores learning something new.


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