yep, all as above. You’re the man of the house, the dog has got to see you as the pack leader. Make some changes in the way you treat the dog. Ignore it when your wife comes in, she has to do the same, let the dog know you are more important than it. If it carries out bad behaviour, punish it immediately, put it out or lock it in a room. It gets food after you, it gets affection after you.

It barks, out it goes, use a man voice on it when it’s not behaving as you want it to.

no nancys go MTB do they

LOL!!!!!!! Have you ever read this website? Blokes here complain when they get stung by nettles or it’s raining.

great thread!!! as a once suffering jack russell owner , my advice would be to hit the wife and **** her ass with your foot. wont solve your problem but fun anyway and you couldn’t harm that lovely dog

hope this helps

As above…
Dog = pack animal.
Family = the pack.
You’re lower in the pack.

You need to have a fight with it and win.

We had this with a spaniel that we owned (when I lived at home) with my Mum it was dangerous, really aggressive. With my step dad it was disobedient. With me, who it had tried it on with and ended up being picked up by the scruff of the neck to eye height and told who was the boss in loud and proud Anglo-Saxon (with one mean growl/stare from me to boot) it was a charming dog, always nice, never mean, fantastic dog in fact.
Ended up that the parents had to get rid of it though as it was their dog and I was only staying there temporarily.

We’re top of the food chain for a reason.

You need to watch “it’s me or the dog” with that kinky presenter

Don’t bother doing anything. You have lived for 12 years with this and not solved it yet. I don’t think the dog wants you to change anything – you won’t obviously grow a pair and both your wife and the dog are above you in the pack. Tuck your winkie between your legs and accept the fact – as you have done for 12 years.

Hope that helps 😀

Watch the Dog Whisper a few times. It’s so simple. You just have to show the dog who’s boss by being assertive.

The episodes are all the same. Problem dog; Caesar walks in like he owns the place, dog barks, Caesar makes eye contact with him, dog behaves. Caesar is the man!

Seriously tho, it’s a really interesting show from the dog psychology point of view and things really are all very simple. As mentioned above, just be the pack leader. You dont’ have to hurt the dog, just make him submit. Dogs don’t get all upset like people would do if you dominated them; it’s their way.

another vote for ceaser. he irritates the hell out of me but you can’t deny that he can sort dogs properly.
next time you and the wife are having a conversation and he’s competing for attention, flip him onto his back, then grab him at the side of his throat and pin his neck down, not choking him, just holding him firmly until he goes limp. that’s basically the doggy death grip – when a dog has had enough of another’s behaviour, it’s the point they get too before ripping out their throat. you have to dominate this dog now or this will continue, and the thing could live for another 5 years yet. get it done.
everytime he behaves badly around you, do it. ignore your wife if she protests – she is definitely part of the problem.
water pistol isn’t too bad an idea but this is more successful for stopping dogs from chewing furniture or acting aggressively towards objects. normally you squirt them surreptitiously so that they think the thing they are attacking has had a pop back. it’s a good technique. it was like flicking a switch with our spaniel.

Why would anyone want one of those yappy little creatures anyway? Give me a big bounding barking dog any day.

flip him onto his back, then grab him at the side of his throat and pin his neck down

Watch he doesn’t bite the webbing of your hand whilst you do this tho 🙂

You can do the same thing by grabbing his neck from above just behind the head (so he can’t twist and bite you) and just pushing him down then over and pin him down. As above just be firm – you’re not aiming to hurt just dominate.

There are other things tho. Like making the dog stand behind or level with you (ie to heel), not in front, and feeding him after you get food (dog pecking order thing) which are all things that are doggy language for status.

Book –

Great reading – teaches you the subtle nuances of how the dog tries to dominate the pack and how to keep it in it’s place. Also feeding/training advice.

Like I stated earlier, the dog knows its place – when I am home alone the dog is so quiete you dont know its there – I walk it, it responds to me etc, I dont hate it or anything – and its genuinly a great family dog, its just the weird behavioural pattern it has when my wife is in….
Any way – thanks for all the comments..

When your wife’s not there it has no “property” to defend.

When you and the dog are home alone the dog is the pack leader, you are beneath it so nothing to play up about.

As mentioned previously start with food. You and the wife eat first and without the dog in the room, then when you have finished the dog gets his food. Never give the dog anything when prepping/cooking food, leave it on the side and give it when you have eaten.

Email the dog whisperer!

For $100 I’ll train your dog and for £1000 I’ll kill your wife…