[EBridgewater]

We have keeping our doberman and jack Russell terrier in separate parts of the house for almost a year it would be absolutely great if anyone can offer some tips on how to male them get along.
Right now when they are in the same room together our one yr old doberman jumps and plays pretty rough with our 5 year old jack Russell who tries to assert dominance by humping the entire time. They aren't growling our anything. They just have two different goals and get annoyed when they don't get what they want. they both instigate it. And they just wear each other out until they an hardly breathe because they are so out of breath.
Any ideas? !

 

[ZeldaRules]

Have they been through any obedience courses?

 

[Faireview]

What are the genders of each dog?

 

[EBridgewater]

Both Males, neither neutured. The Jack Russel was here first.. the doberman joined 1 yr ago.

Neither have been in obedience classes, although the doberman is usually obedient. We have spent a great deal of time with him working on obedience. He just seems to forget that when the Jack Russell is around.

 

[ZeldaRules]

Just my opinions....


A JRT and a young, immature male Doberman. I can see that being a recipe for disaster. Honestly, I would never purposely choose that combo but good luck to you on getting them to be polite friends, sincerely, because I can imagine how frustrating that would be.


You need to teach your Doberman some manners and how to play nicely with small dogs. Your JRT also needs a lot of obedience work. It sounds like they both disrespect your leadership and do what they want. I did a LOT of engagement work with my Doberman and it helped tons with his focus and attention on me around other dogs. I have 3 big dogs so it is imperative that I have them under control, especially with each other.

Right now your dogs are blowing you off because antagonizing each other is more fun than obeying you. Up the training. Teach them to "settle". Work on the "place" command so they each have their own chill out spot when around each other.

 

[Patches Mom]

You need to read about male on male aggression in Doberman s if you want to leave them loose together your JRT will most likely be dead when your Dobe is 2-3 years old mature male neutered or not do not usually get along wit other male dogs of any breed.

 

[Australdi]

I have a failed foster JRTx and as soon as I realised he was staying here I rang the breeders of my future dobe and advised them I could no longer take the male I wanted. A female is still an outside chance of a possibility...but I question my sanity of wanting 2 high drive working pups at the same time.

The problem will always be... Jack Russells don't know when to back down, tending to just go in harder when warned to back off. Dobes don't back off either. Even though the JR heart and head says they "can take on anything"...the size and dominance of a dobe can quickly and devastatingly show them that they can't.

Both your dogs need to learn obedience. It will be easier to train the dobe. ..but the JR needs it more! With both of them entire as well....I hope you don't smoke...as you're living in a powder keg. It will be the JRT who pays the price if it explodes too

 

[4everDobie]

I have a 3 1/2 yr old Dobergirl and a 9 year old female JRT. The JRT was here first, and is definitely dominant. Our Dobergirl came to us when she was 7 mod and full of you know what. Yes, both have been to the vet for wounds inflicted by each other. We did crate train and kennel our adolescent Dobergirl when we could not physically be present when they were together. Our Dobergirl ended up going to obedience training, and that was one of the best things we did. She eventually got through adolescence and "plays" gentler with the JRT, but the JRT doesn't want anything to do with her and take it as a challenge. But then a few moments later, they are trotting around together, or laying together licking each others mouths. Happy to report, no further injuries, they are together all day (not separated), and at night will even sleep together if the JRT isn't sleeping with our daughter. The union is possible, it's just going to take patience, training, and a lot of supervising. But my pair are two females, I don't know much about males. Just wanted to let you know I experienced the same dynamics with the same breeds.

 

[Faireview]

Male Dobermans and male terriers = a recipe for a disaster.

Both breeds tend to be dominant in nature and a fight is inevitable. An intact male terrier WILL NOT back down and doesn't have the sense to know better. And a male terrier will work endlessly to assert his dominance. It is who they are. I have border terriers, which are a lot less terrier than a Jack, and we've had two instances of male Dobe/male terrier fight due to slip-ups with doors/gates. Luckily, these two males don't live together (Dobe with me, terrier with my mom), but when I am visiting, they are either crated and rotated or are separated by multiple gates and doors.

I think having a male Dobe and a male terrier together is just as bad and volatile as having two male Dobes together. Please DO NOT let these two dogs interact. You haven't had a major blow-up because your Dobe is young, but it IS going to happen. From what you are describing about their interactions, you have some serious conflict brewing. Trust me, breaking up a big dog/little dog fight is not fun. You have to get in there and do whatever you can to get your little dog out before he is killed.

My male Dobe is one of the kindest, most non-reactive, submissive, non-confrontational, and temperamentally stable dogs I have ever met. In just about every situation, he's a total gentleman. And he still got into it with the terrier - terrier started it and it began before we could even react to stop it.

Please be careful with your dogs.

 

[dglvr]

I agree that these two dogs should never be left together unattended, and even monitored interaction should be limited.

The only reason I can have 2 males is that my male Rat terrier (only one notch lower on the cuckoo scale than JRTs) is that my RT is 13 years old and despite being very dominant seems to be aware that he could no longer win in a fight and so is submissive... but not because he wants to be. (not that he could have won when younger, but he sure as hell would have tried)

 

[dglvr]

(also the RT is neutered, which helps)

 

[kpal4978]

Just curious... why are they both intact? Do you breed? Or is it common to leave dogs intact just because?

 

[Australdi]

oh...and back when I had my working line dobe (entire) we shared house with a female (spayed) fox terrier....guess who ruled the roost! ...and ran rings around him!

 

[CoDobe]

Please, get them neutered.