rocknroll15
New member
My male 4 y/o Jack Russel-Aspin is unable to receive frequent baths. No one in the house bathes him because he dislikes baths and they're afraid he might bite. So the responsibility of bathing him is left to me but I can't since I'm away for college. I seldom visit home, so he's always covered in fleas and mange. I do my best to bathe him whenever I can.
This time, I'm home for the summer and he has changed a lot. Back then, I would carry him to the outdoor faucet and then bathe him normally. He doesn't bite or growl and is calm the entire bath. As he got older, he gradually got more aggressive. He would start growling when I come near to carry him but would stop once carried. Now, he would be aggressive and threaten to bite when being approached to be carried. He once bit me (his teeth didn't pierce through) when I tried carrying him for a bath. To prevent this, I would give treats before or after bathing so he can be distracted and hopefully get used to it. I also stopped carrying him and used a collar and leash instead. It worked only for a while.
Today, I approached him with a collar and leash for him to bathe. He approached me like he always would, eager for pets, but he started growling when I was putting his collar around him. He also started growling and barking at me whenever I would go close. Treats didn't work. I surmise that he might be being aggressive/territorial right now as my other dog, a 2 y/o female Aspin, is in heat. He is also aggressive towards other people whenever they go near him or her but mostly towards me.
I think I should keep my distance for now but both my dogs have fleas so they really need this bath. I tried getting the female dog for a bath but the male is guarding her closely. I've been wanting to bring both of them to the vet too but I don't have a driver's license and no one in the house wants to help. As far as I know, there aren't any house-call vet services or mobile vet services around my area since it's in an obscure area of the province.
Admittedly, my household does not hold pets in high regard. Visits to the vet, training them, or bonding with them are a luxury or too unimportant. I also admit that I've been a pretty bad owner for being absent and for not breaking out sooner out of these provincial, traditional views on pets that I've been taught. I want to change that.
I'm thinking of using a muzzle but I'm not sure if it's right to force my dog into it right now. I feel that he got more aggressive because he became less accustomed to baths, collars, and leashes. Please let me know how I can fix this.
This time, I'm home for the summer and he has changed a lot. Back then, I would carry him to the outdoor faucet and then bathe him normally. He doesn't bite or growl and is calm the entire bath. As he got older, he gradually got more aggressive. He would start growling when I come near to carry him but would stop once carried. Now, he would be aggressive and threaten to bite when being approached to be carried. He once bit me (his teeth didn't pierce through) when I tried carrying him for a bath. To prevent this, I would give treats before or after bathing so he can be distracted and hopefully get used to it. I also stopped carrying him and used a collar and leash instead. It worked only for a while.
Today, I approached him with a collar and leash for him to bathe. He approached me like he always would, eager for pets, but he started growling when I was putting his collar around him. He also started growling and barking at me whenever I would go close. Treats didn't work. I surmise that he might be being aggressive/territorial right now as my other dog, a 2 y/o female Aspin, is in heat. He is also aggressive towards other people whenever they go near him or her but mostly towards me.
I think I should keep my distance for now but both my dogs have fleas so they really need this bath. I tried getting the female dog for a bath but the male is guarding her closely. I've been wanting to bring both of them to the vet too but I don't have a driver's license and no one in the house wants to help. As far as I know, there aren't any house-call vet services or mobile vet services around my area since it's in an obscure area of the province.
Admittedly, my household does not hold pets in high regard. Visits to the vet, training them, or bonding with them are a luxury or too unimportant. I also admit that I've been a pretty bad owner for being absent and for not breaking out sooner out of these provincial, traditional views on pets that I've been taught. I want to change that.
I'm thinking of using a muzzle but I'm not sure if it's right to force my dog into it right now. I feel that he got more aggressive because he became less accustomed to baths, collars, and leashes. Please let me know how I can fix this.