Jumping at the TV

Question
QUESTION: I'm sorry, you may have been asked this question many times before and it must at times be frustrating for you, but you have not answered this question for me as I have not asked it before. You did help us before with toilet training Snowy and also some general advice about curbing his tendency to nip. On both previous occasions your advice was bery helpful and your tone was kind and friendly.  I am sorry if I have upset you in some way; but since I have NOT asked this question before, I naievely expected a similarly friendly and helpful answer.  Obviously I got that wrong.  Sorry to have bothered you. I will not be able to grade your answer with the same high marks I did last time.  And I guess Snowy will keep on jumping at the TV because I still don't know how to stop it.
I would still like a response because as I said previously your advice was very helpful, but if you think you have answered me before you are wrong.

I have already answered this question for you once before.

Your Question was:

We own a beautiful JRT, Snowy, who is about 2.5 years old now.  We rescued him from the pound when he was about 6 months. He lives with my husband, my son and myself and is inside most of the time with us, although he sleeps outside in his kennel. He has a good appetite, has had all his vaccinatins, is flea-free, wormed and was sterilized before we got him. He is walked every day, is affectionate and well-behaved most of the time.  BUT, if he sees any kind of animal on the TV, he goes crazy, barking and jumping at the screen.  Our choices at this point are to either avoid watching shows with animals in (not always possible), to restrain him, or to yell! What is your best suggestion?

Expert: Carol Ferraro


ANSWER: Hi Lesley -
You must not know how ALLExperts works -
The COMPANY sends you automatic "reject" nofitication of a question that has already been answered, not me personally, so I'm sorry if you felt snubbed by ME. It doesn't work that way. However, now that you have shown me that the answer they send says "I have already answered this question FOR YOU once before", I don't like it one bit. It is MUCH TOO general and sounds rude. I'm going to write to them today and ask them about it.  The choices I see when I respond to a question are 1) Answer This Question, 2) Question Answered Before, 3) Non Serious Rude Question, 4) Homework Question, or 5) Send to the Question Pool.
So if I have answered a duplicate question before, I click on number 2.  It is not an interpersonal response and I feel badly about that, but I didn't know the exact wording they send to the questioner... it's pretty cold.
My goal is to help people with Jacks because I love them so much; I don't get paid for it, and don't want to! It's nice to get positive feedback from people but I don't live for the high marks you so generously give. Not everyone agrees on the methods of others and that's just a fact of life, so as much as I appreciate the high ratings, I don't lose sleep if I get a negative one.
With the TV, it's hard to control the jumping because you have no idea of what is coming up on the screen next. My dogs still do the same thing that Snowy does, but to a lesser degree now.
Hold Snowy on your lap when you are watching animal shows, and watch as many as you can to desensitize him to it. He'll shake and bark and go crazy, but keep correcting him with your voice and use whatever word  you use to stop bad behavior (NO!) Try to stop his actions BEFORE he can get them out of his mouth (cut him off) and as usual with jacks.... consistency consistency consistency - You can move him off your lap and onto the floor NEXT TO you for a while and do the same thing, and then eventually let him be on his own and HOPEFULLY he should be so used to the animals and shows that he won't have such an intense reaction.
BEST OF LUCK!!! and thanks for letting me know about the automatic response, I am truly going to address it today. I am posting this question so that others can read about the rating system and know that I am not so CURT!!! There have been hundreds of duplicate questions that I clicked ANSWERED BEFORE to, but I hate the use of the words "FOR YOU" they use. That is just wrong.
Take care Lesley, thanks and good luck with your boy.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


King Snowy!   QUESTION: Thank you Carol, I should have known I guess that you wouldn't have personally sent an answer like that, based on the tone of your previous communications to me.  For the first 50 years of my life, I would have sworn I wouldn't become a person who was nuts about an animal! But since Snowy came to our home, I have become as protective of him as I am of my boys, and quite irrationally expect everyone else to feel the same!  There are a couple of reality TV shows here following Vets as they treat sick animals and I can't even watch them any more because I get too upset.  Anyway I am sending you a picture of our little "boy", and Thanks again.  Sorry for going off at you.
Lesley Wright

Answer
Hi Lesley, Snowy is PRECIOUS - and you can tell he's loved VERY MUCH.... look at that bed and toys! Please no apologies necessary, I understand the depth of love you feel for him, I am the SAME way with my girls (4 jack russells# and my boys #3 human sons)!!!  I did contact ALLExperts, and hope they heed my advice. Thank you for pointing out that answer to me, I would never have known about it if you didn't say something. Now I feel terrible to all the people who got it, they must think I'm either nuts or rude. I won't use it again.
All the best to you and yours. Take care and smooch the pooch.