guarding JRT

Question
I have an older female JRT, almost 11 years old, and recently she has begun guarding furniture or walls in our house.  She will crouch down and if anyone goes near her, she will growl, bark, snap, or try to bite them.  It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, there isn't much we can do about it without possibly being bitten.  Is this common behavior among older JRT's, and what can we do about it?

Answer
Martha -

That sounds kind of weird.

As with most sudden or weird behaviors, I strongly recommend a trip to the vet first and foremost.  It is entirely possible that she is having a vision problem and the disorientation might well make her highly defensive... and of course if she gets her rump near a wall or furniture, she feels protected on one side so she can put her face (and teeth) toward anything that might sneak up on her.

In the meantime, I strongly recommend putting a harness on her and having her drag a 6 foot leash at all times.  This gives you the opportunity to gain control of her without getting close enough to get bitten, plus the harness makes a good handle, and finally the harness allows you to pull her out of her position without choking her.  You're not looking for your intervention to be punishment, just a removal from the dangerous position she's taken.

The other factor that comes to mind is whether or not she is defending the wall/furniture or a toy or the like ??

Either way, please get her to a vet to rule out anything medical first.

-Beth