Jack Russell Terrier Behavior

Question
Thank you for your time, I have a Jack Russell, Vito, who turned 6 in October 2008, we have had him since he was 13 weeks old. He has aggression problems but in the past was only at our house when friends would come over. At which time we would put him in his kennel after an incident with a snipping, no broken skin. We feared he would bite someone. Recently he has bitten my sister-in-law, brother-in-law, husband and myself. These events all occurred out of the blue and many days apart. We do not know what to do, what could be wrong or how to deal with this problem. He sleeps with my husband and I. He bit both of us while sleeping and on our feet, toes to be exact. Afterwards he goes straight to his kennel and sulks like he knows it was wrong but couldn't help it. I fear this problem will only worsen as it seems to have already done so but he is our baby and I don't know what to do? When we decide to start a family I know in my heart I can not have Vito and a baby in our house in the current state his behavior is. It is almost like he snaps in and out of his "fits" for lack of better wording. If you have any information I would greatly appreciate it.

Answer
First of all, kick that dog's butt out of your bed and into a crate! He does not deserve to be sleeping in your bed. That is a privilege that only well-behaved dogs deserve.

Have Vito examined by your veterinarian to be sure that he has no underlying health issues that are causing his behavior. Be sure to have his thyroid level checked as hypothyroidism can sometimes cause aggressive behavior. And be honest with the vet about what has been going on so that he can better advise you. You might want to get the name of a good animal behaviorist from your veterinarian, too.

Get Vito into ongoing obedience classes (over several months) and start practicing "Nothing in Life is Free" with him. http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm  Everyone in the family must make this dog work for everything he wants in life. And stop thinking of him as your baby; he is not a baby; he is a dog... and one who has been behaving extremely badly. If he bites the wrong person, you could lose your household insurance.