Two things: 1. You got a working dog. A terrier is DESIGNED to be a ratter. His job that he wants to do 1000 hours a day, constantly, every single day, is to dig and chase and pursue tiny little furry things. And kill them. 2. You need professional help. A dedicated trainer and obedience classes. Probably 3x/week for the first two months, or so, then weekly for 6-8 months. Sorry for the bad news. You got the wrong kind of dog, basically. You got a highly active working dog that is genetically predisposed to ACTION. Constant action. What will happen when you go to training/obedience class, is that YOU will be trained on how to deal with your dog and it's inherent design. You will get better at communicating with the dog. You will understand your dog's motivations, and how to guide your dog's behavior. But you will never be in control. This dog is, and will be, your alpha, and you will always be subservient to it. Again, sorry for the bummer. But I have three friends who deal specifically with "difficult dogs", and this pattern repeats over and over and over and over. When you walk into the pet obedience school, the owner of the place will see you and the dog and already know everything you have said here. And much more. Good on ya for adopting. But next time, go with a dog the size of a couch. They are designed to chill and hang out (Golden Retriever, Labs, etc.), and go for occasional walks. There is a reason why service dogs are always retrievers, labs, and beagles.
Yep. The biggest issue is that people get dogs, then don't want them to be dogs. Dogs like to be dogs. I know its a dumb statement, but people try to make them into people, children and stuffed animals. You're neighbor has as much right to quiet enjoyment of the space as you do. So your dog is going to be out there, it's important. If you can't deal with that I think you need to rehome the dog or move. But please don't put the dog on meds just because you don't want to cause an issue when it plays. If it actually needs meds, that's one thing, but we have seen so many people just putting dogs on meds cause their "crazy" which is just that they have energy.
I know. There's a leash/reactive dog group training class at the place around the corner, starting August 27th. 3 weekly private classes would be literally my entire monthly income, so I think we may need to wait on that, but the group class is not too expensive, and seems like the safest way to socialize him with other dogs. I could definitely use a professional meeting my dog, looking at my living situation, and telling me exactly what I should try and do. Going to try and make that happen as soon as I can.