Hello

Well I wondered if anyone can help me.
I live with my mum and dad.
We have a cockier spaniel.
He is just over 2.
Bare in mind there is a difference between the British breeds and American breeds

He is freindly most of the time but we do have problems with him sometimes.
First of all if he really doesn't want to do something he can bite.
It doesn't happen very often but is has occasionally
e.g. He was in the living room the other day and went to take him out in the kitchen because me and my dad were going to work.
He bit me then.
Also we use to put him out in the kitchen when we were eating our dinner but he got in once and I knew not to grab him.
He was growling and he would of bit me.

I think he is worse when he is with my dad.
He spoils him and I think that has something to do with it.
I also think he has separation anxiety.
I know some things about showing dog dominance from things I have read but my dad won't do a lot of these things which means he doesn't really learn anything.
I have heard from someone who claimed to be a vet that you should not try to establish dominance with a dog.
He may not have been saying that but I thought he was.

Another problem is pulling on the lead.
I know what I am suppose to do' stop when he pulls' or turn round.
But I fill really self conscious doing it is there any other things I can do?

Thank you
Chris

hi, I have an english cocker spaniel who's 2 years old. is yours an american or english cocker spaniel?

cocker spaniels can be mouthy, especially as pups and if this isn't stopped when they are young, this can continue into adulthood. When he goes to bite, say a firm no and either move him or yourself out of the room. What do you do when he bites? Do you scream, squeal or hit him?

Don't try to be dominant to your dog. It won't work and could possibly make him worse. The best things to do are ignore bad behaviour or say a firm NO and then ignore the dog.

Do you walk your dog on a collar/harness/headcollar? If you walk your dog on a collar, I'd suggest getting a headcollar, such as a dogmatic, or a gencon to help prevent pulling. My cocker pulls on the lead too when he's walked on his collar, so he's walked on his dogmatic headcollar which reduces most of the pulling.

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I OWN A CHOCOLATE ROAN COCKER SPANIEL
RIP David xx Run free at the bridge. Love you always xx 19th February 2011
RIP Jack and Mickey xx Run free at the bridge. Love you forever xx 20th June 2011

Hello
He is a British breed.

I've read things about dominating dogs for example making him wait for his food.
I think these methods were used at one point.
Are you saying that these methods are outdated and should not be used?

Back to the biting, I,ll just recreate the scenario so you can tell me what to do.

Say we want him to get out of the living room into a different room.
He growls at me so he is warning me and will most likely bite.
I say to him no firmly then what do I do?
Do I try to get him out of ignore him for a bit?
Bare in mind he knows I am trying to get him out so if I don't, he may fill he has won.
On the other hand Io don't want to grab him and get bit.

there's nothing wrong with making your dog wait for its food or making sure you go through a door first, but think of it as training, not as a way of dominating the dog. I make Ollie (my dog) wait for his food because it's part of my training for him and makes him work a little for some food. I also try and make sure I go through doors first, not because I want to dominate my dog, because it's safer for me to go through the door first, rather than Ollie pull me through the door after him, and it's also another way to get him focusing on me and another way to train him.

I would personally get a behaviourist to look at him because it sounds like he has aggression issues. Is he only like this with you, or is he like it with all members of the family? How much exercise and training does he get? Has he always been like this? Is he guarding anything or just growls when you want to move him?

For the time being, I would get a house line to put on him, so when you want to move him, then you can just pick up the line without touching him.

__________________
I OWN A CHOCOLATE ROAN COCKER SPANIEL
RIP David xx Run free at the bridge. Love you always xx 19th February 2011
RIP Jack and Mickey xx Run free at the bridge. Love you forever xx 20th June 2011

You go into the room you want him in, put food in his bowl and call him through, then shut the door behind you.
If you tell him off for growking (warning you) he will learn to miss that stage out and go straight for a bite with no warning

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Tried to rep you for that.. but it said I must spread it about.. I haven't given any today..lol


Prevention is better than cure...

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Behaviorists are extremely expensive
He only normally does it when we are going to put him in a different room.
I think he has separation anxiety.


Why is it that you should not try to establish dominance?
I always thought that you were suppose to make the dog think he is bottom of the pack.

Forgot to say
If we are in there eating are dinner he will not go into another room.
He knows we are trying to get him out.
The only way we could do it is by putting him out there which we can't do.

So if he growls in warning way what should we do?

What sort of breeding is he? If he's show lines, that can be associated with cocker rage (although I hasten to add don't jump to that conclusion, it is a remote possibility), this is fortunately now pretty rare. If he's not from a good breeder, then it could be purely down to poor temperament to start with, combined with (and no insult here but everyone starts somewhere) inexperienced handler(s).

I have a number of dogs here, I never try and establish dominance, I don't have to, I'm in charge. You shouldn't ever need to roll dogs, or do daft things off Cesar Milan etc, handling dogs is a skill, it's usually the handler that needs training, not the dog. So a good behaviouralist is worth the money, if they actually help you to understand how to go about training your dog.

I don't think its cockier rage form what i have read.

I don't have any problem admitting responsibly for his problems.
its not all my fault though my mum and dad are to blamr as well.
My dad is way to soft on him.

I would not do some of ceasers methods like rolling him over.
But I have always read that you were suppose to establish dominance and doesn't have to mean hurting the dog.

If the dog did think he was bottom of the pack would he still bite you?
If not then obviously we have not established dominance.