Hi,

We have a 1 year old black cocker spaniel who hasn't been 'done' yet (is muted the word?).  Who appears to have an agression and barking problem.  If he is out in the garden or has something that he shouldn't have and we want to get him in or take it off him when we catch him and try to pick him up to bring him back in or try to take the item off him he gets very aggressive.  When you pick him up he will growl and snap and expose his teeth at you and has sometimes bit us, also when you take something off him he doesn't ever let go even when you ask unless you have a treat, so when you open his mouth and take it off him he will growl snap and jump up you whilst snapping.  He also seems to go through barking stages, for example in the morning when we come down and get the key to let him outside he will bark continuously until he is outside but he will also continue to bark outside for a few minutes too.  He also barks randomly at other times, we accept that when he hears someone at the door he will bark and when he wants to go outside but otherwise apart from that it is starting to get a bit annoying.  The aggression part is that main thing we are worried about, it seems to be mainly when he wants his own way and we are stopping it, he has occassionaly done it over his food too.  He is generally a lovely dog and a joy to have but this problem seems to be spoiling things and we are becoming upset that he feels he needs to show this aggression to us.  We have tried telling him off and someone told us to smack him on the nose but this only seems to make it worse and appears that he needs to defend himself which we don't want, we don't want him to fear us or our hands.  This problem has become more apparent since we have moved house, back into my parents temporarily so it is now a bigger house and 5 people instead of 2 but he seemed to have a bit of a problem before too.

Please please give us any ideas on how we can curb this problem, and let him know we are boss but he doesn't need to be aggressive towards us.  Thanks very much

i think your dogs taking the pee!!!!   they soon learn what they can get away with, and a lot will be quick to take advantage of it, - it sounds like he thinks he is in charge, - which id guess hes picked up from the status hes been given, id advise you ask to see a specialist re this /  no-one  can  say  for sure what to try as it could make matters worse, he may see you as trying to take his place at the top and fight for it, so you need to know how to go around it without confrontation, good luck. ---  and hope you manage to take charge !!

From the sound of it he's an ordinary dog who's got a bit too big for his boots! There are millions of possible reasons why this has happened, but usually it is a problem with training rather than hormones, so castration (neutering) wouldn't necessarily have any effect. Sometimes it's because a 'cute little puppy' hasn't been properly trained to be a dog (picking dogs up makes them feel superior, for example). Also he is in his teenage stage at the moment, and we know what teenagers' behaviour can be like!

I wonder how much exercise he gets? A cocker spaniel is a gundog, after all, designed to be active and outdoorsy, so he may be bored. Do you go to training classes with him?

Your dog's aggression towards you will most likely be due to fear of anger,  unless you can think of any other reason why he would do it.  Off course you must eliminate any physical cause so a word with your vet would be in order.  When we tell dogs off and take away things they shouldn't have it can sometimes make them angry because as far as they are concerned they should have it because they found it.  If it doesn't make them angry then they are worried or fearful when being told off because they had no idea that they were doing anything wrong when they found said item. 

I would always teach a dog to retrieve, especially a gundog and I'd encourage the dog to bring to me ANYTHING that they find wether I want them to have it or not.  If my dog brings me a toy he gets praised, rewarded and probably given the toy back and if he brings me the carving knife he gets praised, rewarded and not given it back and my son gets the rollicking for leaving the knife where the dog could reach it. ;)

The barking is possibly attention seeking or a way of telling you he wants out that is working for him so best to try and give him attention when he isn't barking or walk away when he starts.  Very difficult to ignore barking though.  It has probably become a habit.  Why not try scattering some of his breakfast on the floor in the morning whilst you are getting the key so that he learns to do something else instead.

Don't worry about how to let him know you are the boss.  Just work on getting a relationship of mutual trust and freindship rather than the me boss - you dog one.  Sorry if that sounds cheesy - can't think of any other way to put it.

No opinion on the castrating other than to say that all mine are and no regrets.

Sally

I think it is very easy for people to get into the habit of trying to chase or grab a pup, (we have all done it) and believe me, one lesson like that and the pup will  learn very fast to hang on to stuff.

A rather embarrassing example - i once chased my BSD pup to grab a sock off her, i knew not to do it but i was in a rush and did not have the time to pander to the puppy.... :rolleyes:  .... and oh, how i learnt from my mistake!! I actually have a photo of her sitting on my lap with me holding one end of the sock and her the other, by this time we (OH and i ) were both laughing but ever since she has had a "thing" about socks. I had to work very hard to train her not to take things, esp. as she is training for trials, i have to get her to associate articles with being pleasant things anyway. In the end i taught her to retrieve anything she had to me, and gave her the item back or played "swapsies" ....she still loves socks but will now help me empty the washing machine and so is helpful (which she enjoys) rather than being a pest ;)

Once she brought to me a nasty sharp piece of cooked ribs that she found in our garden, so once this training is a habit it can be extremely helpful in "real life" situations. I dread to think what would have happened had she eaten it.

I do agree as well that it may be an idea to think about "doing" something with him, even just little "finding" or "search" games .....throw toys into long grass etc as a start (into the wind) and watch him learn to find them using his nose.

Lindsay
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