The vet said she was concerned about Marleys agression towards her, he growls at her when hes up on the table and she tries to examine him ,hes fine with her when she strokes him on the floor its just when I put him on the table.  Is this usual or should I be worried?  Hes usually submisive to everyone.

I've never had any puppy or dog growl at the vet, a well socialised dog used to it's owner touching it's mouth, ears and running their hands over it's body should not become aggressive or afraid when others do it too. :-)

So you need to work out why he is growling, biting? What exactly does he do? And does he do it when certain body parts are touched.

It is strange that he does not do it on the floor, just on the table, I would perhaps put him on your table to stroke and 'examine' to make sure it is not being on the table that he is afraid of.

How old is Marley?  And can you go into as much detail as possible as to what happens. :-)

Everything can be sorted and worked on once you can work out why?

My dog was fine at the vets until he ripped his dew claw and the vet pulled it off (not something I was expecting)he now hates the vet and uses fight as he not able to use flight when in there (esp with the guilty vet). Not excusing it but a bad experience will cause problems. Marley has been prodded a lot recently hasn't he maybe getting the vet to put him on the table without the prodding would help making whats a traumatic experience into a good one.

Marley is six and a half months.  He always rolls over on his back when he meets people, including the vet, hes fine until she goes behind him, hes been to the vets twice in the past 3 wks, both visits he had a rectal thermometer which is when he started yelping and growling, I think if I hadnt have been holding him he would have bitten her.  He has just had an op to remove an obstruction so she wanted to check his tummy, you could tell by his body language he was scared when she went behind him and I held him he was turning his head and growling at her before she even touched him.  What do you think?

Years ago I had a Tibetan Terrier who growled at the vet   he was the nicest dog and never bit anyone - not even the vet!  Never growled at anyone else :-D

The vet was very understanding and said if anyone tried to put a thermometer up his butt he'd do more than growl!   Once the formalities were over the dog made a fuss of the vet - he just hated the thermometer!

Thanks for that, I was really upset when she said it.  Marleys the same, people are always saying what a friendly dog he is, he even gets on his back for my friends 6mnth old baby and wriggles himself along the floor beside her:-)  I put alot of effort into socialising him and really dont think hes at all agressive but was/am unsure if she has a valid concern

My girl hates the vets but in a submissive way,  Dexter well he absolutely loves the vets :), he sees it as extra fuss!! i have never seen a dog so happy to go to the vets to be neutered LOL :) :) :):)

His reaction is very understandable then, (I often cruise past the health board so just caught up on his situation, poor babe, glad that you took him in and he has recovered well.) after what he has been through lately.

I wonder why he yelps when the thermometer is used it sounds as though it hurts him, it shouldn't, of course it could be that he is a complete baby. (Bless) Or he could be sore, or just take exception to the whole thing. Some dogs just do.

Under the circumstances he is basically telling the vet to steer clear of his nether regions, which he is completely entitled to do if he wishes, you just need to ease his worry, that everytime he is touched from the back he is not going to get thee treatment, he obviously associates this vet with that problem and clearly does not like it. He may have even had it pushed at an awkward angle or too hard last time, guess you'll never know.

If he is not due to go for a while now, he may forget what he has been through and be ok 6 months from now.  However if even with the vet helping out by stroking his back and hind legs and doing it regularly yourself and he is still so afraid he growls and tries to bite, you may need to hold him tightly or even muzzle him on the next vet visits, sometimes dogs just don't forget and take exceptions to things.

His reaction should not spill out into his everyday life, so don't worry that he is becoming aggressive, just be completely normal with him, and let him see the world is good again, but the more you stroke and touch him and get others to do so the better. (As long as he does not bite :-) )

he maybe doesn#t like the table if he's fine with her on the ground, plus he associates her with pain now. could she maybe examine him on the floor next time? (don;t know size etc) to see if it makes a diff to his behaviour

> I wonder why he yelps when the thermometer is used it sounds as though it hurts him, it shouldn't, of course it could be that he is a complete baby

might be all the socks he's been passing... if they've been coming out in biggish lumps he might have strained himself, do dogs get piles? depending on how gently or ,more importantly, not its done anything going in that hole can be extremely painful! (ah the delights of hospital trips :))

might be all the socks he's been passing

Must admit that thought did pass my mind, he may have some rectal soreness or damage, but I would have hoped that the vet checked that, but he may very well be sore, who knows what goes on in an operation, he may have had some elastic or fabric that was pulled from there internally or externally during his operation too.

Thanks Carrington

Your reply is a big relief as you sound like you truly know what your talking about.  Yes, I think he is a complete baby, he yelped like crazy when he had his vacs and she had to take him into another room to do his micro chip as he was making such a scene!

They are only small trainer socks and they are smaller than his stools but you never know, could well have made him a little tender :-(   The vet also said that his stomack wont still be sore!!  hmm I know mine would be two days after that op!!!  and that he will become more agressive as his hormones start!!!  this wasnt the vet I usually see but she did say she had seen Marley over the weekend when he was there.

not sure how it would work for dogs but i have a bowel problem that does not involve anything as large as socks and the pain can be excruciating at times so it wouldn;t surprise me if he's a bit tender.

essentially he was probably either sore or scared because he associates the vet with previous pain, he is not turning into a savage beast. look at it this way, do you like the dentist?

(actually i do, but i understand i'm a freak :))

> and that he will become more agressive as his hormones start!!!

he won't become aggressive because of his hormones. he will try and challange you more as all teenagers do, just keep up his training and he'll be fine. he may become a bit grudging towards other dogs, again a teenage stage that you can work through by keeping him well socialised.

at 6 and a half months i'd think you've a wee while to go yet though (but not sure of breed so maybe)

by any chance has this vet been pushing getting him neutered?

It sounds like fear and having associated something bad happening with the table - like pain\ discomfort when being examined when he was ill. I would want to act now as otherwise i would worry he would just start doing it as a habit. It depends how understanding your vets practice is - and whether they'll let you go in, put him on the table, staff can give him treats, then lift him off again - to change his associations. But it does depend on how accomodating your vets are!

Thanks Astarte :-)  makes me laugh when I look at him and think 'savage beast!'  Hes a working Cocker.

As for his training, I love training him and am going to join a class soon as hes better :-)

The vet practice do 'strongly advise' neutering BUT I have decided against it, which I have told them.

Agree with Munrogirl in that the dog has made a negative association with the table.  It might be pain and/or fear that he has related to being on the table.  If it was my dog I would ensure that he goes on the table each time we visit the vet and make it a more positive experience i.e. treats.

It's one thing having hands running over on a normal day and completely different when the dog is in pain. 

My own dog is fine with the vets until she gets into the examining room and then she acts nervously.  She hasn't growled at a vet (yet) but she responds to them in a totally different way once with are in the room. She's reacting to the room and everything in it. I always have a bag of treats on me and treat her throughout the visit and she relunctantly takes the treats as if to say "oh all right then, if I must, but I'm not enjoying this".

Hes a working Cocker.

My mother and eldest brother have had amongst other breeds many Working Cockers for many years, I've also trained a lot of their pups so know them very well, I can honestly say I have never met a Working Cocker that became remotely aggressive throughout the adolescent stage, and that is even in living with other entire males, many breeds do become very challenging towards other males, they also were not seen as threats by older males, (who often put youngsters in their place) whilst going throught this stage due to their size and temperaments of being none challenging.

Unless you are very unlucky, he should sale through adolescence with no problems, I think Astarte is correct and your vet is steering towards a little bit of neutering advice.......... Glad that you have decided against that........if you are to neuter I would strongly advise awaiting until he is fully mature.

He will love any classes you put him in, I would advise going for the KC Bronze, Silver and Gold and any agility too, he will learn fast and love every minute. :-)

My dogs have never been aggressive to the vets but one of my current boys cocked his leg on the vet's shoe during our last visit :)

I used to have a jack russel who used to poo everytime she came with a 100 miles of the vets.

I do have a young bitch who gets very stressed about the vets yets loves all people but she turns into a maniac.  My vet actually goes to the same ringcraft as us and she loves her apart from in the vets!  I have also got some that just toddle in and dont care about going at all. :)

I wonder if its the smell perhaps.  I know when I go to the dentist I am a nightmare and remember dogs dont understand it is for their own good.

My 2 dogs love the vets? Even if I just walk past the building he trys to drag me in but then snoop lives for sweets and they always give him a treat when we're in there!:)

Ours don't but Jake has a bad foot and he was really in pain when we touched it so I asked her to muzzle him yesterday. He was in such pain he had to have a metcam jab and anti inflamatory, usually they are so pleased to see the vet, Whistler widdles in joy!!
I think dogs can have bad vibes, I just left Jake half an hour ago and he looked so sad and dejected if your dog had a bad experiance he could assosciate vet = pain.
I had Jake muzzled in case he bit in pain, he wears a halti to walk and just accepted it no problem and I knew the vet was safe, as he screamed when she pulled it around I am sure it was the correct decision for us. Today when they had a look no problem, no muzzle either as he still has the metcam in his system, yesterday I felt he might snap.

If it's any consolation, I also have a working cocker who is as soppy as anything with everyone except the vet.  She was fine as a puppy and then had a bad experience with one vet who had a shocking bedside manner, and has hated them ever since.  She has to be carried into the consulting room because she digs her paws in and refuses to walk out of the waiting room when they call her.  She shakes so much on the table that she can't actually stand up and has to lean against us.  It's all quite upsetting but we moved about 18 months ago and the new vet gives Molly treats and she is seems to be getting a tiny bit better each time we visit the surgery.  The new vet also won't muzzle her as she thinks this adds to the stress for the dog, and actually she has made no attempt to bare her teeth at this vet (unlike the previous one).

Well Kai my sprollie is happy to go to the vets but as soon as we go to the consulting room will try and drag me out of the front door, once in with vet he is fine and just sits there sulking. 

JC hates the vets and will shake, if he has to have an op (luckily only twice so far) they have to sedate him whilst I am there otherwise he will make himself physically sick.

Wren my pup, couldnt care less, as far as she is concerned it is just someone else to lick to death.

Oh poor thing, its bad enough when they are ill, let alone them being scared like that.  I wont take him there again after this, there is another vet 20mins away who comes highly recommended so Im going to register him there.  When he came home he had blood on his paws, I thoght it was from the op but it isnt, his nails are in a state and his paws are sore-he must have been scratching away in the crate, when I went in at 10 I could hear him crying, when I went back at 2 they were on lunch and I could hear him crying whilst I was sat outside in the car waiting for them to open, so I can only assume he was crying all the time he was in there and scratchig to try and get out! :-(  he was very distressed by the whole experience. 

I took him out for his first proper walk since the op this morning and it was great to see him back running around his field :-)

Our Cocker doesn't like the vets but has never growled or snapped.  We once left her at the vets for a minor op to have a flap of skin removed from her leg and when we went to collect her we had to sit in the waiting room for 10 minutes. There was the most god awful noise being made by a dog who sounded like it was being murdered and my husband and I tskd tskd away at what a fuss was being made and how glad we were that our girl was so well behaved.  Until the nurse came out with her and informed us that it was in fact OUR little madam creating all the fuss!!

Each time my sensitive Belgian has a thermometer up her backside, she is given plenty of "jolly hockeysticks" from me
and loads of chicken whilst the vet is doing what she needs to do. Her stress levels are thus kept down several ladder
rungs :)

I'd suggest using a different vet within the practice, and taking her a few times for no reason, feeding a lot of chicken or liver. IF she seems OK
ask the vet to drop some chicken near her or, if she is fine, give to her. Start in the waiting room and only go
to the actual vet room after this has been done a few times.