I have a 2 year old female cocker spaniel who whilst spolit is normally well behaved but has on occaisions snapped and growled agressively. She did this last night whilst I was removing small balls which had attached to her fur even though they were quite easy to remove . She snapped at me and snarled showing all a teeth. I was suprised as when she had showed aggressive behavour before she growled before attempting to snap. We also have a 13 month old granddaughter who she is jealous of and will often growl when she goes anywhere near her. This causes problems as I must ensure that they are not left alone not even for a second and this is becoming increasingly difficult as the granddaughter is becoming more and more mobile.
I am concerned at what she may go onto do in the future if the behaviour is not curbed now.

Any advise on what we can do to prevent this aggression would be appreciated, I have consider contacting a behaviourist but don't know if there is anything I can try before I get to that stage.

Hi cockerfan,

dogs growl and/or snap for a reason - it's just that sometimes we, the owners, fail to recognise what that was.  You comment that she is "spoilt" and also
"when she had showed aggressive behavour before she growled before attempting to snap"

Both of these remarks lead me to feel that her behaviour has gone unchecked and, since she is now 2 yrs, has developed over time.  Behaviours can and do become habit forming - i.e. she growls when displeased, you back off/cease doing what was *annoying* to her.  From this she learns that growling achieves her goals.  On occasions where her growling has failed, she's escalated to snapping to achieve her objectives - again, this has very possibly been successful so she now has a new tool with which to *control* her environment and/or certain interactions.

IMO these behaviours can be changed completely over time and indeed be quite quickly modified however without being able to see first hand what causes these situations, her body language re any warning signs pre growling/snapping, and observing how you and other family members behave before and during these instances it is unsafe to give advice over the web.  This assurance is merely to provide you with hope that all is not lost and with experienced help on hand these problems can very probably be overcome :)

In a young pup it would not be an issue but learned behaviours in a now adult dog and with the situation made more dangerous with a toddler around IMO it is essential that you seek professional one-to-one advice.

Firstly have your bitch checked over by your vet to rule out any possible medical causes (pain response for eg) and, if given the all clear, request a referral to a reputable behaviourist who can assess you and the dog in your home environment.

In the meantime please be 100% focussed on this dog's behaviour and keep her entirely separate from your grandchild by way of a baby gate or crate.  It only takes a split second for an accident to happen, even under strict supervision.

Best wishes, Teri

Teri has it spot on. You need to reaffirm your position as her superior in the pecking order. This is usually quite an easy problem to solve and a behavourist will be able to very quickly point you in the right direction.

In addition to what Teri said I would add that when your grandchild is near or with you and your dog growls IMMEDIATELY banish your dog from the environment/room/sofa/your knee ...whatever.  Your dog needs to learn NOW that it can't dictate any terms.  Dogs live with us not the other way around and need to learn to fit in with our ways.  Unfortunately, they can only learn what we teach them, they don't come ready programmed to fit in our culture.

Thank you for your replies I agree that we have spoilt her in the past and whilst generally she is well behaved, some of the times she obviously thinks she rules the 'roost' and I need to address that sooner rather than later. I will contact my vets to see if they can recommend a behaviourist.

hi my mother in law had a cocker a few years back beautiful golden boy ,he turned one day on my husband and sister in law for know good reason. unfortunately she did give him away to a farmer she was to scared with the kids being about. not before she took him to the vets and he mentioned something about rage syndrome found in cockers of solid colour. i dont know much about it but you could maybe check it out. if thats any help . good luck x

You might find this site useful Association of pet dog Behaviour Counsellors It lists qualified counsellors who on Vetinary surgeon referral will assess and help in your area.
Best wishes for you and your girl.