Aggressive Cocker, Biting, Barking,..

[breno]

Dear friends ::
Sorry for my bad english language. We live in Brazil and speak portuguese and ask for help or suggestion for our problem with a cocker spaniel. I will try to explain the most clearly possible
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OLD MESSAGE :My daughter (30 years)lives in a small flat and  had a cocker spaniel since the age of 6 or 7 weeks. After many problems with biting, she decided to send the dog to a place - dog house - with vets. near Rio de Janeiro(-where we do live-) to try to find a solution. Really I think she was trying to forget the dog( she loves it).
As a curiosity, please see a note that I sent to a "dogs forum" when he had 5 or 6 months ( about 18 months ago) as follows:
My daughter has a 5/6 months cocker in Brazil. He is being trained by a specialist and is loved by my gaughter and my  wife who give him lots of attention, love and protection. The problem: specially in relation to my wife, the dog, unnexpectedly, with no apparent reason, suddenly starts to
growl . For four or five times, allways with no reason, unnexpecdedly, suddenly and as a surprise, without any reason or previous indication he bited strongly her arms hurting them. This happened specially in moments of farewell.
Any solution or explanation?? Thank you very much.
The answers were short and asking questios that we try to inform below
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NEW MESSAGE: Some months later my wife- who loves him too very much- took him to our apartment which is
bigger than the flat of our daughter. The dog is now almost 2 years old.
This is the first time we have a dog. But he has a strange behaviour- normally very pleasant and wonderfull-;  he suddenly changes his posture and growl alone without any reason and bites my wife ( who takes care of  him with lots of love) in the same way: with no reason and no previous advice. For a very short period he behaves as a beast. Then, again, he becomes clearly very regretful and agreeable. Now, since one month time, it  has been almost impossible to took him ( to go with him) to the street or any place because he do not permit anybody to put any collar. He bites anybody who tries to do it ( we imagine he thinks that we will go with him to a pet-house and prefer stay home. Before, he loved to  go to the streets. Really we do not know what to do. Love definitely is not sufficient.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT THE COCKER:

-he is very nice/beautiful
-he is golden colour
-normally he is very nervous and active and alert / energetic
-he is very dominant and seems always to be trying to avoid to receive orders.
-he protects strongly his "place (- burrow, house?)"-and reacts when anybody approaches or give any impression of interference.
-on the same line he reacts about his things or food.
-he had as first teacher a man who defended the line of act  hard (with force) to reduce wrong reactions of the dog. After short time this learning system and the veterinary were changed to other system (a light way of teaching), that we understand is the normal one..
--.he hates to be alone and barks( incredibly high sound) until somebody opens the door. He always imagine false ennemies and bark against them.
- curiosity: in the last time he bited my wife, I reacted threating him with a wood stick; he was absolutely furious and, as a beast, wanted to react against me but, finally, preferred to bite furiously a cushion during a short period, avoiding a bad solution for both of us.  

Thank you very much for any suggestion; is there any remedy/medicine to help? By indication of a veterinary we used remedies for humans to help him be more calm and to sleep . Do you know any
remedy/medicine to use in such a case? Other solutions or suggestions?
Thanks and best regards
The situation is becoming issupportable.
 

[Jane S]

Breno, did you contact Linda on the Rage Syndrome site as I suggested to you when you posted on Champdogs? I'm afraid your dog's problems are far too complex for anyone to advise you over the internet but Linda may be able to assist with general advice based on her experience.

Jane

[padfoot]

- curiosity: in the last time he bited my wife, I reacted threating him with a wood stick; he was absolutely furious and, as a beast, wanted to react against me but, finally, preferred to bite furiously a cushion during a short period, avoiding a bad solution for both of us.  

 

Please don't threaten the dog with sticks or anything else...this could be a very dangerous thing to do, particuarly if he did react to you.

As Jane said, please contact Linda for help and advice. It sounds like you urgently need to find someone to assist you with this dog, for the sake of both the dog and you and your family.

Good luck.

[breno]

- curiosity: in the last time he bited my wife, I reacted threating him with a wood stick; he was absolutely furious and, as a beast, wanted to react against me but, finally, preferred to bite furiously a cushion during a short period, avoiding a bad solution for both of us.   

 

Please don't threaten the dog with sticks or anything else...this could be a very dangerous thing to do, particuarly if he did react to you.

As Jane said, please contact Linda for help and advice. It sounds like you urgently need to find someone to assist you with this dog, for the sake of both the dog and you and your family.

Good luck.

DEAR "PADFOOT 02 :44 OCT 11" AND "JANE S 02:58 OCT 11"


Please note that I sent my report to the site "Rage Syndrome....." and I read carefully the "happy story of the brazilian Lobi" that is really similar. In our case, one veterinary prescribed the same medicine "fluoxetine" but without significant result. I am waiting eventual/possible answer of Mrs Linda.

Tanks for your kind attention.

Breno  

[JoHarborne]

I'm not surprised!  Fluoxetine is also known as Prozac and is an ANTI-depressant so therefore makes the patient more lively, outgoing, confident and happy!!  It's not going to have calming influences or make the patient quieter - quite the opposite in fact!!!

 

[Jane S]

This type of drug has been used successfully to treat some behavioural problems in dogs - it doesn't necessarily have the same affect on a dog as it would in a human for obvious reasons Have a look at Lobi's Case Study on the Rage Site for an example  

Jane

 

[JoHarborne]

OOoh that's interesting - I definitely will.  I used to be a PA to a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist - does it show?!?!    

[Luvly]

i

[breno]

There are lots of different medications and they even change the diet of these dogs if they have rage . any news on this little one has linda got back too you yet ? there very keen to collect all the info when i let them know about my girl they tried to track down the breeder unfortunatly i dident have the adress only the name of the Tiny village . But i think knew of it anyway from what they said about it being a puppy farm .

Dear friends

Sorry; I should have reported before the contact and kind attention received from  Linda ( several contacts ) which are being extremely helpfull . Thank you very much for all of you.
Best wishes

Breno Cauduro

[Luvly]

 

[Sue H]

It seems to sound like a clear case of under-socialisation and the puppy being given all the wrong signals by the owner when growing up - why do so many people 'pigeon-hole' this as "Rage Syndrome" when it is so obviously the owners who are at fault ??  So many people think Cockers are an easy breed - small/sociable/attractive - there are so many Breeders who will home puppies to completely inexperienced families without any information or advice, and they are, after all, a working dog, and, as such, need treating in a certain way otherwise problems occur.

Can we not appeal to the Breeders to drag themselves into the 21st Century and accept that their progeny are not going to be exhausted all day by ferreting around in the undergrowth putting up pheasants etc. but are going to be expected to be family pets - the problem seems to be even worse with Springers, whose unsuspecting owners think they are getting a loyal and devoted companion (and not one who climbs the walls if they haven't run for about 100 miles that day!!).

Maybe it would help if COL could do a sort of "profile" for Cocker owners, or folks who have one dog, and want a Cocker as well ...

[Jane S]

Sue, you have no idea what is causing this dog's problems - nor does anyone else so a rant against breeders is not called for. It is also not helpful to claim that the owners are clearly at fault - he seems to be doing his best to find help for his dog before it's too late. Please note he is in Brazil not the UK!

Jane

[Gilly]

Can we not appeal to the Breeders to drag themselves into the 21st Century and accept that their progeny are not going to be exhausted all day by ferreting around in the undergrowth putting up pheasants etc. but are going to be expected to be family pets - the problem seems to be even worse with Springers, whose unsuspecting owners think they are getting a loyal and devoted companion (and not one who climbs the walls if they haven't run for about 100 miles that day!!).

I'm not quite sure what you mean Sue? Can I ask where you got your cockers from? In my case your comment above couldn't be further from the truth!!! Do you actually know any breeders? I know quite a few and ALL of them are responsible!!!

[cbabe]

Can we not appeal to the Breeders to drag themselves into the 21st Century and accept that their progeny are not going to be exhausted all day by ferreting around in the undergrowth putting up pheasants etc. but are going to be expected to be family pets - the problem seems to be even worse with Springers, whose unsuspecting owners think they are getting a loyal and devoted companion (and not one who climbs the walls if they haven't run for about 100 miles that day!!).
 

Well if you want to take that opinion - may we ask purchacers of puppies to do their homework before they buy the puppy!!!

You are being incredibly nieve if you think we can breed natural instinct out of a puppy!!!!! And yes i am taking offence to your comments!

Springers are ative - but they suit active familys - i was raised with 11 cockers collies and springers - none of them had vicious tendancies! But i would not have a springer in my house - we are not active enough for them! My sister and dad both have two each - they both are rural!

If you want an innactive, cute ornament - buy a teddy!

[Luvly]