Rage...did I miss something?

[padfoot]

Was there huge press coverage of rage syndrome in cockers? If so when? Over the last two days, THREE strangers have told me in the street that I need to be careful with Toby, and before I rehomed him two people I know told me to "be careful with those red cocker spaniels".
Where are they getting this from?! I thought rage syndrome was very rare?
One person stopped me at the park this morning at 7am (great time for debates  :? ) and said "Don't let him near kids though". I told her he lives with three children and she said she'd rather have a rottweiler than a cocker spaniel and that she can remember reading how vicious they were once.
I just don't understand where people get these ideas from. Was there an uproar before my time? (I'm 29).
For the record, Toby is about the most placid dog you could meet and adores children                      

[Shirley]

I'm 28 and I don't remember it either but red cockers got a lot of bad press in the 80's  :x .  Have a look here http://www.cockerspanielrage.org.uk/whatisrage.htm People tend to forget that cockers are not the only breed that rage has been found in.  When someone gets a retriever folk don't give them warnings like that  :roll:  :roll:

I wouldn't dwell on it - anyone who spends enough time around Toby will know what he's like so don't worry about people you meet in the passing  

Enjoy Toby     If he's anything like Morgan he's the soppiest, gentlest dog who loves nothing more than jumping up on the settee for a cuddle.  He wouldn't harm a fly   good job we weren't looking for a guard dog                      

[padfoot]

No, don't worry, I'm not worried about them, or rather not in that way  :twisted:
More surprised that people really think these things, I thought it was a little-known rare syndrome and didn't expect people outside the "dog world" to really know anything about it so I am wondering if there was some kind of hysteria about it in the past.
One of the people who mentioned it before Toby arrived was a close friend, she insisted that she had once known a golden cocker who attacked children and when I said in EVERY breed you will find some dogs with temperament problems, she said she was sure she had read somewhere that golden cockers were nasty.
It just seems such an ignorant attitude. My mum said she had always thought cockers were friendly loving dogs and she can't remember any press hysteria about them at all.                    

[Shirley]

Hi padfoot

Quote from cockerspanielrage.org.uk:  

"...the number of affected Cockers is very small. Unfortunately this problem was sensationalised in the 1980's by the national press and this resulted in the Cocker Spaniel gaining a rather undeserved reputation."

 :roll:   :roll:   :roll:

Shirley                      

[padfoot]

Ah, so it was in the press then. Probably the Sun  
Funny how other breeds who can suffer never get mentioned  :roll:                    

[*Jay*]

I can remember when we first got Brook 11 years ago and took him for his first visit to the vet - no sooner were we in the door, when the vet piped up "oh, a golden cocker! They are the number one biters" I take it he wasn't a fan :roll:                    

[PennyB]

And sadly if a cocker shows any aggression at all some trainers label them as having rage before they've even tried to work out what the problem might be!                    

[Gilly]

An older vet at my vets said the very same thing  :x  that I had to be careful with my cocker because I had kids.....how uneducated can you get?? The next time I went I saw another vet who thought Butty was a Springer  :?                    

[cindere528]

An older vet at my vets said the very same thing  :x  that I had to be careful with my cocker because I had kids.....how uneducated can you get?? The next time I went I saw another vet who thought Butty was a Springer  :?

Good grounds for finding a new vet?                    

[Jane S]

Being an old wrinklie, I do remember the press coverage in the 80's - all centred around a certain well-known behaviourist if I remember rightly (famous for his Kongs!). Whilst true cases of Rage are fairly rare in relation to the numbers of Cocker bred each year (and not confined to Cockers), there are still cases coming to light today & many others cases of bad temperament in Cockers & other breeds - I know Linda will be able to confirm this based on the number of people with problem dogs who contact her after visiting her site Happily the majority of Cockers are the merry, good-natured companions we all know & love but whilst the sensational press coverage & the prejudice of some vets/trainers etc is and was largely undeserved, we don't want to forget that there are Cockers out there with real problems, often coming from puppy farms & other less reputable breeders but not always. Another reason (if we need one) to keep banging the message home about buying from a reputable breeder!                    

[padfoot]

Totally agree as far as getting the message across to people about where to obtain their pups from goes.
But on the other hand, I very much doubt Toby came from a reputable breeder considering he was given as payment for a debt by a breeder who had several breeds in his kennels  
I think it's important to remind people that rage is quite rare. If I had listened to people I would have been scared to rescue Toby, who came close to being put to sleep at only six months old   .
Yet it is hard to imagine a soppier dog. He is in love with my children and spends most of his life lounging over them.
Apparently there is another golden cocker in an Irish pound, they are negotiating getting him out this week. But the pound would only rehome him where there were no children under 16 simply because he is a golden cocker. He has shown no signs of temperament problems whatsoever. Yet if they have a retriever or Bernese, or any other breed that rage has been associated with, I doubt they make rulings like this  :x                    

[Jane S]

It is understandable that some Rescues feel the need to be cautious where children are concerned even if we might not personally agree with their approach. I agree that it's unfair to apply a ruling like this if they don't have the same ruling for other breeds but at the same time maybe this particular pound have experienced a number of Cockers with poor temperaments in the recent past - who knows? You have to think what would happen if a Rescue rehomed a dog believing he/she had no temperament problems and that dog then seriously bit a child in the new home? In an ideal world, all rescue dogs would be "tested" in family situations for as long as it takes before being rehomed but whilst some smaller Rescues can do this, many cannot :-(                    

[LindaW]

Hi Padfoot,

I should just be grateful that you have been blessed with a golden cocker that does have a very good temperament by the sound of it.  

I deal with lots of distressing cases where people have been bitten and attacked by their solid coloured cockers for no reason - they do it without warning.  You would not believe the misery that some owners go through because they cannot bear to have their dog put to sleep.  A lot of them say to me that they wish they had been made aware about Rage Syndrome before they bought their puppy.  

It is important to raise awareness about this condition even if it is rare.  The trouble is that a lot of breeders won't even admit that Rage Syndrome exists.  Some breeders have been informed that a puppy they bred has developed RS and they try to blame the owners.  They carry on breeding from the same stock.

In this day and age, I think people want to be aware of things so that they can make informed decisions.  Just take a look at the memorial section of my website (http://www.cockerspanielrage.org.uk)- it will break your heart.  RS doesn't just happen in cockers but many other breeds as well but it is not allowed to be talked about in some breeds.                    

[padfoot]

Hi,
I was very interested in your comments and I had a good read of your site. I was just wondering, are there any figures regarding how common RS is in red/golden cockers? Is there a percentage of reported cases?
How heartbreaking for owners who go through that with their beloved pets.
I can now see why people keep talking about red/golden cockers as it seems it's more likely in this colour dog. But I presume that it is still the case that most golden cockers have good temperaments?
Kelly x                    

[Jane S]

Anyone on here ever had a cocker with rage except me ? a poll with that should indicate exactly how rare rage syndrom really is . mabe it was more common 10 yrs ago  :?:  :?

I don't think that would work really - those who visit this site are only a tiny minority of Cocker owners in this country (going by the number of registrations alone). Many owners don't even have access to the internet remember :wink: I doubt whether anyone can come up with any definitive figures/percentages - there is no formal system in existence for reporting affected dogs & never has been, just as we have no way of knowing exactly how many dogs in the country are affected with Hip Dysplasia for example.