Help! What is cocker rage????

[wayo47]

Help!
Can someone explain cocker rage? We are looking for a pup and have been chatting to various people and everyone seems to have an opinion on what colour we should go for?
Some say the solid colours are prone to this?? to be honest I have never heard of anything so daft?? Or am I being naive?
Help!!!!!!

[Walshies]

Sounds daft to me but one of the more informed members will be along soon with the right answer I'm sure.

Hope everything goes ok.

[Emilyoliver]

It did exist many years ago, and was associated with solid coloured show type dogs.  However it is very rare in today's cockers (though the hysteria around it has remained hence your responses from some folk). 

As with choosing a puppy of any breed, it is very important that you do your research carefully and thoroughly to ensure that the parents of your puppy have good temperaments and that the breeder breeds with this in mind.  As the second most numerous registered breed in the UK, there are thousands of puppies produced every year - many produced with profit as the driver rather than sound temperaments and good conformation and health. 

[linda c]

I haven't had any experience of dogs with cocker rage as it is often called, but it was mainly found in the solids. reds and blacks. Better breeding has reduced the number of dogs affected but I was advised by some very good breeders just to be aware of the temperament of the parents when buying a puppy.
I do know of many people who have solids and they are the softest, lovable dogs you could ever have.

Someone may be able to say more about it, so don't dismiss it as being daft.

[elaine.e]

This is the best and most comprehensive explanation that I know of http://www.thecockerspanielclub.co.uk/rage_syndrome.htm

It exists, but is very, very rare. When I got my first Cocker, back in 1987, the press were having a field day about Cocker Rage and seemed to think that pretty much all gold or red male Cockers would have it. It's true that some Cockers, mainly solid colours and mainly from puppy farms were diagnosed with it back then. It's also true that some Cockers with other behavioural issues were wrongly diagnosed and sadly put down. Even nowadays a few vets seem ready to assume that a Cocker with behavioural problems has rage.

I believe that there were more genuine cases of it back in the 1980s than anytime before or since and in the 5 or so years I've been active on this forum I can only remember one case reported on the forum out of the many thousands of Cockers whose owners belong to the forum.

Please don't over worry about it. As Emilyoliver has said, do your research carefully and make sure that the parents of any puppies you are interested in have good, happy temperaments as well as being fully health tested.

Edited to add - my first 2 Cockers back in the 1980s were a gold male and a black male and were delightful, happy boys

[Jane57]

This is the best and most comprehensive explanation that I know of http://www.thecockerspanielclub.co.uk/rage_syndrome.htm

It exists, but is very, very rare. When I got my first Cocker, back in 1987, the press were having a field day about Cocker Rage and seemed to think that pretty much all gold or red male Cockers would have it. It's true that some Cockers, mainly solid colours and mainly from puppy farms were diagnosed with it back then. It's also true that some Cockers with other behavioural issues were wrongly diagnosed and sadly put down. Even nowadays a few vets seem ready to assume that a Cocker with behavioural problems has rage.

I believe that there were more genuine cases of it back in the 1980s than anytime before or since and in the 5 or so years I've been active on this forum I can only remember one case reported on the forum out of the many thousands of Cockers whose owners belong to the forum.

Please don't over worry about it. As Emilyoliver has said, do your research carefully and make sure that the parents of any puppies you are interested in have good, happy temperaments as well as being fully health tested.

Edited to add - my first 2 Cockers back in the 1980s were a gold male and a black male and were delightful, happy boys

I think Elaine this is an excellent post.

[Robbie34]

When I got my second Cocker - Golden - in 1982, my vet warned me about Cocker rage which he said was inherent in Reds - Golden are regarded as Reds.  Benjie was as soft a dog as you could wish, and my third Cocker, Charley, another Golden, came in 1998.  He was even softer than Benjie, and didn't have a bad bone in his body.

I am not convinced there is such a thing as Cocker Rage.  Much is to do with how you raise your Cocker.  All of mine have had lovely natures, and my present, Henry, an Orange Roan, is as lovely as my others were.

[Fluff]

I think a lot of the time people mistake normal puppy behaviour or an under socialised dog for cocker rage. As others have said, this really is extremely rare so I wouldn't let it put you off - cockers are lovely family pets Good luck!

[Liz F]

This is the best and most comprehensive explanation that I know of http://www.thecockerspanielclub.co.uk/rage_syndrome.htm

It exists, but is very, very rare. When I got my first Cocker, back in 1987, the press were having a field day about Cocker Rage and seemed to think that pretty much all gold or red male Cockers would have it. It's true that some Cockers, mainly solid colours and mainly from puppy farms were diagnosed with it back then. It's also true that some Cockers with other behavioural issues were wrongly diagnosed and sadly put down. Even nowadays a few vets seem ready to assume that a Cocker with behavioural problems has rage.

I believe that there were more genuine cases of it back in the 1980s than anytime before or since and in the 5 or so years I've been active on this forum I can only remember one case reported on the forum out of the many thousands of Cockers whose owners belong to the forum.

Please don't over worry about it. As Emilyoliver has said, do your research carefully and make sure that the parents of any puppies you are interested in have good, happy temperaments as well as being fully health tested.

Edited to add - my first 2 Cockers back in the 1980s were a gold male and a black male and were delightful, happy boys

I think Elaine this is an excellent post.

I second this Jane, Elaine always gives excellent informative advice 

[wayo47]

Thank you all for your advice , I will do my research very carefully. As some of you know we had a bad experience a few years ago with our beautiful little pup so am being extra cautious now.
Do any of you know of good breeders in Wales? All advice would be appreciated as am determined to be more informed this time

[JohnK]

We are now on cockers 5,6 & 7 and our daughter has one. Sadly, number 4, a rescue boy we took in was "diagnosed" with Spaniel rage. All of the others and our springer have been fantastic dogs, so I think it is quite rare. Brodie, our number 4 had been in several homes before he came to us, including not making the grade as a prison dog.

He was an absolutely gorgeous boy, neutered and was black, tan and cream. When we first collected him him he was very calm and extremely well behaved, but over the 5 weeks we had him, he attacked various members of the family and also Minnie and Jess, our daughters dog. He would just snap for no reason and become very aggressive, his eyes glazed over, then almost like a light being switched on, he came out of it, seeming not to know what had happened. After the first week Pauline wanted me to take him back, but I loved him so much, I wanted to give him a chance. However, over the next 4 weeks it became more regular and for the first time in my life, I became frightened of him. On the Friday before I took him back, we were out on a walk with Minnie and Jess, when he suddenly attacked Jess and I couldn't get him off her. On the Saturday, we had to go to the vets as one of the three had been passing blood in their faeces and we didn't know which one. He had a go at the vet, who rolled her eyes, as if to say this dog is out of control. With a very heavy heart, on the Sunday I phoned the rescue and they agreed to have him back. I cried all the way back to Stoke, as I had bonded so well with him and I felt I had failed him, though I was assured I hadn't. He jumped out of the car when we reached there and was so good, as he was 95% of the time, but I couldn't take the risk of him attacking my 5 year old granddaughter. They had his assessed by a behaviourist and he attacked him, so in consultation with the vet, they decided he could not be re homed. I still have doubts that it was rage, I think it more likely his early upbringing, but whatever it was, he was PTS and when I found out I was devastated.

Sorry for the "War & Peace" but I just wanted to share my experience and say that if you get a cocker you can almost guarantee having a lovely family dog. My experience did not put me off, I got Dennis the same day as a puppy to join up with Minnie and rescued 5 year old Rosie one year ago. The only problem with cockers is they are so addictive, you can never have enough  

[Holly Berry]

I took on a golden cocker in 1996, she was 12 weeks old. We were her 3rd home in 4 weeks not counting the rescue. If we hadn't taken her on she would in all likelyhood have been put to sleep as it was assumed she had "cocker rage".  She didn't. She had been born at a puppy farm and had really bad resource guarding and was a typical cockerdile and would just suddenly launch herself at your feet and hands and bite really hard.

Once we overcame her resource guarding, she was the most wonderful dog you could have.

I got fed up with people asking me, did I have problems with aggression as she was golden.

I read quite a lot of research about rage, which is infact Rage Syndrome and can affect any breed. It is a very specific condition and thankfully very rare, and is thought by some researchers to be related to a form of eplilepsy. My brother had a Bull Terrier, in the 80's,who exhibited rage symptoms and had to be pts age 18months. Infact all his litter siblings also had to be pts 

As others have said do your research well and only choose breeders who breed for health and temperament and not for profit 

[airyfairy76]

When I was puppy searching only this year, I was quite definite in what I wanted (a red/gold show type girl) and I had breeders emailing me back telling me I didn't want one of those as they have temperament issues and are prone to rage.  Having done my research prior, I found it amusing and slightly sad that it was still being promoted as such, but my cynical side also wondered if those breeders were doing it to promote their own puppies - a couple tried to convince me I wanted their blue roan / sable / orange roan etc etc puppies. Certainly someone who hadn't done their research could be scared out of a solid.

Happy to say, I got my much longed for golden girl from a very well known kennel, and she is the cuddliest, softest girl I could wish for. I got to meet the mother, father and grandmother and they are all so beautifully tempered, and she has certainly taken after them.

 

[williamsmum]

I think a lot of the time people mistake normal puppy behaviour or an under socialised dog for cocker rage. As others have said, this really is extremely rare so I wouldn't let it put you off - cockers are lovely family pets Good luck!

There is a HUGE difference between normal puppy behaviour and true rage syndrome, which is what I prefer to call it, as it affects many other breeds of pedigree dog than merely cockers. True rage is terrifying to watch, and I can speak from experience as my previous cocker, Jasper, suffered from it (Jasper was actually a blue roan, whereas many people associate rage syndrome more with solid colours). Another forum member, Penelope, as well as myself, have written on here about our experiences with rage syndrome. It is a horrible, horrible thing and thankfully, as many forum members have already said, is comparatively rare.

[Fluff]

I think a lot of the time people mistake normal puppy behaviour or an under socialised dog for cocker rage. As others have said, this really is extremely rare so I wouldn't let it put you off - cockers are lovely family pets Good luck!

There is a HUGE difference between normal puppy behaviour and true rage syndrome, which is what I prefer to call it, as it affects many other breeds of pedigree dog than merely cockers. True rage is terrifying to watch, and I can speak from experience as my previous cocker, Jasper, suffered from it (Jasper was actually a blue roan, whereas many people associate rage syndrome more with solid colours). Another forum member, Penelope, as well as myself, have written on here about our experiences with rage syndrome. It is a horrible, horrible thing and thankfully, as many forum members have already said, is comparatively rare.

Yes that's exactly what I mean - some people have a bitey pup or a guarding dog, or one with other behavioural problems, and panic that it's cocker rage, when true rage syndrome is very different and presents itself in a very frightening way. I'e seen posts elsewhere from people talking about cocker rage when really they just have a dog that has issues that need worked on. I'm sorry you had to go through that, I can't imagine how awful it must have been