They are all so different! Mine was a very bright and very mixed up show type. He went berserk with a crate in the house, so it was just for the car, when he would settle.
He snarled, I cried. We were told not to look him in the eye to challenge him, turn your back, and he will stop because you’re boring. Go out of the room to leave him on his own when he’s over excited. Swap toys.
I never used a crate in the house. Like zoo creatures, some dogs can’t cope with being caged. I know someone who adopted a rescuecockapoo that was crated in the working hours for two yearsand became really neurotic.
Does he meet other dogs now? Puppy classes will be great fun. My dog, though demanding at home, became incredibly shy at puppy fun and tricks classes, and when braver, was great. I was told he was shy, sensitive and very intelligent. Nice to have people praise him for a change.
As for leads, if he won’t let you put it on, use a slip lead to drop over his head. Will he hold a toy instead of his lead?
Most cockers thrive on training games. Perhaps to get him to come to you in. the house, you could use whistle and special treat. Cut breakfast portion down to use the food in training times.
My trainer told me that an attentive dog can learn a new trick in five repeats. It’s important to teach it in the right sequence.
The crockerdile cocker grows out of biting when the baby teeth fall out. If it continues with snarling or scaring you, carry on looking for a good behaviourist. It’s money well spent. One of my other breeds had a private lesson once a month for fear aggression for a year. The total cost was the same as weekly classes which he couldn’t cope with.
Yours is just a boisterous puppy, so I hope you can find a routine that he will calm down for, and enjoy the cuddles.
