Hi I hope it’s ok to post as I haven’t been on here for ages! Some of you may recall that I have Ellie, a golden show cocker now 13! We had a cancer scare a few years back for which I received some great advice from here and happily Ellie is still doing well (if a little deaf now it seems). I’m looking for help for my son. A few years ago they gave a home to a 10 month old cocker who we are told is half show and half worker. He is a big strong dog and when they got him he was on medication to calm him down as the elderly couple who had him couldn’t cope. Medication was stopped and we found that he had no training at all. Not even sit, and no recall. They have worked with him and he is a lovely but quite attention seeking dog who needs a very firm hand and he still play bites. He had awful separation anxiety but this has been fine now for a year or so, so all going well. They have a beautiful but quite mischievous strong willed dog. They now have a baby who is 9 months old and Oscar has adapted fairly well until baby has started crawling. He has always been nervous of strange things and we know that he is scared of this thing that has started moving! Baby of course loves him and makes a beeline. Oscar has started growling if he heads for him. He is ok if he approaches baby on his own terms. They have got baby to gently hold out a treat for him and pat him gently (obviously under very close supervision) but he is very unsettled. They are now resorting to a baby gate to keep separate when the baby is moving around which isn’t ideal but baby has to be safe. Just wondering if anyone has any other tips until Oscar gets used to him or of course the baby understands to keep his distance. They love the fob so much but probably have been a little too soft with his behaviour at times. Any tips gratefully received thank you x
