Serious advice/opinions needed please

[Rhona W]

Charlie has just peed in the hallway.       Loads of it too.  He'd not long been back from a long walk.  The backdoor was open.  He doesn't like going outside alone, but he didn't tell me he needed to go. 

I took him outside and he hid in the children's plastic play tunnel.  Then, he crept back indoors and got into his bed.   I didn't shout (although I wanted to), but he obviously knew he'd done wrong.

We have exactly the same problem with Casper. He doesn't like going into our garden and stepping on our grass. (Although he'll run over the fields with no problem at all!  ) Last week he weed on the settee and then ran and hid in his crate. 
I don't know why Casper is like this and we have had him since he was 8 weeks old. I have started to walk him around the garden on his lead now to get him to wee and it is working for him. Unfortunately, this won't work for you as you had just come back from a walk anyway.
So sorry. I can't offer you any advice. I just wanted to tell you I know how you feel and wish you luck for tomorrow. It is still very early days for you and Charlie. We've been working with Casper and a behaviourist for months. It is slow progress, but so worth it.  You should have seen my inane grin when he actually went outside yesterday all by himself to have a poo.       

[Bagpuss]

We've been working with Casper and a behaviourist for months. It is slow progress, but so worth it.  You should have seen my inane grin when he actually went outside yesterday all by himself to have a poo.       

At £25 a session, this is gong to bankrupt us!   

Thanks again everyone.   He's asleep on my feet at the moment!   

I will keep you posted.

[PennyB]

We've been working with Casper and a behaviourist for months. It is slow progress, but so worth it.  You should have seen my inane grin when he actually went outside yesterday all by himself to have a poo.       

At £25 a session, this is gong to bankrupt us!   

Thanks again everyone.   He's asleep on my feet at the moment!   

I will keep you posted.

Sometimes you can reclaim some of the money on insurance --- even though my vet didn't refer us on to a hydrotherapy centre last year I found one myself and becuase thye were part of an accredited association thentook a form from them for my vet to sign which he did and then got the cost of each back from my insurance company

[Bagpuss]

Sometimes you can reclaim some of the money on insurance --- even though my vet didn't refer us on to a hydrotherapy centre last year I found one myself and becuase thye were part of an accredited association thentook a form from them for my vet to sign which he did and then got the cost of each back from my insurance company

Thanks - I will look into it. 

[Rhona W]

At £25 a session, this is gong to bankrupt us!   

Actually our's hasn't worked out too expensive. We paid £50 for an initial 2 hour assessment (which was really nearly 3 hours!) All follow up emails and phone calls for advice were free. Then we pay for any further one-to-ones as and when we felt we needed them. Like next week.   

[julesd]

Charlie snapped at him, and bit him on the wrist, enough to draw blood.

In the summer, our garden is literally full of the neighbourhood kids!

These are the bits of your original post that I find worrying as a parent myself. I would hate to be in your shoes with this problem. We often have a very full house and I don't know how much I could feasibly do to ensure everyones safety without making the dog's life miserable. If my child was bitten at a house where a dog had bitten before I would be furious with the owners.

I hope you can sort this problem out as quickly as possible and go on to have a happy life with Charlie. I wish you all the very best.

[Jan/Billy]

Charlie snapped at him, and bit him on the wrist, enough to draw blood.

In the summer, our garden is literally full of the neighbourhood kids!

These are the bits of your original post that I find worrying as a parent myself. I would hate to be in your shoes with this problem. We often have a very full house and I don't know how much I could feasibly do to ensure everyones safety without making the dog's life miserable. If my child was bitten at a house where a dog had bitten before I would be furious with the owners.

I hope you can sort this problem out as quickly as possible and go on to have a happy life with Charlie. I wish you all the very best.

It's not just about the dogs or the dogs owners  though, Kids themselves have to be taught how to behave around dogs. The number of times kids come wading over to Billy and try and stroke him without even attempting to ask me if it's ok is frightening.

[Cob-Web]

Charlie snapped at him, and bit him on the wrist, enough to draw blood.

In the summer, our garden is literally full of the neighbourhood kids!

These are the bits of your original post that I find worrying as a parent myself. I would hate to be in your shoes with this problem. We often have a very full house and I don't know how much I could feasibly do to ensure everyones safety without making the dog's life miserable. If my child was bitten at a house where a dog had bitten before I would be furious with the owners.

I hope you can sort this problem out as quickly as possible and go on to have a happy life with Charlie. I wish you all the very best.

It's not just about the dogs or the dogs owners  though, Kids themselves have to be taught how to behave around dogs. The number of times kids come wading over to Billy and try and stroke him without even attempting to ask me if it's ok is frightening.

That's so true Jan, 
Even though Molo is a complete softy and has grown up with lil'bit - I don't allow him to "play" with her friends when they visit unless I am in full control of the situation - if the kids want to run riot in the garden, then I keep Molo with me indoors, or next to me on a lead.
I learnt the hard way - a child who has his own dog was playing in the garden, Molo ran up to him, and the boy kicked him  Fortunately, Molo was not hurt and did not retaliate - but needless to say, the child has not been back, and I decided there and then that I would never put Molo in that position again 

[Jan/Billy]

I learnt the hard way - a child who has his own dog was playing in the garden, Molo ran up to him, and the boy kicked him  Fortunately, Molo was not hurt and did not retaliate - but needless to say, the child has not been back, and I decided there and then that I would never put Molo in that position again 

Little git! I hope you kicked him back!!...just kidding  

Seriously though that's just terrible, poor Molo . Fair play to Molo though had he turned around and nipped the naughty lad that kicked him , would have been just what he deserved, although I doubt his parents would have seen it that way.

dread to think what the boy does to his own dog  

[PennyB]

Charlie snapped at him, and bit him on the wrist, enough to draw blood.

In the summer, our garden is literally full of the neighbourhood kids!

These are the bits of your original post that I find worrying as a parent myself. I would hate to be in your shoes with this problem. We often have a very full house and I don't know how much I could feasibly do to ensure everyones safety without making the dog's life miserable. If my child was bitten at a house where a dog had bitten before I would be furious with the owners.

I hope you can sort this problem out as quickly as possible and go on to have a happy life with Charlie. I wish you all the very best.

It's not just about the dogs or the dogs owners  though, Kids themselves have to be taught how to behave around dogs. The number of times kids come wading over to Billy and try and stroke him without even attempting to ask me if it's ok is frightening.

That's so true Jan, 
Even though Molo is a complete softy and has grown up with lil'bit - I don't allow him to "play" with her friends when they visit unless I am in full control of the situation - if the kids want to run riot in the garden, then I keep Molo with me indoors, or next to me on a lead.
I learnt the hard way - a child who has his own dog was playing in the garden, Molo ran up to him, and the boy kicked him  Fortunately, Molo was not hurt and did not retaliate - but needless to say, the child has not been back, and I decided there and then that I would never put Molo in that position again 

Ruby was grabbed by an overenthusiastic toddler yesterday before I could stop her and while Ruby yelped when she did it she did nothing

[Bagpuss]

After this event, Charlie bit our daughter (she's 10) in the school holidays.  Not badly, but enough to bruise her hand.

Last Thursday he bit her again in a completely unprovoked attack and hurt her eye quite badly - this time she needed hospital treatment.  An inch lower, and she could have lost her sight.

We have therefore taken the very, very difficult decision to have Charlie rehomed.   We didn't know his full history when we took him on, but it turns out that he had already had two homes when we got him (not the one we were originally told about) and it sounds as though this has happened before.  We also discovered last week when talking to a mutual friend that he had bitten the son of the woman we bought him from - we didn't know this at the time.

We took him to the man who my husband and Charlie did dog training with on Friday and he found Charlie a 'foster carer' - a woman who has had experience of difficult dogs, and she is trying to find him a home with no children.

We are absolutely and totally heart-broken, but Charlie seems to have issues with children and we just couldn't risk it.

We are bereft.  The house is too quiet without him and I can't stop thinking about him.

I hope you won't feel too badly towards me - at the end of the day it was the hardest thing we've ever done and I think that it was the right one for all concerned.

[Cazzie]

Oh poor you  Im sure you made the right decision 

[Top Barks]

After this event, Charlie bit our daughter (she's 10) in the school holidays.  Not badly, but enough to bruise her hand.

Last Thursday he bit her again in a completely unprovoked attack and hurt her eye quite badly - this time she needed hospital treatment.  An inch lower, and she could have lost her sight.

We have therefore taken the very, very difficult decision to have Charlie rehomed.   We didn't know his full history when we took him on, but it turns out that he had already had two homes when we got him (not the one we were originally told about) and it sounds as though this has happened before.  We also discovered last week when talking to a mutual friend that he had bitten the son of the woman we bought him from - we didn't know this at the time.

We took him to the man who my husband and Charlie did dog training with on Friday and he found Charlie a 'foster carer' - a woman who has had experience of difficult dogs, and she is trying to find him a home with no children.

We are absolutely and totally heart-broken, but Charlie seems to have issues with children and we just couldn't risk it.

We are bereft.  The house is too quiet without him and I can't stop thinking about him.

I hope you won't feel too badly towards me - at the end of the day it was the hardest thing we've ever done and I think that it was the right one for all concerned.

I know what you are going through.
I had to rehome a cocker who couldn't get on with Douglas.
It was a heartbreaking decision but deep down I know the right one.
Have the folk that have taken him on got a full history of the events?
Mark

[Hurtwood Dogs]

Don't think badly of you at all  You've made the right decision for your family and Charlie.. there are lots of dogs who are very tolerant with children and some, even those that have had really careful supervised socialising with them from the word go (probably unlike Charlie) that are always going to be unpredictable around kids.

I really feel for you, having a dog free house suddenly is very upsetting.. but try not to feel 'bad' for re-homing him, at the end of the day it sounds like there was no alternative.

Thinking of you lots, big hugs 

Hannah xx

[spettadog]

I feel really sad for you.  I would be heartbroken if I had to rehome any of my dogs.  You did your absolute best for him.  I am sure he will find a loving home.  working cockers are great wee dogs but his early life has obviously scarred him.  Poor little dog. 

At least you can rest now knowing that your children are safe and so is Charlie.  If somebody fosters the dog they will make sure he gets a wonderful home.  I have experience with difficult dogs and working cockers.  If you had lived near me I would have taken him and found him a perfect home.

Best wishes.  My heart goes out to you.

Kind regards
Annie