Red cocker spaniel rage gene.

[loppylugs]

Please read all the advice given,i think the problems could be your own causing sometimes,alot of bringing up a puppy is common sense,and knowing how to deal with each situation,lack of knowledge can be detrimental to all concerned.Each dog is an individual with its own personality,i think its wrong to compare the dogs to each other,as what one likes/does the other ones may dislike,etc.Its got nothing to do with colour or genes,just you,needing to learn how to channel the energy he has got into something you are both happy with,teaching him as you go along.I've got solids & Parti's,my red boy is so laid back and cuddly he isnt real,one of my parti's is an absolute nut case,rampaging through the house at 100 miles an hour,they are all just so different.You are only finding it hard because you havent found the right way to deal with it.When you have it will be a piece of cake.

[Sarah.H]

I feel it would be really beneficial for you to get some up to date books about dog behaviour and how they learn. Jean Donaldsons The Culture Clash is fantastic and has a great chapter on house training and how to see it from the dogs point of view and why it can so easily go wrong. When I got Millie at 18 months it was the first time I'd ever had a dog with aggression issues (all caused from fear) and it really threw me and I even came on here talking about maybe I'd have to re home her  . But I'm so glad I didn't and that I learnt the correct way to treat her as she is a wonderful dog and I dread to think what would have become of her if she'd gone to someone that would punish her instead of trying to understand  .

As others have said remember that he is only 15 weeks old.  I don't have children so don't know how long it takes to potty train but I imagine it doesn't happen overnight  .

[Jackie]

Thank you all for your advice, reading each and everyone's different stories has given me a positive outlook regards Toby. I/we do now agree, that he does not have this aggressive gene, and I now realise he just doesn't take kindly to being handled, as if he is unwary of whats going on/being done to him, especially behind his back, which in itself is a problem that needs to be resolved. I need to be able to touch him regards to drying him if he becomes wet after a walk, also other people such as my pet groomer when the time comes for him to go to her, and now, when I have to put drops in his ears (for cleaning purposes) and also applying advocate between his neck and shoulder blades for his regular worming/flea treatment. He also attacks my OHs hand (not mine since being bitten last week) when he attaches his collar and lead. In the perfect world of course it would be simpler to just leave his collar on, but as he spends the odd time during the day (mainly supervised ) plus unsupervised nigh-time sleeping in his cage, we cant take the risk of him catching it on any small hook inside, and strangling himself.
I am feeling much more optimistic about Toby in turning out to be a fine adult dog, it just seems harder this time round than it was with any of my others.
On an after-note, when we brought home our two dogs eight years ago, with only seven months between them, we basically replied to an advert, went to see the pup and brought it straight home with us, the same day, got on with rearing, with only minor problems, and turned them both into well behaved adult dogs. With Toby, he was planned almost a years ago, we placed our names on the waiting list, knew the day he was going to be born, saw pictures of newborn pups first day, went to choose him three weeks later, so as you can see, a lot of planning went into Toby, but no planning whatsoever into Benji or Megan, same as my late Petra. I cant wait for his puppy socialisation training to start Tuesday. I so want to be writing a different story about our Toby in two months time.

  

[fifer]

Hi Jackie
You're going to have to grasp the bull by the horns as far as training your pup to be handled is concerned. There are so many occasions when he will have to be handled during his life, vet's visits etc, that starting now is right for him and you. 

Get yourself a T Touch book and learn the strokes which best relax a dog.  Choose a time when you will have no disturbances, no tv, have the radio with classical music gently in the background, take the phone off the hook and relax yourself first.  I know it can be a bit frightening but when he's getting tired or quiet is the time to start, make sure he's burnt off all excess energy before you start.  If necessary wear some gardening gloves at first so you don't give up at the first nip.  Also remember that once he has no fear of your hands he will become more confident, manageable and easier to stroke, and that as you handle him more and more, your confidence will grow too and the bond between you will also grow.

Then one day (probably right out of the blue) you'll find him instigating the stroking session, that's when you'll know you've cracked the problem. 

I'm doing exactly this routine with a 5 month old pup who was supposedly *rage*afflicted.  It isn't rage, although like your pup he's a bit "in yer face".    It's working and he is already (1 and a half days in) looking for strokes and petting, so this way is a good routine to get into.

[Lily Freya]

Ah...........sounds like you are having a tough time with your little Toby.

I hope it all works out, for the sake of all of you.  It is hard training puppies, and sometimes we do things we shouldn't out of frustration, which then confuses them.

The advice you have been given is wonderful..............you will find lots of support, and sound advice from people here.

Looking forward to hearing 'all your success stories soon.'  It will happen. 

[tillydog]

I was going to suggest looking at T-touch too. If you want any advice send a PM to clairep4 as she's a T-Touch practitioner.

[Jackie]

Not familiar with this T Touch but have looked it up, and came across the Tellington T- Touch, is this the one you mean? or are their many books out their on this subject regards to teaching T-Touch especially for puppies that would be just as good.

[tillydog]

Not familiar with this T Touch but have looked it up, and came across the Tellington T- Touch, is this the one you mean? or are their many books out their on this subject regards to teaching T-Touch especially for puppies that would be just as good.

Yes, T-Touch is Tellington T-Touch.

[Jackie]

Thank you tillydog, just this minute placed an order with Amazon for her book.

[beebee]

I don't know where you live Jackie but Clairep4 on here is a practitioner, you could PM her.

[tillydog]

I don't know where you live Jackie but Clairep4 on here is a practitioner, you could PM her.

I did suggest that too! Jackie, you may well be near to where Claire is or she'll be able to point you in the direction of a practitioner near you.

Tilley Farm (T-touch website) - http://www.tilleyfarm.co.uk/home.html

Claire's website - http://www.tellingtontouch.org.uk/

[beebee]

I don't know where you live Jackie but Clairep4 on here is a practitioner, you could PM her.

I did suggest that too! Jackie, you may well be near to where Claire is or she'll be able to point you in the direction of a practitioner near you.

Tilley Farm (T-touch website) - http://www.tilleyfarm.co.uk/home.html

Claire's website - http://www.tellingtontouch.org.uk/

Oops, never mind, better said twice than not at all.

[tillydog]

I don't know where you live Jackie but Clairep4 on here is a practitioner, you could PM her.

I did suggest that too! Jackie, you may well be near to where Claire is or she'll be able to point you in the direction of a practitioner near you.

Tilley Farm (T-touch website) - http://www.tilleyfarm.co.uk/home.html

Claire's website - http://www.tellingtontouch.org.uk/

Oops, never mind, better said twice than not at all.

Exactly!! :-)

[Jackie]

Ha ha great minds think alike.

While I'm here I also would like to mention that our Toby does not show any aggression over his toys /teethers as well as no aggression over feeding times /food, all good positive signs. We just need to sort out this aggressive noise he makes which can happen when he gets excited, ie: to be let out into the garden, he tends to attack the bottom of our sliding door, (although I do recollect our Benji doing that as a pup) which the noise is quite horrible and frightening to hear, and of course his aggression when getting him ready, or when we comes back from his walk, including trying to attack our Benji or Megan, now we tend to keep his lead attached to him and bring him inside and straight to the kitchen to allow him to have his drink of water before taking off his lead and collar, by then he is normally a little calmer.

[PennyB]

of course his aggression when getting him ready

I had a 17 week old cocker pup on foster like this (he had been given up my previous owners as they couldn't cope - he was too confident fo rhis 1st-time dog owners and they had become scared of him) and I found way to ge his harness on was to sit him down and give him a large biscuit (it seemed at the time I had a load of those bonio square and round ones) and thne I would give him one and he was eating it I would place harness over his head then would give him another as a treat fo rlettign me do that then while he was eating that would do another bit and so on.

Sometimes you have to do things in small steps rather than the whole thing at once - if you try to do some things all at once it can be done in a rush and so possibly make the pup feel too 'manhandled' IYSWIM and so set up his reaction as well which in his case can be his teeth or noise.