CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Puppies => Topic started by: marilyn0644 on November 08, 2012, 06:22:52 PM
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I have a beautiful 5 month old cocker who has a lovely temperament, but suddenly has started showing aggresion. She guards her chewy which we have now taken off her, she never guards her dinner and we can touch that. She will then bring her pigs ear to you and you can take it off her. But if you go to her she snarls and growls. We have taken all these things off her. Today I went near her whilst she was in a corner and she went to bite me. We have 3 cats who she gets on with and plays with. Shes always playing and really soft but she has just been doing this and I dont understand why. Can anyone help me
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I hope this might help.
http://www.dogbasics.co.uk/articles/foodguarding.html
Our Jem has a tendency to guard things too, it is best to swap whatever they've got for something more high value.
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hmmm, 5 months....has she started teething? it may be that the chewy is relief on sore gums - just a thought
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My first thought was teething too.
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Sounds as if teething is definitely having an impact. When Henry was teething he definitely seemed a little tetchy. Once that stopped (at about 5.5 months) he was fine.
I'd also recommend trying "leave it" training - play a bit of tug with a toy the dog likes and then stop and when the dog eventually stops give them and treat and say "leave it". This might help with the aggression thing, if they think they're getting something else.
Our last cocker had serious possession aggression issues, despite being the loveliest dog otherwise. He never had any toys of his own, so when he found a sock or tea towel he wanted to keep it! It wasn't very nice behaviour, so I'll be trying harder to do the leave it training with the current pup.