worried , can you help?

[hle]

Cody is now 7.5 months old and is doing ok in most ways but we've still got one problem. When he gets excited he bites. i know there are many forums on here tackling this problem, but mainly in younger pups. Most of the time he is lovely but occasionally he starts to bite then it becomes more aggressive. Tonight it was my daughters birthday party and cody has been shut in the kitchen most of the night as I was too worried about him biting my daughters friends. Turned out that I was justified in this as during the evening when cody was chewing a chew my son went up to him and he bit him quite viciously, drawing blood. Then i took his chew into the kitchen to entice him in there and he turned aggressive with me, growling, baring his teeth and biting me, again drawing blood. whenever i went near to him he snapped at me or growled. Is this normal? How should I deal with it?  We have tried ignoring him, shutting him in the kitchen, walking away from him, all of which work for a while then have no effect. Tonight i have been in tears. I love Cody but I'm worried about his aggression. Sometimes I've ignored him and allowed him to bite for so long and I'm wondering whether this has contributed to his behaviour. Also on occasions I have let play get a little rough. I'm worried that I've caused this behaviour and that it is irreversible. I know this is a long post but can anyone give me any advice?

[joanne_v]

I think the only good advice to give here is to get an APDT behaviourist in asap. None of us can solve this for you on here. Something this serious needs face to face advice after thorough assessment. Good luck.

[ludo]

So sorry to hear about your problem with your young dog which is very upsetting for you  - I think Joanne is right - the best thing to do for now is to get in touch with a behaviourist. A vet check might also be a good idea in case there is a medical issue underlying your young dogs behaviour.   This is a positive step forwards and hopefully that way you can get some really constructive help.    Try not to blame yourself as all you can really do is your best and lets face it they don't come with a tailor made manual they are all different  and when you have young children you have a lot of things to juggle. (I hope your little one is ok by the way).

It would probably be best to get a behaviourist who can see you at home so they see you and your young dog in the home setting.  if you have pet insurance, you might be able to get this through your insurance if your vet refers you - it would be worth checking your policy cos it can be expensive.  I hope all goes well and you can help from an expert to get your young dog back on track

The only other thing I can think of which I hope will help is to look at the little blue dog with your child the link to this is http://www.thebluedog.org/

[spanielcrazy]

It sounds like he has some guarding issues. Get a copy of "Mine!" by Jean Donaldson (you can get it on Amazon) Not an easy read but very valuable.

I agree with getting a behaviourist. Any biting dog (other than puppy play biting) needs professional help, especially when there are children involved 

[Helen]

It sounds like he has some guarding issues. Get a copy of "Mine!" by Jean Donaldson (you can get it on Amazon) Not an easy read but very valuable.

I agree with getting a behaviourist. Any biting dog (other than puppy play biting) needs professional help, especially when there are children involved 

agree - it seems the behaviour stemmed from guarding but get a behaviourist in asap

[hle]

Just thought I'd update you. Cody has been an angel since the incident on Friday. He has calmed down so much and actually sits wanting to be stroked instead of play biting. He has not been shut in the kitchen for time out since Friday and is a pleasure to have around. What has happened to him? We even managed to have a family party at our house on Saturday afternoon with a lovely, docile cocker.

[ludo]

hle I am so pleased for you; it must be quite a relief