Hello from Monty & I

[dj]

Firstly I would like to say thank you to COL as since reading through posts it has put my mind at rest about Monty my 17 week old working cocker.

We got Monty from a reputable breeder who some of our friends have had puppies from before and we were very happy with where he has come from. However we are first time dog owners let alone cocker owners  and Monty's mum is a show cocker and dad is a working cocker and Monty most definatley has lots more working than show in him. At the time we did not realise there were so many differences between the two, we certainly do now 

Around 13 weeks he started to growl/snap as us if we tried to get him off sofa etc if he had jumped up onto it ( we havent allowed it from the start) He also started trying it on with me, humping my leg, growling, biting trousers etc ( think I went through 6 tops in a week with holes in! ) So had trainer in from our puppy classes and I have to say the last couple of weeks have been better
He is back in the kitchen until he can behave much better and wonder how long it will take until he can come into the lounge again    and fully interact with my child /cats

If anyone has any advice on the growl/snap with the sofa it would be much appreciated Other than that he is a lovely dog and I can see glimpses of him being such a wonderful adult dog
He did make us think for a few weeks what on earth had we done 

Sorry for the ramble Good to know that there is a place such as COL for advice

Suzie x

[SkyeSue]

Hi and welcome to COL
I have Chloe a 10 month old working type.
I'm sure you'll get lots of advice from experienced members on here, but will just put in my tuppence worth for whats it worth 
Firstly, I don't think your pup's behaviour is anything to do with his working parentage....both show types and working types can and do display this kind of behaviour.
Chloe used to bite my legs or trousers, particularly when I was getting dressed, so I just dressed in the bathroom (which she isn't allowed in). If she even touched me with her teeth, even in a game, I would ignore her, and go and do something else.
I don't know what to suggest about the sofa as Chloe is allowed on mine, but I'm sure someone else will come along soon with advice on that.
I'm not sure that making him stay in the kitchen for anything other than a bit of time out, is a good idea, when what you want to achieve is a harmonious environment in the lounge with your child and cats. But again, I don't have experience of this, so hopefully you'll get some constructive advice on this too.
Monty is still a baby, and he will grow out of this stage, I know it sometimes feels as though its never gonna happen though!
And if its any consolation, I wondered what on earth had I done, in the early weeks with Chloe....it really does get easier though and with all the help and support you'll get on the forum, I'm sure Monty will grow into the wonderful adult dog that you're getting glimpses of!

[Sarah16]

Welcome to COL, you will find lots of helpful advice on here.

I have 2 working girls, Mollie 2years and Pippa 10 1/2 weeks and already I can see a difference in temperament and personality. Like you, when I got Mollie I didn't know there were show and working types and so it was a big shock and a learning curve for us as she was our first dog. I don't have any experience of show types, but what I have read on here Monty's behaviour is perfectly normal for both types.

Mollie was also a nipper, I spent months with marks on my hands, arms, ankles and even my nose. I found the best thing to do was to squeak and walk away from her, because if I tried to remove her into another room it used to increase her excitement.

As for the getting on the sofa and then snapping/nipping, Mollie used to do the same, I spent so much time in tears. What worked best for me was attach a house line and then when I wanted her off, I used to squeak a toy to get her attention and then gently lead her off the sofa and then praise her for getting off, that way I didn't confront her and she didn't challenge me.

[dj]

Thank you for your replies

I might try a house line Sarah as I am going to try and intergrate him back into the lounge over the next couple of days. I think he sees my cats on there so wonders why he cant! 

His nipping is much much better and I am hoping it stays that way His sleeping and house training has always been good ( just need to get him to go a bit longer between scratching the door to go out! ) so can't complain about that

xx

[JennyBee]

Welcome to COL and congratulations on your puppy!

I’m mum to eleven month old Brodie, who is a liver roan show type

I remember thinking ‘what have I done’ with Brodie as well , which was all down to her mouthing - she was horrendous, and I couldn’t even handle her unless I put one of her toys in her mouth.  It was months before we saw some improvement. Glad to hear  Monty seems to be getting better at that

We used (and still do sometimes) a longline with Brodie and it really helped us through the naughty phases… she was eventually allowed on the chairs though because she was very persistant and wouldn’t stop

Like SkyeSue says, things will improve with Monty, he’s still very young and has a lot to learn.  He sounds lovely, will we be seeing photos soon?

[*Theresa*]

Hello and welcome  .....I think all Cockers whether they be show or working have the potential to be a right handful but they are also exceptionally loving and I can't see me owning any other type of dog now.

Hope you manage to sort things out so you and Monty can live in harmony...at 17 weeks he is still a baby and he will be testing his boundaries a bit...consistency will hopefully sort that out 

[vickyl]

hi,

welcome to COL, im a newbie here myself and a newbie cocker owner. jack is my 1st cocker but not my 1st dog, he is my 5th dog.

 i dont want to sound like i know it all because im far from it and i hope you dont take it that way and i dont want to offend anyone else on here either. but i have done a lot of training and i have had a 'problem dog' myself.

 i had a mongrel dog that i lost in november last year and she had horrendous breeds in her (gsd, collie, boxer, staffie) not a good cross, she was very hard work! we had a lot of 'phases' to go through and we did a lot of training and if i am really honest it was well worth it in the end.
i dont want to sound like a cocker knowall, because as i said before i am a 1st time cocker owner, but i see a lot of dogs at the dog club where i volunteer and basic dog training fits all (or most!) dogs.
 the main thing to remember is that your little pup is just trying it on with you, but you must not let him think he has won. you have to make him realise that when you ask him to do something he has to do it, whether it be getting off the sofa or whatever.
 all puppies go through phases where they try it on, he is just testing you to see how far he can push. they will go through a teenage phase too which hits when you just think your pup is coming along nicely    the main thing to remember is that these are just phases (like the toddler tantrums in kids) and they will pass.
 we always say to our owners that come to our training club that when it comes to dog training you get what you put in.
 
its great that you have already been intouch with your local dog trainer, they will be able to help to guide you. dont be afraid to ask questions and the people on here are well worth asking because they are all cocker pro's and will be able to give you lots of tips 
 
 some things to remember are that your pup is a working dog and it needs to be stimulated mentally as well as physical exercise. do you do much training with him? it is well worth getting that 'leave it' command in, it is very useful with lots of things 
 just simple things like making im sit before he is given things or getting him to move if he is laying in a  doorway before you go through will make him realise that you are in charge 
 i have my dogs on the sofa, but only when i say they can come up (although my new cocker is still battling me with that at the moment! he thinks he can come up whenever he wants a cuddle and it is hard to resist! but i have only had him a couple of weeks  )
 you can still be soft with him, im not saying you have to be mean and nasty, but any puppy will, given half the chance, try it on with their new owners.
remember, its not only you, i think most of us will or have experienced similar things. dont think that you have a bad pup or that you are a bad owner. he just needs some guidance.

i hope i havent offended anyone and have helped reassure your mind a bit. 
 

[Coco]

Hi Suzie and Monty. I have a 1 yr old liver working cocker named Gizmo and my Ex's 3 yr old Wherry.
Just noticed you are from Norfolk as are we and a few other COLers. We're Norfolk/Suffolk border, how about you?
Keep an eye out for the Norfolk meet-ups 

[Penelope]

Hi there - welcome to COL
I have Buffy who is also half show /half working and Harriet who is full show cocker (as well as Suki - Saluki cross, Josie - Springer x lab and Poppy the Yorkie!)
I am amazed at the differences between Buffy and Harriet - although in our case, Buffy has luxating patellas so has to rest more than she would like 
They are similar in lots of ways, but also have many many differences - However, all my dogs have "tried it on" where they want to do things their way and don't want to listen to me.
They have all learned (at different ages  ) that I am actually a lot more stubborn than they are and I will NOT back down!!! 
All my dogs are fairly young - Suki is almost 4, Josie is just 3, Buffy is 2, Poppy is 21 months and Harriet is almost 11 months - but I figure they didn't read the advice books that say you should wait a couple of years between dogs, and it has worked well for us!
Each dog has learned from the older dogs, so I think we have been very lucky.
I think perseverance and not giving mixed messages is the most important thing in training - it can be very hard though.  At the moment we are trying to stop Harriet jumping up to say hello to everyone.  We tell her "off" and people say "Oh, I don't mind, she is so lovely" - nice, but not very helpful to her training.
We persevere though and try and make her sit down to be fussed by people, and she is definitely learning.
Best of luck with Monty - I am sure you will be fine!

[dj]

Hi Suzie and Monty. I have a 1 yr old liver working cocker named Gizmo and my Ex's 3 yr old Wherry.
Just noticed you are from Norfolk as are we and a few other COLers. We're Norfolk/Suffolk border, how about you?
Keep an eye out for the Norfolk meet-ups 

Hiya I am near Norwich I will definately look out for Norfolk meets thanks


Penny you are a braver woman than I with all your lot 

Monty is doing ok Still have the odd growl/snap but not as much as before, he also passed his first basic obedience class with 89% so must be doing something right 
We are off to see a trainer tomorrow who has working cockers who is going to help us with a few things so that should be good
xx