Hi All, 

This is my first post, I have been a member for a while.  I really need some advice as I am sitting here in tears.  I have a cocker, who is 16 months old.  We love him to bits and 99% of the time he is the dream dog, its just the other 1% is causing me such a lot of problems that I really don't know what to do anymore.  The problem we have is that he will go for me with no provocation.  Just now I was on the phone and he came over to me and started biting at my foot.  This then escalated into jumping up at me and grapping my arm in his mouth a number of times and clawing at my legs.  This happens quite a lot and only to me, not my husband.  He also dosen't do it if my husband is in the room.  He has even done this when we have been out on walks.  

I suppose I just would like some advice on what I could possibly do about it.  My heart is breaking as I have a young baby too and I am terrified that he would do it to the baby.  I really do not want to rehome him, but I have to think of my childs safety.  Any advice would be really appreciated.

Also he is a pet , we don't work him.  He gets out for a walk for an hour Monday to Friday and at least two hours at the weekend.  

TIA

Fiona

It does sound like you have a problem here, how agressive is your dog being?  is he just seeking attention when you are distracted, or is he biting hard etc?

Our Ollie, at nearly 4, still seeks attention from my wife if she's on the phone, but it is done in a playful manner and is certainly not agressive.

It seems to me that your dog accepts your husband as dominant, but regards you as an equal or possibly subserviant and resents it when your are not paying him attention.  This needs to be changed and I would recommend you seek professional help.   We don't know whereabouts you are, but there will probably be professional dog trainers in your vicinity.

The other vital factor is that WCS need mental stimulation.  You don't need to work him but you do need to keep him occupied, especailly on his walks.  Does he get off lead, the chance to play fetch, hunt through cover etc?

Hi Neill,

Thanks for replying, sometimes he can be quite agressive, I just can't tell if it is attention seeking, but I do think it is a dominance thing.  Trouble is he is a big strong dog and it can hurt.  We have had a couple of different trainers in and we have followed their advice but on this one thing we just can't seem to get through to him.  We don't really get to let him off the lead during the week only at weekends but he dosen't seem too bothered by this he just likes to get out.  We do training with him everyday.  He is hardly ever on his own, maybe a few hours a week.  

Hi Fiona

From what you say it sounds like  a combination of attention seeking and dominance, he's saying "Oi, what about me!"  He needs putting in his place and this can be tricky, especially for a lady who does not have the same power in her voice as a man.  I'd suggest a really loud yell of "no" straight into his face followed by time on his own in another room.

With regard the walk, I'm afraid I do think WCS need a walk off-lead every day, Ollie bounces off the walls if he goes more that a day without one.  They need activity to occupy them and it may help if you change where you walk so he gets to run and hunt and do the things he's bred  to do.

Do you do any training with the dog, or is it left to it's own devices, would you have the time and committment to put the dog through a training course such as the Kennel Club Good Citizen Scheme. I would suggest you forget any dominence ideas and look at experiencing more fun interaction with the dog.

sorry to hear about your problem with your dog. I'm with neill on this one get some professional help from a trainer. our two have an 40 mins on lead walk in the morning before work and an hour off lead later in the day if they don't get it they get a little cranky with each other. good luck and i hope things get better

Camcam,

Although you must put your childs safety first (i have 3 of my own) I think you must strongly reconsider before you give up on your dog. I agree 10000% with Neill and BM. To me it's classic attention-seeking and stimulation-seeking. My own dog does most of what you describe but in a wholly non-agressive (pain in the a@se) kind of way. This gets worse the longer he goes between training runs- he is being formally trained as a gundog.

I strongly suspect you need to regulate your attention between him and the baby and find him something meaningful to do other than an hourly walk, even if it is just a bit of obedience training and/or fetching the odd canvas dummy. Ten minutes of mental work is worth an hour of walking IMO. My dog is always mentally shattered after a training run, not physically so. 

hope this helps in a small way

Hi

Hard to tell from your post, but are you sure he is just not playing? Do you give him things like stuffed kongs to occupy him? The more you can keep him busy, both mentally and physically the more relaxed he should be.

Hope you solve your problem.

Caroline

Hi

Mine is my first working cocker, after other working breeds, but he was the only one to demand attention from me as a puppy and nipping quite hard at times, now he never does.  They are a wonderful and intelligent breed and catching it young, I stood up and walked away from the behaviour and this worked (did help having cordless phone of course !).  As yours is older and the best way is to deter - if you cannot stand and firmly say `no' then use dog symbols to throw on the floor - these are small and easy to keep in your pocket or even the stones in a bottle method - my trainer friend uses anything noisy but a stand up and turn away or walk away method normally stops the behaviour.  It has to be persistent - agree with the walking - off lead is imperative - even a supermarket car park at night when closed lets them bolt about a bit in safety - just don't throw a ball as it often leads to a strain.

Good luck and don't give up - keep trying as you'll find a way but I agree with Cam Cam my two also get a bit larey if they don't go out.

Classic attention-seeking behaviour, which absoultely has nothing to do with dominance, he has clearly learned that offering this behaviour "works" in that it get's him what he wants (attention).

I would, first of all and most importantly, get this dog working his brain and body. On-lead exercise is simply not enough for a working cocker! He needs more! On top of this, do some training with him in the house - especially working on self-control and impulsiveness and frustation, e.g. down-stays, leave etc.

Hiding a treat/toy somewhere in the house and getting the dog to hunt it out is also a good mental energy burner.

Next, work on getting an altenative behaviour. The dog gets attention/rewarded for "good" behaviour (e.g. sitting, chewing a toy, lying down), and given a time out in another room when he does the attention seeking behaviour. Even better, YOU get up and leave the room for 5 mins when he does this. You MUST teach him that an alternative behavhiour gets him attention, jumping up and biting gets him left on his own with nothing.

This will take time and effort btw. :-)

Oh just to add, if you only walk away when he offers the unwanted behavhiour, but do not reinforce wanted behavhiour by giving attention when he is doing what you want, you won't get anywhere (having an onwer stand up and walk to another room when you jump up is still better than getting bugger all for lying quitely) ;-)

Hi

I agree with the reward system - reward good and do not give attention for bad behaviour - cockers are soooo intelligent - they do seek your interaction and if you are interacting with something else, like the phone then he will seek this attention.   Would your cocker prefer a ball or some lovely chicken, for example - I use a tennis ball with mine as he's not a working dog, so if I get bad behaviour - remove yourself or turn away - the minute he is calm, bring the ball to your face so he looks to your face for instruction and then throw the ball - I do this combined with a whistle as i have two dogs and this works well for me, especially when on recall outside.  The idea is that the minute good behaviour is shown then he gets a treat.  No shouting or finger waving just remove yourself for bad behaviour - so in the house preferably leaving the room or simply turning way.  They are very clever indeed and if it's not working it's timing you are not getting right - keep trying or if you can't maybe he needs more stimulous elsewhere - you can't let this ruin your life - your children are important - so perhaps someone like CAESAR who looks for a home whilst he lives with you so you can give that input.  It's worth one last shot so go on utube and look at some training vids and see if this helps.  If you've tried local trainers perhaps speak to your breeder and he might have a trainer to recommend or post your rough area and someone on here should be able to help.    my local expert is warrenby gun dogs and andrew farley who works his dogs at local shows and is always willing to give some guidance - he works on a vocal reward and whistle system but mainly on reptitive work.  you can contact him on email and he may be able to offer something.

I wish you all the best in the world

Fiona

I was wondering how things are progressing, a lot of good advice has been given and hopefully you will have seen an improvement.

All of the solutions offered are sound, although I do believe that their is a dominance link simply because your dog behaves differently when your husband is around, they are smart little things and know how far they can push their owners and what the implications might be. 

Please let us all have an update, telling us what you've been doing, that's the way we learn.

Or more likely the husband has never offered a reward (attention) and/or punished the dog for the behavhiour. Perhaps the husband gives the dog a different outlet for attention seeking? My two have learned that their tennis ball get chucked for them in the house only when they lie down :-)

I have a 20 months old rescue cocker who came to me last summer. He had had already two previous homes in his very young life and was completely hyped up when he first arrived. He was constantly attention seeking and just didn't know how to switch off. I have to admit that I was slightly dazzled by his pedigree, his sire is Maesydderwen Scimitar, when I agreed to take him on. I'm sure that some people have to wait a long time to get a pup of that sort of breeding and here I was given one for free! But before I could start any sort of gundog training with him i had to teach him impulse control and self control. So any games I play with him, retrieving or hunting, are always mixed up with loads of calming exercises like sit/stays or down/stays or heel walks. I watch carefully for any signs that he might get too hot or too hyped up and calm things down again.  Now six months on I have a much more focused and attentive dog, but I am still careful not to let him 'boil over'.  Any sign of the old lunatic coming through again I will put him on the lead when outside or into his crate when in the house for a little chill out time. 

Please, don't give up, Fiona, it is a long haul but it does get better with training. And let us know how you are getting on.