Can anyone help me with my aggressive cocker?

Question

I rescued a cocker from a very neglectful house. After 3 months he started getting very aggressive and has attacked me a handful of times but never broke the skin. Today for almost no reason at all he attacked my mother biting her on the leg, both hands ,and forearm. She bled from these bites. This is very hard for me to deal with? Would it be better to just put him down? Help me!

I guess I didn't put enough details in.
First off i have had him for almost a year. He was not socialized when he was a pup and left on the back porch for 2 months before i took him in when he was 6 months old. He has been to obediance school and i have tried numerous` things and talked to many people about him. I can't affored the behavioralists to help him out or get him checked out by the vet. I talked to my vet and the tests that they would do can be very pricey. I would not want anyone else burdened by his behavior just for the fact that I never know when he is going to snap and attack me. He gets very aggressive when he sees children also. I am leaning towards putting him down because i ran out of options but i am so attached to him that doing that would just break my heart.

Answer 1

I suggest that you try to take him to some obedience classes. It sounds like he may be fear bitting. If you can get him to understand that nobody is out to get him, he should be fine. If obedience classes don't help than I would suggest having him put down. You don't want a law suit on your hands. Good Luck.

Answer 2

What's the age? How long with them? Neglect or abuse? ANy socialization done prior to you getting him? Cockers as a breed are known to be snippy when not socialized well as pups. You can work on this, but you need a trained prof to help you. First, vet trip. He likely has not had good care. He may have vision issues, hearing loss, arthritus, bad teeth depending on age and level of neglect. Talk to the vet about this issue to. Second, you need to start working with him on basic commands (sit stay lie down-which is very hard for dogs to do because it is a very submissive pose) use treats to guide him to the stance and never hit or yell. You may want to try clicker training-he gets a click at the moment he does the behavior then a treat. Read up on the method. The extra time and attention will be good for him.

Sadly without more info it is hard to say what to do. Has he bitten before? If it is a long history you have to weigh the potential damage he could do with a bite vs the chance of really helping him get past this. Don't give up just yet, but do talk to someone with experience with not only training but rescues as they have some experience with this. And yes, it may be to a point that PTS in a humane way is best. You can not always rehap a dog and you do not want to live with the results of the dog attacking someone and causing major injury. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Unfortunately, Cocker Spaniels have been over bred by back yard breeders due to the high demand for this breed. Since most of these breeders have been breeding Cockers for the money, and not for the betterment of the breed, these poor dogs have been bred to be dumber & more aggressive.

Cocker Spaniels bite more people every year than any other breed, including German Shephards, American Staffordshire Bull Terriers [a.k.a. Pit Bulls], Rottweilers, etc. It's a good thing that Cockers can't do as much damage as the other breeds.

To answer the question though, agressive tendancies can't be trained out of a dog. If it were me, & I've spent years as a veterinary assistant & technician, I would have the dog put down. It's not fair to take him to the pound or an animal rescue group where he might go to a home with little kids in it.

Answer 4

Cockers are incredibly intelligent dogs. They were bred for working with humans, so they're definitely not dumb and are actually very trainable. Okay, now I've cleared up that with the person who posted first... You really need to consult a trainer or a dog behaviourist. The chances are that he can be taught how to behave with a lot of patience and dedication, but it won't happen overnight. I'd advise calling your vet and asking for a recommendation for a local trainer/dog behaviourist. Even if he advises that the animal be euthanised, it's a good idea to at least have a consultation with a specialist so that they can decide whether or not the dog would respond well to training. Vets are very good with medical things, but they aren't specialists in behaviour and that's the kind of person you need.

Answer 5

Cockers are NOT the dumbest dogs! I had one for 15 years and I can't praise him enough. I truly believe you can change his demeanor. First you must exercise him, he should be walked for at least 30 minutes (non stop) walking him is not the time to stop and smell the roses. You really need to walk him and get him tired. When you feed him make sure he sits and is calm before you put the food down. I release my 2 dogs by saying "Good Boys" that's when they know they can eat. Do not feel sorry for your dog, help him by taking charge of his existence. Putting a dog down is the answer only when he/she has had a fair shake at life. Has your dog? Your more then welcome to email me with anymore concerns you may have. Right now I have three dogs in my house two of them are mine and the third is a hearing impaired Boxer puppy. Talk about your HYPER dog!

Answer 6

There's no simple answer here.

Was this Cocker aggressive when you adopted him 3 mo ago? If not, how long was it before he became aggressive?

Most rescues are vetted prior to being placed, if that was the case with your Cocker, what vaccines was he given and when?

It could be health problem (vaccinosis, thyroid, tumour), it could be a simple case of lack of authority and so your Cocker is assuming the role of Alpha.

Answer 7

There might be a medical reason for his behavior. Can you have him checked out by a vet? A vet can also give you some alternatives, perhaps refer you to a dog behaviorist or trainer.

Good luck and thanks for trying to help the poor dog.

Answer 8

You are going to need to work with a behaviorist on this problem.

Be sure you DO NOT go with someone who recommends hitting, shocking (shock collars) or that kind of thing because it routinely makes them worse. http://www.trulydogfriendly.com/blog/?page_id=2

Answer 9

he needs patience. and time. hes afraid. consult a trainer that has worked with abused and neglected animals. she may be able to suggest some things. btw they are far from the dumbest. your dumb.

Answer 10

cockers are the dumbest dog breed if he was abused he will probably be damaged for life