Expert: Delores Beck - 7/28/2008

Question
QUESTION: last month i got a 7 month old cocker,he was being sold as he was being left all day.when i got him i found out he had a few problems and these are he chews every thing (stones bits of broken glass,bones)also he will grow and snap at me if i try to remove some thing he really likes like a bone i can remove his dry food and he is fine.when i got him he used to try and bite me if i held his coller,now he only does it with my daughter.he can sit,give paw and is house trained.when i first got him he jumped on every thing including the work tops.if you try and make him do something he does not like,like to go outside for a wee in the rain he will scream and yelp like your killing him.he bites my other dog really hard(his ears and back legs) and sometimes gets told off for it and runs off screaming. when i go out for more than an hour i leave him at my mothers house to have company today on returning he had chewed a bucket and 3 spades.my last problem is that if a man trys to hold his coller to take him out side he will wee.please please help me and my cocker ps any thing he can get told of is chewed if im there or not but only snaps at me if i take food items from him like bones,tined dog food rawhide chews.

ANSWER: This pup has been very neglected & unsocialized for 7 months and it's showing.

Can he be trained?  Absolutely yes.  But I'd have to ask how much time an effort you're willing to put into it?

Have you investigated some training classes in your area?  Does budget allow for a few sessions at home with a trainer?
And, by the way, bones and rawhide chews aren't good for him and never, ever to be given to a dog with possession issues.

Don't grab him by the collar.  Snap a short leash on him and use that.
One good exercise is to snap his short leash to your belt loop (or wherever) and "he goes where you go" - no conversation. (15 minutes)

Don't "put" him out - take him out.  After he goes, praise and treat.
Use the same command each time "go potty" or whatever you choose.
Fairly quickly he'll get the idea that going out means a good thing.

I'd be happy to help but it's starting from Square One and he'll need a "lesson" every single day.

To start - make him "sit" as you stand holding his food bowl.
Count to 5 before putting it down.  Then leave him alone to eat.

Any growling - get down and in his face - STARE into his eyes and say NO firmly but quietly.  Continue until he breaks eye contact.
You just won. :)

It sounds to me like he's had no training at all - possible abuse plus neglect.  So, if you're committed to him, I'm happy to have an ongoing supportive/instructive chat.


The message this boy has to get is that YOU are the pack leader and this is accomplished by a lot of training - consistency - patience.
And EXERCISE him a lot - a tired dog is a good dog and a lot of behavioral issues are due to pent up energy and boredom.
Two half hour brisk walks a day is minimum.
Delores

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you i never give him bones but he has found them i the fields.i did not know rawhide was bad,thanks for that.when i got his paper work i found out he came from a pet shop.he is booked in for training classes for september.i take him for a hour and a half walk in the morning and half an hour in the night,is that ok.i also found ouy that well put him on adult food at 6 months and have changed itto burns puppy food.he eats loads of grass.i take treats out with me and call him get him to sit and give him a treat.this has helped to stop him chasing children and tring to take there toys food.when you try to put a lead on he rolls over and bites your hand.i have tryed to phone a couple of trainers some never got back to me and the other wanted £200 which i cant aford in one go.i am willing to do anything to help him.but dont want to make him worse.so any help you can give me would be great.so scared that one day he might bite my 6 year old or any one out on a walk.when i feed this food i give it to him a handful at a time and make him wait.if i try to stop him getting something he trys even harder to get it before i do.and the other day he ate a bee spat it out but when i went to check if he was ok he grabbed it again at swolled it.when he wees i do praise him and spend hours standing in the garden waiting for him to wee,thats a good idea about putting a word to it as he normally sits at my feet for 10 mins before going.thank you so much for your help.

Answer
Kat, it's fabulous that he gets that much exercise.

You're doing precisely the right thing on walks - sit and treat - and next time step in front of him (facing him) to block him and his view.

Try putting his short leash on him in the house well before a walk and just let him drag it around with him.  Then call - treat - and off you go.  Never let him off leash at this point.  Never !


Make him sit - treat - snap leash on.  Then walk away.

Never let him go out the door in front of you.  Pack leaders go first.

You're actually doing a lot of right things with him and just need some extra advice & support.

Now..when you take him out to the garden "Let's go OUT" and let him follow you (use treat if you need to).  Then it's "Go potty" or wait until you see him about to go and give the command.  Praise & treat.
I promise you within a week he'll "connect" the action-command-treat.
Anticipate !

And I'd like you to write me directly (DeeBeck7765@aol.com)..faster and easier.

We'll just start at the beginning and go day by day.

He can and will get happier & better.  If it comforts you, my own Rescue at 7 months had "severe" possession-aggression and I mean scary !  Now he's the best boy.

This poor pup has had no-one to teach him and unfortunately has developed some bad habits and now it's up to you.  But he deserved better from the previous humans in his life.
Delores