AboutDelores Beck Expertise Health, nutrition, and training issues.
NOTICE: I NO LONGER RECOMMEND CANIDAE DOG FOOD. DUE TO A CHANGE IN FORMULA AND MANUFACTURING FACILITIES, DOGS ARE GETTING SICK ON THIS BRAND.
Our 2 year old male English Cocker Spaniel has showed signs of aggression in varying ways since we adopted him.
We rehomed him when he was 1 year old. Since having him he has had a degree of separation anxiety, which has now pretty much been resolved and he is happy to be left for an hour or two by himself. He also showed aggression towards my boyfriend (we live together) including growling when he came near to me and once attempted to bite him, but didn't quite follow it through, this all used to happen when my boyfriend tried to sit next to me. We have taken control of this and have really showed him (in the kindest way we can) that we are in charge and he is not to do that. He has stopped acting this way towards my boyfriend now and hasn't growled at him for at least 3 months. However, he is now starting to get aggressive with other male dogs, usually in tact males, and will sometimes try to start a fight with a dog three times his size! On the whole he is really friendly with all other dogs and people comment on his lovely friendly nature, however, there are times, which seem to be getting more frequent now, nearly almost every walk we go on, that he starts growling and barking at another dog. We took him to the beach the other day and another male dog came up to where we were sitting and our dog totally lost it, (our dog was on the lead) I couldn't even get through to him to make him stop barking and growling, eyes rolling back and teeth fully out. It was worrying. I know he may feel less in control if he is on the lead in this situation, however, he does do this sometimes off lead at other males as well.
He got attacked by a large Boxer about 6 months ago, not badly,no injuries, but was pinned down by this dog and I had to pull this dog off mine, I am wondering whether this may be a factor, as well as him getting to an age where he has more hormones surging through him. We are planning on getting him neutered this month.
Do you think having him neutered will have a positive effect? and are there any other ways we can stop this behaviour ourselves? He is adequatley socialised with other dogs, at his previous home he lived with 5 other Cockers and I take him to agility and training classes and we have lots of friends with dogs and he gets on fine with them. Its just other males he really seems to have a problem with now. Its a shame as he has always been seen by people on walks as such a friendly dog and over the last 3-4 months we have had some people make nasty comments about his behaviour towards their dog - he wouldn't ever try to bite another dog, it just seems like he is trying to assert himself as top dog with all males and I am worried one day he will choose the wrong dog to do this to!
Look forward to your reply,
Many thanks,
Sarah
Answer Yes, I think neutering will help. And do NOT ever let this dog off leash until this is under control. You're playing Russian Roulette if you do.
Now..what to do? Intact males can do the "who's top dog" routine but I'd like to know if this reaction is only with strange males? How is he with males he knows?
And is it always intact males?
I'd also like to know exactly what you do when this happens?
Look at him as if he's a teenage boy - because that's about the stage he's at. And I'd like to know exactly how you handled it when he was growling at your boyfriend?
Delores
