Aggressive and Possessive Cocker Spaniel

Jul 29, 2010
Rating

Aggressive And Possessive Cocker Spaniel
by: Pauline

It sounds like your puppy thinks she's the pack leader, in which case, you need to change this. You (and your family) are her pack leaders. You can reinforce this in lots of different ways every day, as follows:

1. If your dog bites you' shout loud (yelp) and let her know that she has hurt you and then place her in the kitchen or somewhere on her own. Alternatively, you could leave the room - leaving here on her own.

She may learn that if she bites, she's excluded from the pack.

2. Before you give your puppy anything, food, toys, playtime, treats etc - make her work for it, even if you only ask her to 'Sit'.

3. Don't always give her attention when she demands it, I know, it's not easy when you've an adorable little puppy wanting you to play with her.

4. When you prepare her dinner, even if you're simply pouring kibble into her bowl, you must make her sit and wait, and then pretend to eat from her bowl, or eat a cracker. She needs to think that you have eaten first, that's what happens in the wild, pack leaders eat first.

5. You must dictate when it's time to play, or go for a walk, etc., don't let her tell you when it's time to go out or play. (Unless of course she wants to go out for a wee in the garden).

6. Give her time on her own, even when you're in the house it's a good idea to leave her in another room for an hour each day to get her used to being on her own.

7. Always walk through a doorway before she does - never let her walk ahead of you. That's what pack leaders do, they lead the pack.

8. Ditto when walking her on a lead, try and get her to walk to heel by your side. You should be leading.

9. Don't allow your puppy to sit higher than you - again, it's a pack leader thing. Always stay above her.

10. Don't allow your puppy to sleep on your bed or sit on the settee with you as it will increase and reinforce her dominance ? pack leaders get to sleep wherever they want.

11. Keep separate toys for you and separate toys for your puppy and follow the advice given here - dog-food-aggression. If you've not already read this article, I would recommend you do so as it may help to stop her resource guarding.

Let any of the above slip and it's surprising how quickly she will push her luck to see if she can become the pack leader again.

Another bit of advice - stay calm - don't shout at her or get frustrated (easier said than done!) she will only pick up on it. Persevere, and you will win her over.

It will take a little bit of perseverance and patience from you but I'm sure you'll get there.

I should point out that I'm not a dog behaviourist - I would recommend that you try contacting a professional dog behaviour therapist if you have no luck with the above.

X Close Editor

Jul 29, 2010
Rating

Submitted by: Pauline

Title

Comment
It sounds like your puppy thinks she's the pack leader, in which case, you need to change this. You (and your family) are her pack leaders. You can reinforce this in lots of different ways every day, as follows: 1. If your dog bites you' shout loud (yelp) and let her know that she has hurt you and then place her in the kitchen or somewhere on her own. Alternatively, you could leave the room - leaving here on her own. She may learn that if she bites, she's excluded from the pack. 2. Before you give your puppy anything, food, toys, playtime, treats etc - make her work for it, even if you only ask her to 'Sit'. 3. Don't always give her attention when she demands it, I know, it's not easy when you've an adorable little puppy wanting you to play with her. 4. When you prepare her dinner, even if you're simply pouring kibble into her bowl, you must make her sit and wait, and then pretend to eat from her bowl, or eat a cracker. She needs to think that you have eaten first, that's what happens in the wild, pack leaders eat first. 5. You must dictate when it's time to play, or go for a walk, etc., don't let her tell you when it's time to go out or play. (Unless of course she wants to go out for a wee in the garden). 6. Give her time on her own, even when you're in the house it's a good idea to leave her in another room for an hour each day to get her used to being on her own. 7. Always walk through a doorway before she does - never let her walk ahead of you. That's what pack leaders do, they lead the pack. 8. Ditto when walking her on a lead, try and get her to walk to heel by your side. You should be leading. 9. Don't allow your puppy to sit higher than you - again, it's a pack leader thing. Always stay above her. 10. Don't allow your puppy to sleep on your bed or sit on the settee with you as it will increase and reinforce her dominance ? pack leaders get to sleep wherever they want. 11. Keep separate toys for you and separate toys for your puppy and follow the advice given here - <a href="http://www.about-cocker-spaniels.com/dog-food-aggression.html">dog-food-aggression</a>. If you've not already read this article, I would recommend you do so as it may help to stop her resource guarding. Let any of the above slip and it's surprising how quickly she will push her luck to see if she can become the pack leader again. Another bit of advice - stay calm - don't shout at her or get frustrated (easier said than done!) she will only pick up on it. Persevere, and you will win her over. It will take a little bit of perseverance and patience from you but I'm sure you'll get there. I should point out that I'm not a dog behaviourist - I would recommend that you try contacting a professional dog behaviour therapist if you have no luck with the above.

Cancel Delete Delete & Ban

throbber Updating Comments page...

Aggressive and Possessive Cocker Spaniel

Comments for Aggressive and Possessive Cocker Spaniel

Comments for
Aggressive and Possessive Cocker Spaniel