Another nutty Cocker problem

gerrymadden1

My 8 year old Blue Roan Cocker is becoming a major problem.
We've just been away on hols with him and some family members who he would be very familiar with.
He barked constantly, howled for attention and is becoming more highly strung & needy than ever.
Worst of all, he growled under his breath at my 2 young granddaughters when they rubbed him.
He's always been a bit of a nut as most cockers are and we've tried our best to work around it I've actually returned home a week early from our holiday because of the growling issue.
I've tried putting him in kennels in the past but he comes back like a basket case.
We are now considering looking for a new home for him.

Outkast_IRE

gerrymadden1 wrote: »

My 8 year old Blue Roan Cocker is becoming a major problem.
We've just been away on hols with him and some family members who he would be very familiar with.
He barked constantly, howled for attention and is becoming more highly strung & needy than ever.
Worst of all, he growled under his breath at my 2 young granddaughters when they rubbed him.
He's always been a bit of a nut as most cockers are and we've tried our best to work around it I've actually returned home a week early from our holiday because of the growling issue.
I've tried putting him in kennels in the past but he comes back like a basket case.
We are now considering looking for a new home for him.

Be honest with yourself, who is going to rehome him if he has these issues.

To me a dog is for life you took the responsibility on do the right thing and see it through, if he is 8 years old and has issues he would be a very difficult dog to rehome.

Could you leave him at home when you go on holidays and arrange for someone to call every day, that might be a better option as he will in his usual territory.

Have you brought him to the vet for a full check up , growling at people under his breath is often an indication of an underlying health issue that's causing the dog pain and discomfort.

gerrymadden1

Trust me, I realise the responsibility that I have. The dog is well loved and cared for. The problem is that I can't trust him around kids.
I'll get him checked out by the vet.

Thanks for your reply.

Outkast_IRE

The vet check is the first stop anyway.

I have never seen a dog of that age go from being friendly with kids he knew to growling at them without a reason for it.
I have had cocker spaniels myself, and understand some of them are a bit eccentric.
My fella in his old age of 15 started getting grumpy and prone to growling which he never did before and it unfortunately turned out to be a tumour in or behind his eye.

conor2469

Could the unfamiliar territory he is being forced to live in during the holiday cause him this anxiety resulting in him acting out? Once he settles back in at home how is his behaviour?

Tranceypoo

Is he neutered? If not could there have been a female in heat nearby?

andreac

gerrymadden1 wrote: »

Trust me, I realise the responsibility that I have. The dog is well loved and cared for. The problem is that I can't trust him around kids.
I'll get him checked out by the vet.

Thanks for your reply.

Why cant you trust him around kids? Just because he growled? The way a dog can communicate if something is wrong or if they are arent happy is by growling. He is warning you that he isnt happy about something, whether its pain, surroundings, situation etc.

Just because he does this, doesnt mean he cant be trusted. Im always amazed at people and their reactions to their dogs when they do something like this which is perfectly normal when a dog isnt happy, in pain etc. He is trying to tell you somethings up.

Doesnt mean he wants to eat or attack the children.

Why you would consider rehoming your beloved pet because of this is madness if you ask me.
Give the dog a chance and try and find out whats up with the dog and why he might have done this.

tk123

Vets asap - maybe the dog is in pain and doesn't want to be petted? Could you crate him when the kids are there? If he's not crate trained I'm sure it'd be a lot kinder and easier for him to adjust to then being rehomed after being with you for 8 years

aonb

lovely looking dog OP.
If the vet doesnt find a problem with the dog, maybe he is just at that stage of his life where he is nervious/anxious/territorial/cross/grumpy - 8 is an elderly dog...
I have a dog who will growl and bare his teeth at children, we KNOW he hates children for some reason, so we KNOW that when there are children around we have to take our old grumpy out of the mix, and work around it. Its a nuisance, but its a solution to a trivial problem. We adore our dog, he is a grumpy old so-and-so sometimes but hes old and thats his personality. OP, I get the feeling that you love your dog enough to have brought him with you on holiday, and if you love him enough to bring him home from the holiday early, that you are attached to this dog (after 8 years!) so if this is the case, you will find a solution to this small problem.
If his personality is a nervous/anxious/territorial one like one of my dogs, its a total pain, but again, you just have to work around the problem(s) and find the solution to accomodate your dogs quirks.
(When we are away, I have a woman who comes to the house twice day, walks/feeds/waters my dogs because of kennel problems with the anxious one & the grump is too old - costs a bomb but hey, you do what you have to do and problem solved) Good luck to you finding a solution to your problem(s) too. Rehoming an 8 year old dog is a terrible solution - why would you pass on a dog at that age to someone who doesnt know him or love him (yet) enough to take his problems on

Outkast_IRE

aonb wrote: »

lovely looking dog OP.
If the vet doesnt find a problem with the dog, maybe he is just at that stage of his life where he is nervious/anxious/territorial/cross/grumpy - 8 is an elderly dog...
I have a dog who will growl and bare his teeth at children, we KNOW he hates children for some reason, so we KNOW that when there are children around we have to take our old grumpy out of the mix, and work around it. Its a nuisance, but its a solution to a trivial problem. We adore our dog, he is a grumpy old so-and-so sometimes but hes old and thats his personality. OP, I get the feeling that you love your dog enough to have brought him with you on holiday, and if you love him enough to bring him home from the holiday early, that you are attached to this dog (after 8 years!) so if this is the case, you will find a solution to this small problem.
If his personality is a nervous/anxious/territorial one like one of my dogs, its a total pain, but again, you just have to work around the problem(s) and find the solution to accomodate your dogs quirks.
(When we are away, I have a woman who comes to the house twice day, walks/feeds/waters my dogs because of kennel problems with the anxious one & the grump is too old - costs a bomb but hey, you do what you have to do and problem solved) Good luck to you finding a solution to your problem(s) too. Rehoming an 8 year old dog is a terrible solution - why would you pass on a dog at that age to someone who doesnt know him or love him (yet) enough to take his problems on

8 isn't elderly in all breeds, for a cocker its middle aged, a typical cocker should live 12-15 years .
Having had cocker spaniels myself, they are usually grand till the 11+ mark in my experience anyway. Although every dog is different.

gerrymadden1

Thanks for all the suggested solutions... you're all correct, I shouldn't be considering rehousing my dog & to be honest, I was probably very frustrated when I posted the message.

So, he's back at home, still a grumpy, territorial pest. He's always been a bit of a nut & I've always tried to work around it.

Now that we're all back on common ground, he will continue to be my friend & you'll all be happy to know, he's going nowhere!!! :cool:

cocker5

OP,


Firstly you need to get him checked out by the vet to make sure he has under lying issues which may be causing his behaviour.

Once this has been looked at the you need to address the other issues.


Secondly I don’t understand why you say you can’t trust him around kids? He growled, didn’t show his teeth or bite? This is his way of communication he wants to be left alone. For whatever reason maybe he a medical issue or maybe they were annoying him etc. it’s not a reason for rehoming, Im actually surprised you are so quick to look at this as an option, for me rehoming my cocker wouldbe the VERY VERY LAST RESORT, if a at all.


Cockers are highly-strung in general with quirky personalities. I have one myself who is also eight, yes he can be whingey at times and demand more attention but during these times its usually due to the fact that I havel axed on his exercise… so as soon as I bring this back to normal he’s grand…


Have you tried rescue remedy for pets? This can help relax them a bit too…. It can take the edge off for them if they are distressed. You can get it from all health food stores.


Also what food are you feeding him? Poor food can also lead to an extra hyper cocker….


Also cocker are far better on routine, so maybe bringing him on holidays pet his balance in life (IYKWIM) and he wasn’t happy. Leave him at home or in “home stay” kennels

When I bring my cocker down to my patents house he doesn’t like it for whatever reason it un nerves him, so when I leave the room he cries for me,like howls and doesn’t stop , so I just don’t bring him anymore, no point in me getting mad at him and him getting stressed. They prefer their own environments o why change it.


IMO as he hasn’t growled before etc. I think this may be a medical issue, better get him looked at ASAP.


Is he neutered? How much exercise does he get? What do you feed him?


All the things above could lead to your dog being needy, distressed, he doesn’t speak “human” and we don’t speak “dog” so work your way down through the things I’ve listed above and something will click.

cocker5

sorry my spelling is so bad in my previous post... bloody iphone...

Gorgeous looking cocker by the way OP!!!

My next cocker (if i ever get over this one) will def be a blue roan!!

cocker5

gerrymadden1 wrote: »

Thanks for all the suggested solutions... you're all correct, I shouldn't be considering rehousing my dog & to be honest, I was probably very frustrated when I posted the message.

So, he's back at home, still a grumpy, territorial pest. He's always been a bit of a nut & I've always tried to work around it.

Now that we're all back on common ground, he will continue to be my friend & you'll all be happy to know, he's going nowhere!!! :cool:

Look we all have times whn our dogs drive us insane, my guy for the last 3 nights cries to go out to the toilet 3 times a night, when normally he sleeps straight through, then when i head back up to bed after letting him out , he cries at the kitchen door as if i left him there forever.. normally he's a great fella.... he's just going through a phase (he had better be).

Im knackered each morning as a result, but when i do come down to the kitchen at 6am when i offically get up for work, and he's there to greet me with his waggling bum and smiliey face, my madness at him goes out the window.

So i suppose what im trying to say is there are as individual as we are, have good days and bad days, so us as pet owners have to take the good with the bad!!

OP take him to the vet rule out any medical issues, then maybe look at "rescue remedy", more exercise etc... these may all help chillax him a bit!

Best of luck

Gael23

Cockers are lively dogs, thats just it. Our male golden cocker had endless amounts of energy until he was 11 years old. Now he's nearly 14 and is a hell of alot more placid partly due to health issues but more down to getting older.
Its been a great experience with him I would proably never get another breed after having him.