Cocker Spaniel Question

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I got my cockapoo when she was only a few weeks old. Because of her age she was bottle fed for...


I got my cockapoo when she was only a few weeks old. Because of her age she was bottle fed for over a week. She was never abused or neglected. After about 6 months i tried socializing her with other dogs. She never liked it and so i stopped and now she will bite no matter where or the size of the dog. She chooses humans she allows to pet her or not, but even then she will snap. She is EXTREAMLLY protective of her food and her sleeping area. My 11 year old sister is terrified of her. She definitely feels dominant in my house, and that is my fault for letting her sleep in my bedroom, on my bed and feeding her inconsistently sometimes before, or during our own meals. My dad is the only human she considers alpha and will obey. She constantly snarls and bites but today she really attacked me while I was petting her. If it was not for my little sister i would never consider taking my baby to the pound. But this is out of hand i dont know what to do.

    In Cocker Spaniel - Asked by Anonymous - 4/22/2012 12:09:43 AM
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Are you able to sign up for a puppy socialization class? If you speak with your vet's office or a local pet store, they should be informed of what classes are locally offered. I would suggest it best to have someone who has lots of dog experience to help you, a person who teaches these classes can. Don't worry, they can help. I have a dog that has short hair & let her stay in all winter, so she missed out on alot of socialization & got similar to your dog. Help is available, so be glad you've reached out & are working on this for the puppy and your family :).
    Answered by Anonymous - 5/5/2012 10:02:08 PM


It sounds like cocker rage, a condition that makes some dog breeds (especially spaniels) become aggressive.
    Answered by Anonymous - 7/28/2012 11:36:50 AM


The first part of socialisation takes place within the litter. The next part is the socialisation which takes place with their new owner. If the puppy left the litter before it was 7 weeks old it may have missed out on that early socialisation i.e with other dogs and its mum correcting behaviour. The puppy should then be socialised out and about with their new owner meeting and greeting other dogs from around 10-12 weeks. The puppy can be socialised with other puppies earlier than this at vets puppy socialisation classes. If the puppy left the litter early it was even more important that intense socialisation started ASAP to make up for what it missed out on. Contact your vet and find out what socialisation groups are available with a good trainer for advice on how to positively socialise your dog. She will need to be trained to responded differently.
    Answered by Anonymous - 9/11/2012 7:00:56 AM