April 12, 2011
My friend’s cocker spaniel has bitten a number of people. He is a loving dog most of the time but will bite without provocation. What should we do?
Full Question:
A friend of mine has a 2 year old cocker. He is a smart dog, but you can?t trust him. He growls and barks when someone comes to the office, has bitten the owner quite a few times and she has always been so good to him. He was never hit, so there hasn?t always been a lack of discipline. The dog hates other dogs and can't be trusted with kids - takes 4 sedatives and also wears a muzzle in order to be groomed by a groomer. Is there good training to shape this dog up with? He is a lovable dog most times, but like I said, he can turn to a mean dog and can't be trusted. If the owner tries to comb him, he gets mad and sometimes bites! Would love to hear from you - Linda 
Ed's Answer:
Hard decision.
Dogs like this can be handled but they need experience. It's a sad situation. The dog is afraid. That's why he acts like he does. Fear aggression. I wish there was an easy thing that I could tell you to do. But the odds are that the rules have been established between the dog and handler. To change those ground rules would require more strength than the handler is capable of offering. Bottom line is the dog should wear a muzzle. I hate to tell people to put dogs to sleep.
Dogs like this can be handled but they need experience. It's a sad situation. The dog is afraid. That's why he acts like he does. Fear aggression. I wish there was an easy thing that I could tell you to do. But the odds are that the rules have been established between the dog and handler. To change those ground rules would require more strength than the handler is capable of offering. Bottom line is the dog should wear a muzzle. I hate to tell people to put dogs to sleep.
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