4 months ago we rescued a Golden Retriever/Cocker Spaniel 3 year old male. When we first got him we noticed right away he is very skittish and fearful of certain situations.

To try to summarize what the issues are without going into a 20 page post I would say the main issues we are having right now is that we are unable to groom him anywhere around his feet because he trys to bite us. We gave up on professional groomers because they said he was just too much too handle.

Most recently today he snapped at me when I was trying to groom the hair around his pad area. He has never done this before today.

He also has ongoing allergy issues that are unresolved with various trips to the vet and all they continue to do is put him on drugs that only help him short term and then he is back to scratching and ending up with more skin issues. We have tried different diet changes too and nothing changes unless we put him on prednisone.

Mod note: Please respond to (bold) allergy questions here:

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=302853#Post302853


He is also territorial about his toys when it comes to strangers in the house and recently the most concerning issues is he has lunged and shown his teeth like he was going to bite to at least 5 different people including my husband and myself. He also did this to two different children while having him out at a local pet store. I am quite concerned with these recent behaviors because I am beginning to think someone could be bit by him and we could be liable. We love him dearly and for the most part he is a sweetheart of a dog but he does have these moments where he seems to snap and it is quite scary and I need suggestions on what to do. I did contact an animal behavorist and we are meeting next week plus we do have another vet appointment for his on going skin issues. I am just overwhelmed with all of these issues we are having and I would like any advice that could help us help him be a better dog.

Two such different topics should probably be separated for clarity. I moved the allergy part (bold) to be answered here http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=302853#Post302853

 Quote: Cindy Herr

4 months ago we rescued a Golden Retriever/Cocker Spaniel 3 year old male. When we first got him we noticed right away he is very skittish and fearful of certain situations. ... He is also territorial about his toys when it comes to strangers in the house and recently the most concerning issues is he has lunged and shown his teeth like he was going to bite to at least 5 different people including my husband and myself. He also did this to two different children while having him out at a local pet store. I am quite concerned with these recent behaviors because I am beginning to think someone could be bit by him and we could be liable. We love him dearly and for the most part he is a sweetheart of a dog but he does have these moments where he seems to snap and it is quite scary and I need suggestions on what to do. I did contact an animal behavorist and we are meeting next week plus we do have another vet appointment for his on going skin issues. I am just overwhelmed with all of these issues we are having and I would like any advice that could help us help him be a better dog.

Hi, and welcome,

Big issues: You wouldn't take a fearful dog into a store full of people. And a dog who has lunged and snapped allowed around kids? And not crated when strangers come to the house? All of this is setting up both him and the people around him for a disaster.

Have you read any of the desensitizing threads on the board? Do you have a crate? Is he always on-leash? When you walk him, is he OK if you move right along and don't allow him to be accosted (touched, stared at up close, hovered over)??

"He is also territorial about his toys when it comes to strangers in the house"

Meaning what exactly? Her has a toy, strangers come in and are allowed to approach him? He growls?

Hi Cindy, and welcome to the forum.

To a fearful dog, being taken into a store full of strangers and having strangers around him at home can be like a "hell". He is trying to tell you he hates it - please listen! And yes, you are absolutely putting yourself in a liable situation.

Stop taking him to crowded places until you learn ways to work on his fear or insecurities. When people come over, he should be put in a quiet room or his crate if he has one.

I can't help but wonder if the foot issue might be related to the allergies... Have you gone to an allergist yet or still dealing with the regular vet?

Okay I need to clarify a few things. When we first got him he was fine around strangers all except my 6 yr. old nephew. When he tried to approach him at a family gathering the dog growled at him so I told him to back off and leave him. After he walked away from him and stayed away from him the rest of the gathering went well. I guess the pet store wasn't a good thing to do but everybody keeps telling me he needs socialization so I thought what better way to do this. I do not have a crate and he has never been crated. For the most part when people come over he smells them and then he is fine with them. It's only when they try to play with him and his toys does he sometimes growl at them and get a bit aggressive. He is always on a leash when walked and most of the time he gets along fine with other dogs but if someone would walk by him and stop to pet him this is when I have concern. I want him to be friendly but I am not sure if this is possible. Also grooming him is impossible.

No we are still dealing with a vet. I can't seem to find an animal allergist in our area of Lancaster, PA. It's not just the feet that he is sensitive about, he doesn't like ear drops put in his ears either. He runs and hides behind the sofa as soon as he see's you with the bottle. It's really challenging because he has these issues that we are trying to help him with but he won't let us. The previous owner who by the way had two small children in the house said he has always been timid and slow to warm up but he has never bitten anyone. Also I should mention the reason she told us she had to get rid of him was because she was leaving him alone up to 12 hrs. a day. I am sure this has caused him a major lacking in the socialization area but how can we bring him back to being a normal dog.

 Quote: cindy herr

No we are still dealing with a vet. I can't seem to find an animal allergist in our area of Lancaster, PA.

There has got to be someone within a reasonable distance. Have you asked your vet?

It's not just the feet that he is sensitive about, he doesn't like ear drops put in his ears either. He runs and hides behind the sofa as soon as he see's you with the bottle. It's really challenging because he has these issues that we are trying to help him with but he won't let us.

Marker training, marker training, marker training. It will be your best friend with a dog like this. One of my dogs would hardly let me trim her nails, let alone use the dremel. Learned about marker training and now both dogs see me get the dremel out and run to the area we "do toe nails". The one who used to hate any trimming - literally is drooling by the time it is her turn.

The previous owner who by the way had two small children in the house said he has always been timid and slow to warm up but he has never bitten anyone. Also I should mention the reason she told us she had to get rid of him was because she was leaving him alone up to 12 hrs. a day. I am sure this has caused him a major lacking in the socialization area but how can we bring him back to being a normal dog.

The twelve hour days may have been the issue - if that is in fact true. She could have also said that to not admit some of his other issues. He doesn't sound like he is anywhere near not being a dog which can not be helped. It is not that "he is not letting you" help him - you just don't yet know the right way to help him. I know some of the folks who have experience with fear/insecurity issues will chime in.

... my 6 yr. old nephew. When he tried to approach him at a family gathering the dog growled at him so I told him to back off and leave him. After he walked away from him and stayed away from him the rest of the gathering went well.

What really needs to happen for the safety of children in a crowded situation like this (and in order to lessen the dog's anxiety) was for the dog to be put away.

I guess the pet store wasn't a good thing to do but everybody keeps telling me he needs socialization so I thought what better way to do this.

This floods him with his fear-triggers. Desensitizing is done very slowly, very gradually, very safely, and without anxiety, fear, terror for the dog or danger to the people.

I do not have a crate and he has never been crated. For the most part when people come over he smells them and then he is fine with them. It's only when they try to play with him and his toys does he sometimes growl at them and get a bit aggressive.

You have a room where he can be separated from strangers who may not adhere to your rules? A stranger allowed to accost him (touch, interfere with, take his toys) is something a fearful dog needs his pack leader (you) to protect him from. The rules would be No touch, no talk, no eye contact, no approach.

He is always on a leash when walked

... and should also be when in the house with anything different going on, with you able then to grab it quickly or better yet always have it in your hand.

and most of the time he gets along fine with other dogs but if someone would walk by him and stop to pet him this is when I have concern.

Your dog, your rules: Please don't touch the dog. I have stepped between my dog(s) and an over-"friendly" stranger many a time. This is my job as the pack leader of a fearful dog. The more I do this, the more the dog perceives that he doesn't need to be so on guard, and that he has a buffer between his fear-triggers and himself .... his protector and leader.

I want him to be friendly but I am not sure if this is possible. Also grooming him is impossible.

Fearful dogs are often managed a lot more than trained, but that doesn't mean you can't help him. Have you seen any of the desensitizing threads here? Do you know anything about marker training? There is even a recent thread specifically about desensitizing the dog to physical "procedures."

I can hunt up threads for you if you haven't seen them.

This guy needs your help; for him to be successful depends on him being managed -- right now (and who knows how long, because desensitizing is a gradual progress and has different levels of success for different dogs), he needs not to be flooded with what scares him. Little kids running around, strangers looming, touching, "challenging" (in his eyes), etc.

I would aim for "tolerant" and "nonreactive" more than "friendly" ... one step at a time.

Please tell us what you know about marker training and what you've read here about desensitizing work.

We're in the "Aggressive" forum here.

We'll post the allergy stuff here, on the "Health" forum:

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=302853#Post302853