I have adopted a 7.5 y.o cocker spaniel from a rescue yesterday, and found that he snaps when people touch him.
Or when I touch him anywhere on his head. He lets me pat him and brush him, but can't clean his eyes, ear, mouth because he hates it
and will snap. He never bit anyone, but snapped at strangers. I take it this is a fear biter we have.
We did not wait a minute to let him adjust and started correcting this immediately because I don't want to let it become any worse than it is.
This evening young girls in the elevator were so engorged with him that they went straight to the head. He already obeys some and didn't look like
he was going to get jumpy, he was so adorable. No wonder they wanted to touch him. In about 15 seconds he had enough and he snapped but didn't bite.
I will get a muzzle tomorrow, and will have to tell people not to touch for now. I gave a level 4 correction and he put his head down low.
Does this posture mean that the level of correction is appropriate? I do not want to hurt him but this behavior is not acceptable,
adjusted or not.
We also need to give him ear drops, mouth wash, will have to start brushing teeth etc. As of now, he lets me wipe his eyes with a kleenex, and
brush his ears outside. I managed to give him eardrops, but he needs to be cleaned out big time. I am afraid that he will bite, and I am the top dog at home.
I don't want him to know that I am scared. I would like to think that he is progressing in this area as well as in the others, but I don't want to delude myself and get bitten.
He still does not know us and needs time to adjust.
My hubby would be much better as a top dog with his voice and strength, but it is obvious that he listens to me more than to him. He will always come to me when I call but not to him,
unless I am not there.
He knows sit, so when he is not paying attention, I give him a correction (probably level 3) and that works.

Am I on the right track? He is easy going and comes to follow us or sleeps when we are not paying attention to him.
He does not run away and stays with us when we go out. He does not snap at dogs and he seems to love them no matter the size.
We went shoping at Petsmart today and he did just fine. It is only people that this is happening to. I guess this is the reason his revious family gave him up now
and they had him since he was a puppy.

Please reply to this posting, as I am almost desperate to turn him into a good dog.
Any chance anyone?
thanks

By the way, I forgot to mention in my previous posting, that when we adopted him, we received stuff that belonged to him, including some small chew bones, with the instructions that he may become protective of things he believes to be his. When we got home, we gave him the bone to chew on, at least that would keep his teeth in check while he does not allow us to brush. Oh boy, did he get protective. That does not describe the situation at all. He would hold his head over the bone and visibly he was ready to defend it at ANY cost. Our apartment is not big and we have to be able to walk around and get on with things. He snapped at my hubby's feet as he passed him. He may have scared him, coming from behind and his hair is covering half his eyes, I don't know, maybe he didn't see it coming.
We could not move the bone, didn't even think about getting close to it. During feeding time when he left it, we removed it and never gave it back. So that part of the problem is solved.
I wish he would just chew it up and get over it. I gave him a tennis ball and he could not care less. I put a treat in front of him on the floor and moved it with his brush while I was grooming him. He was looking straight at it, but never exhibited the same behavior. He just didn't care.
He takes treats out of my hand, and I can refill his food bowl while he is eating. I will not put my hand in there when he eats, but I needed to pick up some kibbles from the floor that I dropped around the bowl.
Are we in trouble?

thanks again

Ok, lets see here. I hate to say it but I am almost willing to bet I can even tell you what color cocker it is just from what you have said here, this behavior is common in all cockers, but specifically moreso in the blondes.

If you are going to take the dog in public I recommend a basket style muzzle, better circulation of air.

Again, if you are afraid of him biting you while you are trying to groom him it is probably better to muzzle him, but when first getting him used to it, put the muzzle on and just go for a walk, or do something the dog likes. I am guessing if he is 7.5 and has been professionally groomed he has had a muzzle on before. Chances are, he isn't going to like it and will fight you while putting it on.

So far as the "he has never bitten anyone" comment, well, I used to make my living grooming dogs that had "never bitten anyone" and if they are willing to snap, they are willing to bite. If I had a dollar for every one that did bite me....well we all know how that saying goes. It is just a matter of timing. Muzzling a dog will often calm the dog,(after they learn you are not going clip toenails or pluck ears every time they see the muzzle) but sometimes it won't. You still need to keep the ears cleaned out, and you have to do what you have to do.

So far as brushing the dogs teeth.... I would skip that for a while if you value your fingers. Puncture wounds are particularly painful especially in the fingers where you have all those wonderful nerves.

At 7.5 the perception that he can growl over what is "his" may not ever be resolved. If it were me, I would not give him things to think were his. This is where people with small/medium breeds get into trouble by not training their dogs. They would never allow this type of behavior out of a big dog, but if you look at the bite statistics, cockers are pretty high up there.

So far as telling you what "level" correction over the net, I don't think any of us can. In order to do that we have to be speaking in the same terms and what is a level 4 to one person, is a level 10 to another. I would recommend taking the dog to a trainer, even a group OB class at this age, to get some guidance and help you 2 bond. Oh, and take Dear Hubby along.

You have had the dog 2 days. When I bring a foster in I don't start "training" the dog for at least a month outside of basic house manners and addressing and behavioral concerns such as food/toy possesion. I give the dog time to adjust to the schedule(schedules are VERY important with rescues) and play games that help with the bonding process, you want to set the dog up to win as much as possible.

I don't see mention of a crate in your posts. Has the dog been crate trained in the past? I strongly recommend a crate for any dog as most will like to have their own safe place to call home. Plus, if the dog goes to the groomer or the vet he will likely have to be crated at some point. Better for all if he is used to the idea.

You've only had the dog two days..and given the background information you were provided..this dog was given up because of the dog's obvious ill temper.
If you intend upon keeping this dog..SLOW DOWN! Your going way too fast!
Start with the basics..crate training. This or any new dog (especially one who has been given up because of ill temper / behavior issues) must have the opportunity to slowly relearn what is acceptable and what is not!
I would not give the dog any toys, chews or anything else that would stimulate the dog into past behavior. Don't create a past situation which allows the dog to fall into past behavior.
I would also have a vet do a complete physicial examination to determine if there are any medical factors that may/may not be contributing to the temperment issue.

I'm in agreement with the advice you've already received. Establishing a routine with the new dog is the first, most important step in helping a rescue adjust to a new home. Crate training is not a bad idea at all, either. I also agree that you should not give the dog anything that he will become protective of.

I'd say, in order of importance, 1. Get him on a consistent routine, 2. buy a basket muzzle, and 3. sign up for an obedience class.

Thank you for all your replies. The possessiveness issue has beentemporarily resolved almost immeditely by removing the chew bone. I tried to give a tennis ball instead but he didn't seem to care. I was told never to give him any bone type chews.

We reviewed the video about 7 times in 2 days and searched the archives for advice. It seems that I need to learn more than the dog. I want to do it right and I am sure we will make mistakes. One thing that I take very seriously is to follow advice on making sure that the dog will never even think about snapping. Yes, we bought a crate right away, and no, he has never been in a crate. Also bought the muzzle but for now we are not able to get close to the face. Well, the instructions tell that it is very easy to put on but I will have to see. I will let him sniff it first, then I try to put it on?

According to the rescuer, the dog let her clean the ears after about a week and she asked us to wait at least that long.

I really thank you for helping me out here. We were very surprized to see the dog's behavior after we got him home. Had we seen it earlier, we would not have taken the dog. As for training, we thought that since he already was trained on basic commands, we at least wanted to maintain him on that level. We only do sits in front and in the elevator, at the crossings and that is all, because he does not seem to be excited to do anything at all and I can't blame him. He lost a family and a rescue within a month.

We decided that the furniture is off limits to prevent territory issues.
The food is down only for a half an hour in the morning and in the evening.
We eat first, then he is fed. We do not give in to begging. Low ranking dogs eat last.
We walk him at the same time every day.
We keep a short 1' long leash attached to the collar in case we need to control him. the long leash attached was too confusing since he already knows that it means going out.
We let him be and try to not give him a reason to show teeth (petting, touching , etc.).

According to the articles about fear biting dogs, I was supposed to get a prong collar. The cashier at Petsmart did not sell it to me, instead she got me to talk to the trainer. I didn't know they had trainers. It is not recommended to take classes until the dog is trained on basic obedience.

The crate:
It is in the living room. I got the wire type and covered the back half with a sheet. The water is left in the back and that is where we put the food bowl when it is time to feed.
Food is not left there all day. Instead there are bits of treats that he can get if he decides to go in. So far there is not much success. We praise him immensly when he finally goes in to even drink. He was running out the first time he went in. Now he can eat there but does not finish all the food probably due to depression so the bacon bits are not very interesting at the moment either.
During the day he sleeps on the floor. He doesn't seem to mind when we get him off the couch.
During the night he stays in the bedroom so we can have our guinea pigs run free. We prefer that he sleep in the crate but for now he won't. One of the books says that we should vary the room every night in which he sleeps to take away all kinds of control to prevent territory issues. We will try that tonight but I am afraid he will be crying. What do I do then? I will jsut hug him to show that he is in a safe place, but will that teach him that crying is OK? Or do I scold and ignore him but for how long? The neighbors will not love us if he gets too noisy and I know he can.

Today I went out alone to see if he would mind. My hubby stayed at home but they ignore each other most of the time. The dog was not crying, just barked at a stranger who walked by, once. Apparently they worked it out, he stopped barking when he was asked. He was happy when I got home.

Sometimes he sits in front of me pawing my hand asking me something. This is another thing I read that I should ignore. He should not get control over what he wants but should get what we think he should. Is this correct? I got this from a book today that I read at Petsmart. This has also to do with control. I really feel sorry for him and to go trough all the changes; I would be sad too.

Can an adult dog be crate trained and is it different from training a puppy? My guess is that it is different. Any pointers on that turf?

thanks

As I said in my earlier post..SLOW DOWN. Don't be in such a hurry to clean ears, brush, muzzel, prong collar or anything else for that matter. You've only had the dog for a couple of days! Give this dog a little breathing room to become accustomed to you and new home life.

First and foremost; the crate training is number one for education. Place the crate in one area of your house and leave it there. When you want the dog in the crate; lead it to the crate and use the same phase..ie--"dog's name"..time to go to your room or whatever you want to say. If the dog balks at going into the crate; gently apply forward pressure at the collar area and gently put the dog into the crate while you are talking to the dog using the dogs'name. Never use a scolding tone..always a happy tone. When the dog is in the crate; quietly close the door and latch it. Say "dogs' name" and praise the dog quietly.
The dog may cry..the dog may bark..walk away and stay out of sight for a minimum of 30 minutes. After that; go back to the room where the dog is and happily greet the dog, open the crate, short leash the dog and allow the dog to walk out of the crate. Practice this thruout the day if you have the opportunity to be home for the day. I would not keep any food or drink in the crate for free choice. Place the food in the crate; call the dog to the crate and using the same phrase that you have established with prior practice; put the dog in the crate and close the door. Allow 30 minutes for the dog to eat; take the dog out of the crate, allow the dog to drink and outside to potty. At night; use the same phrase; put the dog in the crate for bedtime, turn off the lights and say good night.
Do not allow other people to pet the dog at this point in time. I would not advise any type of muzzel or prong collar. Simply...slow down and start with basic obedience. Give yourself and the dog some breathing room..time is on your side if you just take advantage of it.

It is amazing. We did exactly like you said, Barbara. We got him into the crate without any difficulty. He was so peaceful and quiet, I think he even fell asleep. We did 45 minutes and I thank you for the excellent instructions. That is all I needed. It is so much different to read about it than to actually do it. I really do not want to make too many mistakes but I am sure we will.
I will depend on some guidance from other more experienced dog owners.
Thanks again

Well, with the muzzle business, it is kind of late. I read on many places that we should get a muzzle asap. We managed to put it on, he did not show teeth, although he tried to avoid it. We took him for a ride than for a walk. He looked so sad, I cried all the way in the car. But I guess it is better to cry now than in a lawsuit. He didn't exactly get used to it in one try, but at least I know we can manage to use it if we have to (at the vet or at the groomer).

He is really great and he is warming up nicely. We will take it slow and I am still on vacation, my hubby works from home. Each time there is a small stride I am greatful that we will have a great dog. Yes, only time will do that. I appreciate all comments and would rather be called stupid than not ask and damage the dog we already love.

Last night we fed him in the crate for a half an hour, then took him for a walk. He slept all night quietly in the closed crate. This morning we fed him breakfast in his crate again and he didn't need the push to get in. I am surprized becasue the previous owner said that he was never crated and didn't think he would do well. You could never tell that he has never been crate trained.
I can't take credit for something that came for him so naturally. I am just amazed.

Should I wake him up if he sleeps on the floor during the day and walk him into the crate, or should I just leave it and have him sleep in there only at night?
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If it were me, I would have him kennel up a couple of times during the day, not just at night.