# Help! Cocker Spaniel shows aggression after neutrering



## Pawsandunwind (Jan 2, 2012)

Hi, We had our 9 month old cocker spaniel neutered yesterday and today he has just been aggresive towards our son. 
He has always been a very very affectionate loveable dog who has been great around our children. We were watching televison and he was asleep, my son moved from the settee to the floor quite loudly and our cocker spaniel went as if to attack him and nearly bit him! 
He is fine now and luckily didn't make contact with our son but it has really shocked me and I am now worried as I have heard about cocker rage syndrome. 
Is it likely that he is in pain and thats why he did it or would you think it was something more serious.

I am really worried as he has been a joy to own for the past 7 months and has fitted in with our family so well and been so affectionate.

Has anyone had experience of this before after neutering?
Thanks for any help
Janet


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## springerpete (Jun 24, 2010)

I've never had any experience of this myself, I've always had ' Full' dogs. but I might hazard a guess that your young dog is not feeling at his best just now, give him a little space for a few days and keep an eye on him.


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## XxZoexX (Sep 8, 2010)

I would think asPete says he's not feeling too great and may be a little offish, which I can understand. Dogs can't tell you it hurts unfortunately 
Id make sure he has plenty of room to recover in peace..Poor thing must be uncomfortable


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## Pawsandunwind (Jan 2, 2012)

Thanks for the quick replies they are very much appreciated. I am really hoping that it is because he is uncomfortable and in pain. I have had so much conflicting advice about neutering and now feel I should have left him entire as we had no issues with him!!
Thanks
Janet


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## springerpete (Jun 24, 2010)

XxZoexX said:


> I would think asPete says he's not feeling too great and may be a little offish, which I can understand. Dogs can't tell you it hurts unfortunately
> Id make sure he has plenty of room to recover in piece.. Poor thing must be uncomfortable


Hi Zoe, Hells bells, I'd probably feel a bit miffed if I'd had the same done to me...........


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## XxZoexX (Sep 8, 2010)

Hi Pete  .. I bet you would :lol:

Op I don't know what the recovery rate is as I've steered away from "the op" with Jack.hopefully someone who does will be along soon but I'm guessing at only a day later painand the grumps may be normal.
Hope he's back to himself soon


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Pawsandunwind said:


> Hi, We had our 9 month old cocker spaniel neutered yesterday and today he has just been aggresive towards our son.
> He has always been a very very affectionate loveable dog who has been great around our children. We were watching televison and he was asleep, my son moved from the settee to the floor quite loudly and our cocker spaniel went as if to attack him and nearly bit him!
> He is fine now and luckily didn't make contact with our son but it has really shocked me and I am now worried as I have heard about cocker rage syndrome.
> Is it likely that he is in pain and thats why he did it or would you think it was something more serious.
> ...


If you only had him neutered yesterday the drugs and anesthetic can take a good while to work through his system if its only just been over 24/36 hrs he could still not be feeling himself. Its possible he still has some pain and discomfort especially if they didnt give you any painkillers the injection they usually give may be beginning to wear off.

If the dog was asleep and maybe even in a deeper sleep then usual after all of the stress of yesterday and the drugs and been shocked awake when your son noiseily landed next to him on the floor, it was probably just that he was shocked awake, didnt know what happened and where he was and lunged. An understandable reflex.

If its a total one off and in the circumstances if it were me I wouldnt be panicking
at all at the moment to be honest. I would say while he is recovering just make sure you give him that little bit of extra space and thought when approaching and especially when he is asleep at the moment.
If he has got some pain and discomfort it may make him a little bit more snappy then usual. Once he has healed a bit more he will likely be back to himself,
just exercise a bit more caution then normal until then.


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## rose (Apr 29, 2009)

Hes probably just sore and confused, bless. Hope he feels back to normal tomorrow. Out of interest, 9 months seems quite young to neuter, was he a bit of a handful ??


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## Pawsandunwind (Jan 2, 2012)

Thanks for all comments I am more reassured now that he is probably just in pain. I have spoken to my children and advised them to be quiter and more cautious around him till he feels better. 
We have had loads of differing advice about when to neuter, the vet wanted us to have him done at 6 months!! 
We have a labrador as well who is 19 months old who we had decided to have done so decided to take them in at the same time. (I really hope we haven't made a mistake having him done too young!)
He is a typical spaniel as he is lively and mischievous but has not been badly behaved before now.
Thanks again
Janet


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

the big problem with post-desex males, especially those over 4-MO & under 5-YO, is keeping him 
QUIET & exercising him on-leash only, with no jumping or running, for 7 to 10-days post-op. 

i've seen plenty of male pups & male dogs who wanted to race, play frisbee, etc, the day after - 
which is DEFINITELY not on the post-op care sheet! :laugh:

most males don't need pain-meds after desex, & the younger they are when the op is done, 
the less post-op pain they have, too.



Pawsandunwind said:


> ...I am more reassured now that he is probably just [sore]. I've spoken to my children & advised them
> to be [quieter] & more cautious around him, till he feels better.


how old are the children? 
Kids under 7-YO are not rational yet, & cannot be relied upon to understand consequences.

7 is the approx AGE OF REASON - the ability to use basic logic; but with any child under double-digits, 
i wouldn't advice leaving girls under 10-YO or in many cases, *boys under 12-YO* unsupervised 
with any dog, no matter how well-trained, friendly, etc, the dog; the kids can do something that 
in their minds, is perfectly OK, but which scares, hurts, startles, etc, the dog - & bad things happen, 
very quickly. 


Pawsandunwind said:


> We've had loads of differing advice about when to neuter, the vet wanted [to desex] him... at 6 months!


i just can't work-up a good "shock" over this, :lol: - 6-MO has been the standard in the USA 
since approx 1962.

pubertal-desex at 6-MO avoids the intensification of male-hormone driven obnoxious behaviors, 
which begins fairly-mildly around 12-WO, is in full swing by 6-MO, & intensifies enormously 
between 7-MO & 10-MO; male-pups at 10-MO have approx FIVE TIMES TO 7-TIMES the testosterone 
of an intact-male dog who's 12 to 15-MO. That's why every other dog hassles them, why they hump 
madly, why they flirt with every female intact or not, why they bully younger pups & smaller males, etc... 
it's that huge surge in male-hormones which peaks around 9 to 10-MO, & is never as high again 
in the intact-male dog's life.


Pawsandunwind said:


> I really hope we haven't made a mistake, having him done too young!


probably Billions - not 'millions' - of male-pups have been desexed at 6-MO, not only in the USA 
since 1962, but around the world in many, many countries.

i'd never heard of 6-MO being "too young", supposedly, until the past 2 to 3-years, when mandatory S/N 
became a political hot-button for AKC breeders in the USA, & they began to drive the accepted age 
of desex up, or even began to claim that desex at ANY AGE is 'bad' for dogs of either sex... 
which IMO is simply ludicrous. 

the claim that shy-males NEED their testes is another i'd never heard before, until i joined PF-uk; 
i think that's equally silly & groundless, since i've worked with extremely-fearful dogs including 
feral pups & semi-feral adults [males], all of whom were desexed as soon as they were healthy, 
& all of whom got **better** - not the predicted 'worse' meaning more fearful, 
'despite' the desex-op.  They were all placed in adoptive homes, & continued to improve, 
so long as the adopters continued the B-Mod.


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## RAINYBOW (Aug 27, 2009)

leashedForLife said:


> the big problem with post-desex males, especially those over 4-MO & under 5-YO, is keeping him
> QUIET & exercising him on-leash only, with no jumping or running, for 7 to 10-days post-op.
> 
> i've seen plenty of male pups & male dogs who wanted to race, play frisbee, etc, the day after -
> ...


I disagree with this, the childs experience and personality should take precedence over a specific age. My 5 and 8 year old are totally trustworthy round dogs and i would trust them implicitly not to do something stupid. It totally depends on the individual child


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

RAINYBOW said:


> I disagree... the child's experience & personality should take precedence over a specific age.
> My [5-YO is] totally trustworthy round dogs & i would trust [my child] implicitly not to do something stupid.
> It totally depends on the individual child


i wouldn't advise any parent or caregiver to leave young children, specifically under 10-YO, 
unsupervised with any pet - even the family dog - UNLESS YOU ARE SURE that the 7-YO & older child 
is extremely responsible, careful, understands that dogs have feelings, etc.

please see the number of tropical-fish who were _*flushed*_ after kids saw "Finding Nemo" 
in the theatre - some of those children were over-10-YO, but the fish went down the toilet, anyway. 

also see 
Living with Kids and Dogs [book & website]

Doggone Safe - Home website

Analysis of Dog Bites in Children Who Are Younger Than 17 Years - research paper re a study


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## Spellweaver (Jul 17, 2009)

RAINYBOW said:


> I disagree with this, the childs experience and personality should take precedence over a specific age. My 5 and 8 year old are totally trustworthy round dogs and i would trust them implicitly not to do something stupid. It totally depends on the individual child


I agree. It doesn't matter how many websites etc someone quotes, going on averages is pretty silly. I've ssen six year olds who are more mature and trustworthy around dogs than some teenagers. As you say, it depends on the individual child.


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## RAINYBOW (Aug 27, 2009)

leashedForLife said:


> i wouldn't advise any parent or caregiver to leave young children, specifically under 10-YO,
> unsupervised with any pet - even the family dog - UNLESS YOU ARE SURE that the 7-YO & older child
> is extremely responsible, careful, understands that dogs have feelings, etc.
> 
> ...




Granny sucking eggs  I have a 2 page risk assesment on the subject 

I was more making the point that it is dangerous to put an "age limit" on it rather than suggesting younger children are ok.

I know plenty of 14/15 year old girls i wouldn't dream of leaving Oscar alone with because of their propensity to scream at any dog within a 5 mile radius :yikes:

However yes i trust my kids 100% in how they are round dogs "now" because they have been taught. All kids in my care are taught exactly how to behave round dogs, my livelihood and the life of my dog depends on it because in my job 1 mistake and Oscar is a gonner so i can't afford to be lax in that area.

Thats not to say i would leave the kids i look after alone with any dog but thats just basic common sense in my profession. 

In the OPs instance though sounds very much like a poorly dog feeling vulnerable and understandably acting out of character.


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

as both the 5-YO child AND the dog are Ur own, Rainy, 
U don't have the potential risk of advising other adults re their dog or child[ren], 
or their child[ren] with other folk's dog, or their dog with another's kid.

it does simplify things remarkably, tho. :laugh:

that said, i have yet to meet ANY 5-YO child of either sex, that i'd leave with any pet of mine - 
no matter how friendly, child-safe, etc, as i wouldn't trust a 5-YO not to accidentally injure 
a pet, or startle, etc. That includes nieces & nevvies, kids i've tutored, children i've babysat, & more - 
not ONE 5-YO would pass my criteria for _"safe to be left with a pet for 30-secs, 
unsupervised"._ but that's me, my family, neighbors, students, & so on - & MY pets, 
or THEIR pets, it wouldn't matter.


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## RAINYBOW (Aug 27, 2009)

leashedForLife said:


> as both the 5-YO child AND the dog are Ur own, Rainy,
> U don't have the potential risk of advising other adults re their dog or child[ren],
> or their child[ren] with other folk's dog, or their dog with another's kid.
> 
> ...




Wow you must know some pretty unruly children :yikes:

Wish i could get some decent footage of my 5 year old training with Oscar, i might just change your mind. I have looked after others of this age who i would trust also but again i reinterate it isn't about AGE it is about the individual child.

You do know what i do for a living don't you ???  Think i might just trump you on the experience front  and it isn't just with my own dog because i walk every working day with toddlers/ pre schoolers and school age kids and sometimes up to 4 other dogs and their owners meeting all sorts of new dogs along the way :yikes:


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