# cocker spaniel biting



## rich33cannell (Jan 18, 2008)

i have a 2 year old boy golden cocker spaniel which we have had since a puppy. in the last month he has become very aggresive only towards my eldest son. he has bitten him on a few occasions. is this common in this breed or can anybody suggest what i can do to get rid of this problem thanks


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## Jenny Olley (Nov 2, 2007)

This is obviously a very serious problem and you need some professional help fast, ask at your vet to see if they can recommend anyone. There is something called rage syndrome, or to give it its scientific name idiopathic aggression, which can effect some dogs including solid colour cockers, but there are lots of other reasons a dog bites, so don't jump to any conclusions.


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## carol (Nov 2, 2007)

rich33cannell said:


> i have a 2 year old boy golden cocker spaniel which we have had since a puppy. in the last month he has become very aggresive only towards my eldest son. he has bitten him on a few occasions. is this common in this breed or can anybody suggest what i can do to get rid of this problem thanks


was your son running round at the time? as cocokers bite the back of the ankles they used to to get the animals moving used to know one that did this when got excited

if not i would get your son to walk him and feed him and he be the carer for him, and do some training with the dog so the dog know your son is the boss.

also might be what jenny said 
hope it works out


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## andrea 35 (Nov 22, 2007)

unfortunatly rage as the other person said is quite common in cockers and more so in the solid coloured ones . Its just one of thoes things and you never know at birth if they will devellop it but a good breeder will do there best not to breed if this is a known factor in either the dog or the bitch . You may find an experienced breeder or rescue place may give you some good advise on if this can be sorted out or you may just end up with a grouchy dog that you never know when its going to bite. I know a few cockers 2 all black and one roan and i must say the one black one is lovely not a bad bone in his body but the other one is a right grumpy guss and wont give you the time of day. A bit like people i guess good and bad in all , I hope you sort this out it was one of the reasons we never got a cocker because it would be your worst nightmare to find you end up with a dog you cant trust .


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## Jenny Olley (Nov 2, 2007)

I wouldn't call rage syndrome common in cockers, but it does occur,in my opinion it is over diagnosed, when actually it is something else causing the dog to bite.


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## auntyhen (May 18, 2008)

I have friends who have just got an adorable 6 month old black spaniel cross from rescue, and was concerned to hear he had attacked them without warning when a bone he had been given was removed. I am heartily hoping it is a dominance issue over food but was concerned by the severity of the attack and the description of his eyes going blue ( they are brown) and him seeming a bit dazed when he finally calmed down, after they had prevented him getting at them any more. 
I researched spaniel rage on the Internet and was struck by some similarities with descriptions of true spaniel Rage syndrome, which apparently is rare but a real condition, and my personal experience in a specail school. I had a lovely lad, normally of sweet temperament, who could not be around any dangling chords - unfortunately no one told me until I came to work wearing a crochet jacket with long tie cords at the neck. As he flew at me out of the blue and grabbed the cords so tight he was strangling me, the look in his eyes was pure fear, not aggression at all. He was eventually MRI scanned and diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy. With appropriate medication his strange fits, for that is what they were, ceased. 
I read temporal lobe epilepsy is one suspect in causes of Rage syndrome, and as Impulse control is in the temporal lobe, it seems reasonable any epilepsy in that area might cause instant rages, triggered by whatever stress was also present.
I would be very interested to hear how this spaniel's situation has progressed, and just hope my friends pup, which I mind during the day, has behavioural rather than medical issues. So far it has been an isolated incident, not witnessed by me.


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## Paula C (Mar 25, 2008)

I have a 6 year old spaniel and have never had any problems with her she hardly even growls except when theres food involved  so can't really offer u advice but hope u get the problems sorted soon


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