how to deal with dog agression

[diane]

I have a springer spaniel who just turned 6 and has started displaying odd behavior. If I didn't have small children I wouldn't worry so much. He used to be so good with them, but now I can't trust him around them. If we are all out side playing and they are in his way he will literally run them over and if they don't get out of the way he will repeatedly trample on them. The children are 4 and soon to be 2. He also used to like cats and other dogs, but now chases and goes out to cause pain to other animals, so he can't have free run of the house now, for my cats safety. Cant get anywhere near the pigs thankfully. And now he has started peeing in the house, he is neutered and has been since about the age of 4 months, no puppies for me.

He has always been an anxious dog, cant stop pacing, he will drive himself to foaming at the mouth in less than 5 minutes of being outside.

He has a lot of behavioral issures that I know are my fault for not getting him properly trained. But his behavior just seems to keep escalating. I am just worried about my childrens safety and other pets and kids safety in the neighborhood.

We have had no life changes in over 2 years. His food and everything has stayed the same. I just don't know what made this switch. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. And I do know that this breed is prone to have agression issues, they are more likely to bite then almost any other breed.

[FearThePig]

Your best bet is to take the dog to a vet and get him checked out. He may just feel that he deserves all the attention, or he might have something internal wrong with him.
Sorry i can't be any more help, my cockier spaniel has a few anger issues, like when i go to pick her up, she growls at me.
Does he try to bite you when you go to pet him?

[diane]

no, he doesnt try to bite me or he doesn't growl at me either

[blackarrow]

Definitely get him checked out by a vet, including a thyroid panel. He's of the age to have his thyroid be off, and that can cause many issues that look like aggression. Excess adrenaline production also sounds like it could be an issue, esp. with the anxiety. And the peeing definitely suggests a hormonal issue like thyroid or adrenaline issues.

Behaviorally it sounds to me less like an issue of "training" and more of an issue of not having enough that is appropriate to do. Classes can help in that regard - they give the dog an appropriate outlet for their interests.

Hope that helps.

[ferndalezoo]

Like others have said- any change in behaviour like that warrants a vet trip. Be sure to ask to have a thyroid pannel done. If that checks out okay, I strongly recommend bringing in a behaviourist (this is different from a trainer). Right away, though, I'd institute a system of NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free). Google it for a good description and how-to, but essentially it's a training system where the dog has to work for everything. To get what they want from you (food, attention, trips outside, etc) They must first do something YOU want them to do. It works.

[stafishtaylz]

I know it sounds crazy, but there is actually a thing called 'springer rage.' I have seen it a few times working at the animal emergency hospital (i'm a technician).

In the cases we had the dogs seemed to have 'lost their mind.' They would pace, hyper salivate, seem agitated, bark, bite, snap, etc. Sadly all of the cases I saw ended in euthanasia. Hopefully your dog has something else!

I don't ever remember them having any issues with urinating, but the last case I saw was about 3-4 years ago. I would 100% get him checked out by a vet asap.

Good Luck!

PS, I just did some looking up of springer rage syndrome in some of my vet books. Looks like it can be VERY difficult to diagnose and sometimes is thought to be linked with some type of seizure disorder. They reccommend getting your dog checked out by a vet and possibly following up with a board certified veterinary behaviorist.

[diane]

I had heard of springer rage, I have been trying to find more info on it, just so I know what some of the signs and things like that are. We will definetly be going to the vet soon.

[Wodentoad]

Agreed on the vet, but coming from a long line of trainers, dog training isn't something you send the dog away from, it's a constant reinforcement of approved behavior. If it's not medical, there are a few things that you can do to re-set the dominance tree with the family members on top and the dog on the bottom. Remember that you're a pack.

[JD In Van]

Sadly popular purebreeds have a lot of genetic defects inherent to them. The `Springer rage`being the least of them, depression and puppy mood disorders are all very common in the springer family. We learned this the hard way, I would personally never buy a pure breed (or near pure) dog again after some of the horrible experiences I have had and seen.

Also often your dog regards you as a `bigger dog` in the family hierarchy but your children lower then him/her. We encourage this because we want our dogs to protect our children but it can not be allowed. It's important to establish that ALL family members are superior to the dog in the family hierarchy. Even down to little babies.

[crazywiggy]

Please, please speak to the professioanals.

Get the dog to a vet asap for a full check (as already suggested) and if nothing appears to be medically wrong get the vet to refer you to a qualified behaviourist.

Your dogs welfare and life are at stake here, as is the safety of your children and other pets. It is not worth the risk of relying on a bunch of strangers who have never met your dog.

Personally, I do not think it sounds like "rage" in the slightest. Rage usually presents in otherwise "normal" dogs, who suddenly turn for no apparent reason into biting nutters, then return to normal shortly afterwards.

Don't just assume the old "dominance" myth either - yes, there is such a thing as dominance aggression, but it is not the answer to everything as some tv trainers would have you believe. Quite honestly, there is no pont trying very much until you have had a vet check and a visit from a behaviourist. If you're not careful you could do more harm than good.

Sorry if this sounds really negative, but dog aggression IS best left to the experts. We have not met this dog, nor witnessed its behaviour, so offering training / behaviour advice is just not appropriate.

Good luck.