I think people will want some more details. How old are they? What kind of training have they had? How much exercise do they get? What changed in your living circumstances or environment two months ago? Have you worked with the behaviorist at the day care, and what is the diagnosis?
Please help.
I have two male one-year old cocker spaniels, they have always been unruly but with training from 8 weeks old they were getting to be very good. However in the last 2 months they have gone from bad to worse, they are ignoring all commands, they won't come to me or my partner. They fight and fight and fight morning until night, it is taking an effect on us mentally. Climbing on my furniture, such as a bench and their crate - just standing on these things. Running up my walls, destroying everything that comes into their path. Telling them off just makes them more excited and so it continues more. The more they are told off the more they do it.
One of them is a bully, who is preventing the other from playing with his toys, food, water and having affection. They fight until one is hurt but this doesn't seem to affect them and it continues. They pace and pace and pace the floors. They have now resorted to bullying me, walking around me constantly in circles. They get more than adequate exercise, they have plenty of toys and mental stimulation.
I am at a loss with what to do with them, they have a behaviourist at day care who is brilliant but I don't see any improvement with them. They have me in tears every day, I'm at my wits end with them. They are acting like two stray animals that have never stepped foot inside a house.
I raised them with love and compassion to the boys now treating me like I'm nothing to them and have no respect whatsoever. Is there any advice anyone could give me on what I could do to bring back their positive behaviour? I feel like my dogs have been replaced by someone else's and they are making me feel incredibly uncomfortable in my own home.
Any advice would be well received. Thank you.
One of them is a bully, who is preventing the other from playing with his toys, food, water and having affection. They fight until one is hurt but this doesn't seem to affect them and it continues. They pace and pace and pace the floors. They have now resorted to bullying me, walking around me constantly in circles. They get more than adequate exercise, they have plenty of toys and mental stimulation.
I am at a loss with what to do with them, they have a behaviourist at day care who is brilliant but I don't see any improvement with them. They have me in tears every day, I'm at my wits end with them. They are acting like two stray animals that have never stepped foot inside a house.
I raised them with love and compassion to the boys now treating me like I'm nothing to them and have no respect whatsoever. Is there any advice anyone could give me on what I could do to bring back their positive behaviour? I feel like my dogs have been replaced by someone else's and they are making me feel incredibly uncomfortable in my own home.
Any advice would be well received. Thank you.
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Where are your two kept while you are out at work, how much freedom do they get?
We have 2 Cocker Spaniel litter sisters who are now 5 years old, we are retied and the two girls are with us all of the time. They are never locked up or shut away , they have complete freedom all of the time. They are completely settled in our home. They are also raw fed (which apparently can create better settled minds and not so hyperactive)
Do you have the English Cockers, (working type or show type) or maybe the American Cockers ?
We have 2 Cocker Spaniel litter sisters who are now 5 years old, we are retied and the two girls are with us all of the time. They are never locked up or shut away , they have complete freedom all of the time. They are completely settled in our home. They are also raw fed (which apparently can create better settled minds and not so hyperactive)
Do you have the English Cockers, (working type or show type) or maybe the American Cockers ?
At that age, you've got the dog equivalent of two teenagers in the house. As long as you keep working at their training, giving them the time to finish growing up should help.
Telling them off is only going to make them act out more because any feedback is usually more interesting than none - you'd probably have better luck quietly redirecting them to desired behaviour and preempting undesirable behaviour by spending more time having them actively engaged with you.Telling them off just makes them more excited and so it continues more. The more they are told off the more they do it.
Were they littermates? If so, it's fairly typical for one to be dominant and the other quite withdrawn by comparison, which is a condition known as 'littermate syndrome'.One of them is a bully, who is preventing the other from playing with his toys, food, water and having affection.
Generally speaking, this doesn't sound like the behaviours of dogs who get adequate exercise and mental stimulation. If what you're seeing is truly overstimulation (not lack of exercise/engagement), you've got the challenges of teaching them impulse control and relaxation to look forward to. There are a couple good videos for teaching those subjects that other members have links to - hopefully they'll post them.They pace and pace and pace the floors. They have now resorted to bullying me, walking around me constantly in circles. They get more than adequate exercise, they have plenty of toys and mental stimulation.
My apologies, they are 1 years of age. They are brothers. Nothing has changed, we live in the same home, we have the same working routines. I haven't worked with them directly no.
They have always been in a routine, they are always at home with me for 5 days. I take them out as much as possible as I have work to do in my study. They used to sit in my office with me and relax but now they don't. They have the run of the house, they sleep on the crate during the night as one of them is extremely hyperactive and doesn't sleep. I walked them for 8 hours on a hike and they were still running up the walls and misbehaving so I don't feel like exercise is the issue.
They go to day care when I am at work, they are out from 8-6 as I return home at 8pm. They go there 3 days a week and go out walking with us on the weekends.
Only yesterday did they set about me attempting to attack myself by circling and pushing me over and continued to lean on me and snap at my face which resulted in me physically restraining them. Something I very much did not want to but had no choice. Would a different dog training centre be able to help me out? I need to do something as they are out of control.
I understand the teenage phase dogs go through but I feel like something more is going on with them and I need to help them.
I appreciate all feedback.
They have always been in a routine, they are always at home with me for 5 days. I take them out as much as possible as I have work to do in my study. They used to sit in my office with me and relax but now they don't. They have the run of the house, they sleep on the crate during the night as one of them is extremely hyperactive and doesn't sleep. I walked them for 8 hours on a hike and they were still running up the walls and misbehaving so I don't feel like exercise is the issue.
They go to day care when I am at work, they are out from 8-6 as I return home at 8pm. They go there 3 days a week and go out walking with us on the weekends.
Only yesterday did they set about me attempting to attack myself by circling and pushing me over and continued to lean on me and snap at my face which resulted in me physically restraining them. Something I very much did not want to but had no choice. Would a different dog training centre be able to help me out? I need to do something as they are out of control.
I understand the teenage phase dogs go through but I feel like something more is going on with them and I need to help them.
I appreciate all feedback.
They are working English cocker spanielsWhere are your two kept while you are out at work, how much freedom do they get?
We have 2 Cocker Spaniel litter sisters who are now 5 years old, we are retied and the two girls are with us all of the time. They are never locked up or shut away , they have complete freedom all of the time. They are completely settled in our home. They are also raw fed (which apparently can create better settled minds and not so hyperactive)
Do you have the English Cockers, (working type or show type) or maybe the American Cockers ?
What was the diagnosis from the behaviorist at the day care?
From what you've said, it seems:
1. The dogs have received no training.
2. The dogs don't get enough physical exercise
3. You have made no mention of giving the dogs mental stimulation. I think the chances are good that they don't get enough mental stimulation.
All these could contribute to what humans perceive as misbehaviors.
From what you've said, it seems:
1. The dogs have received no training.
2. The dogs don't get enough physical exercise
3. You have made no mention of giving the dogs mental stimulation. I think the chances are good that they don't get enough mental stimulation.
All these could contribute to what humans perceive as misbehaviors.
If what you are talking about is mental stimulation games such as puzzle toys, finding toys and treats, and food games then yes they do get mental stimulation. The dogs have received training from a puppy school in my home town and through behaviour training with their day care centre.
I have no diagnosis due to the behaviour currently being addressed and as far as I know they are as good as gold. They get more than enough physical exercise in my opinion, I can not be out of the house every minute of every day with them.
May I ask if you are an expert? If so, can you steer me in a direction other than assuming that these things are not done?
I have no diagnosis due to the behaviour currently being addressed and as far as I know they are as good as gold. They get more than enough physical exercise in my opinion, I can not be out of the house every minute of every day with them.
May I ask if you are an expert? If so, can you steer me in a direction other than assuming that these things are not done?
How much time have you spent working with each puppy individually? What you are describing is a textbook case of what is known (anecdotally) as 'littermate syndrome'. It tends to happen when two littermates, or otherwise similarly aged puppies, are raised together without having the majority of their time spent apart. They end up bonding more strongly with each other than with their humans, which can cause behavioral problems (especially when social/sexual maturity hits, which is exactly where your boys are now). Going to 'daycare' could be exacerbating your issues, as it leads to entire days of overstimulation for both puppies. Are they altered? If not, that will further exacerbate the problems you're facing here. (Not that neutering is a magical wand that will eliminate behavioral problems, but, in this case, being intact could be a contributing factor)
My suggestion? Separate the two dogs. Work with each one as an individual. Separate walks. Separate daily training. Spend more time working on settling exercises such as Karen Overall's Relaxation Protocol, and less time walking/playing/physically exercising them. IF (and that's a big 'if') they continue to go to daycare, make absolutely they are NOT in the same group. Alternate days, so when one is at daycare, the other one is home for you to work with as an individual.
Honestly, my first suggestion would be to return one of them to the breeder (or otherwise rehome, if the breeder is unable/unwilling to take him back. It happens with less than stellar breeders, which I suspect these boys came from, since NO experienced & reputable breeder would sell two same sex puppies to an inexperienced home) and concentrate your efforts on the one remaining puppy. In another year or two, you can consider adding another pup to your family mix, but these two, right now? Not a good situation.
I'm sorry if these things are not what you want to hear...
My suggestion? Separate the two dogs. Work with each one as an individual. Separate walks. Separate daily training. Spend more time working on settling exercises such as Karen Overall's Relaxation Protocol, and less time walking/playing/physically exercising them. IF (and that's a big 'if') they continue to go to daycare, make absolutely they are NOT in the same group. Alternate days, so when one is at daycare, the other one is home for you to work with as an individual.
Honestly, my first suggestion would be to return one of them to the breeder (or otherwise rehome, if the breeder is unable/unwilling to take him back. It happens with less than stellar breeders, which I suspect these boys came from, since NO experienced & reputable breeder would sell two same sex puppies to an inexperienced home) and concentrate your efforts on the one remaining puppy. In another year or two, you can consider adding another pup to your family mix, but these two, right now? Not a good situation.
I'm sorry if these things are not what you want to hear...
@BKayHol2 just said pretty much what I was going to say. That saved me a lot of typing, thank you.
You mentioned they are working line English Cockers. Unfortunately, ANY kind of working dog is going to have high needs for both physical exercise AND mental stimulation. A lot of people find working line dogs really tough to handle. They don't always make the most peaceful pets, especially if their innate drives aren't being met. As you are thinking about how to deal with your dogs, think about what your dogs are bred to do.
You mentioned your dogs are still a handful after a long day. A Siberian Husky is bred to run for 30 miles at a time pulling a sled. If you want to keep your husky happy, take it on 30 mile runs. In contrast, you don't see a lot of Cockers pulling sleds. They aren't bred to mindlessly run in a straight line for 30 miles. Instead, they are bred to work in coordination with a hunter to find, flush out, and retrieve game birds. To keep your Cocker happy, you need to find activities that combine these drives: the adrenaline rush of running through the woods, the challenge of finding elusive prey, and the joy of partnering with his handler. It sounds like you might be managing the exercise part reasonably, but you need to step up your game as far as providing mental and emotional fulfillment to your pair.
Another thing to remember is that an overtired dog is likely to be an overwound and cranky dog. Have you ever noticed how many ill behaved small children you encounter in grocery stores at the end of the day? They've been at preschool or whatever all day. They are hungry. They are just done in for the day. If you asked them if they are tired and want a nap they'd shriek NO, but really that's what they need.
You mentioned your dogs are still a handful after a long day. A Siberian Husky is bred to run for 30 miles at a time pulling a sled. If you want to keep your husky happy, take it on 30 mile runs. In contrast, you don't see a lot of Cockers pulling sleds. They aren't bred to mindlessly run in a straight line for 30 miles. Instead, they are bred to work in coordination with a hunter to find, flush out, and retrieve game birds. To keep your Cocker happy, you need to find activities that combine these drives: the adrenaline rush of running through the woods, the challenge of finding elusive prey, and the joy of partnering with his handler. It sounds like you might be managing the exercise part reasonably, but you need to step up your game as far as providing mental and emotional fulfillment to your pair.
Another thing to remember is that an overtired dog is likely to be an overwound and cranky dog. Have you ever noticed how many ill behaved small children you encounter in grocery stores at the end of the day? They've been at preschool or whatever all day. They are hungry. They are just done in for the day. If you asked them if they are tired and want a nap they'd shriek NO, but really that's what they need.
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