Why would the Sussex Spaniel start growling and biting after years of doing so well? I went to see gorgeous Bertie four years ago when he was just a year old, before I started writing up my ‘stories’. He is an unusual breed – a Sussex Spaniel. The majority of Read more
It’s clear Marley’s issues are largely to do with breed-related shepherding and guarding instincts. Family members are his flock but he’s without a shepherd to direct him!
His behaviour took a dramatic turn for the worse after he had been left with a dog sitter for a week a couple of years ago. One can fairly safely guess that this person used ‘dominant’, punishment-based methods on him in order to force him to comply.
He has started to bully other dogs on walks.
He will body slam into them, knock them over, stand over them and even pin them down, but he chooses his victims wisely. They are usually older or more timid dogs. A typical teenage bully!
Pebbles is six months old. Her mother is her father’s daughter – which isn’t a good thing! This means her father, a Springer Spaniel, is her grandfather – but fortunately her grandmother was a Border Collie so there are some new genes in the mix.
This escalated until one evening she bit the gentleman.
Soon she was stealing things – usually personal items like underwear and slippers. She nicks them them and takes them into her bed and guards them
In the past, resource guarding Chip has very likely been taught respect for a male owner through fear, and lack of cooperation would end in punishment. Now he is with a man who is gentle, who wants to spoil and cuddle him and who is constantly bribing and treating him with food.
One dog will deliberately stand in a doorway – usually Peaches. Chelsea won’t have this so she too has to stand in the doorway. It’s now a stand-off about ownership of the doorway. This can only end one of two ways. Either Peaches will back down and move away, or there is a fight.
Whether it’s a fight or not depends upon how aroused the dogs are.
Why is Kaloo becoming increasingly aggressive towards the family? It is a difficult situation for Kaloo, a Newfoundland. Until recently he lived with another Newfie and their male owner. Recently they moved in with a lady who has two Springer Spaniels and two children, so two ‘packs’ are merging. Adjusting Read more
Why is Ben so demanding, possessive and difficult to settle in his busy family home? Ben, a somewhat mixed up two-year-old English Bull Terrier, lives in a busy household with four generations of people. Grandad is very old and uses a walking stick around the house that Ben dangerously likes Read more