Cockapoo aggressive??

[Alissbeelbals]

Hi I’m new here
I’ve had dogs in the past always terrior types and high energy so not sure if this is normal behaviour for a cockerpoo or very worrying )
I have young children and two are under 5
and our cockerpoo is now two she is quite a anxious dog she looks worried most of the time out walking and is submissive to other dogs and will tuck tail and bum in if approached and tries to run away but as soon as she realise they mean no harm she will play ok with the little ones not so keen on huge dog’s
Anyway she’s always been a bit obsessive over any kind of food and treats from a really early age like even at ten weeeks she’d snarl at the kids if they approached her while having any kind of food/treat she’s done it with the eldest child and myself too it seems to be growling we had some training come and did positive training for the food so she is better than she was and I can walk around and go near the bowl and I keep adding food so she knows
However I feel like she’s not to be trusted and yesterday twice she’s growled and snapped but not bit two of the kids as one of them dropped some food and she was lapping it up and they went near
The other incident was when my elder one loaded the dish washer and food was on a plate she tried licking it of and they tried to tell her to move away hence the snarling back
I just feel worried and I have never had a dog like this , she seems obsessed with food and is never full also she is timid and I panic every time we have guests she is not great with new people and someone’s twelve year old tried to pet her as we were talking and she backed into a corner and started snarling and barking and growling at him luckily he backed away and I’ve made sure she’s away if people come
But I feel bad like I can no longer trust her to be around the children and other friends and she shut away , but at the same time I can’t allow someone to be injured because of her! Do you think this will escalate? Has anyone else been though this kind of thing? Did it get worse? Can I ever trust her? Obviously I’ve consulted trainers and they’ve helped to some extent and said it is fear based, but I myself fear “management “ might fail and one day she might flip? If anyone has any more advice I’d be really grateful
Thanks

She is two, it won't get better without some very serious input from you.

Such young children and a puppy was never going to be a good idea.
They do seem prone to resource guarding. It’s not a trainer you need but a behaviourist.
If she growled and snapped twice yesterday then you are completely failing to manage the behaviour and someone will end up being bitten.

It won't get better on its own - you need to get help from an accredited behaviourist - ideally one that is APDT registered. It won't be cheap and there may be a waiting list due to COVID but the sooner you enquire the better.

A trainer won't be any good when It comes to guarding issues - they help with things like jumping up and walking on a lead.

In the meantime please keep her away from your children unless you can be right there to supervise. A dog that is food aggressive is not safe around kids.

Do you think this will escalate?
disclaimer It’s just my opinion as another owner.
Yes, I think it will definitely escalate.

Has anyone else been though this kind of thing?
I wouldnt keep a dog like this so no.

Did it get worse?
As above

Can I ever trust her?
No.

Cocker spaniels are famous for this kind of behaviour and I hear all the time about this kind of behaviour (guarding and nervousness) from cockerpoos.

Dogs that aggressively guard food are not safe around children.
The dog has already escalated from growling to air snapping and has done it twice in one day.
Sooner or later it will escalate and bite imo.
I wouldn’t keep the dog nor would I pass the problem on by rehoming it.

As many have advised, you need a specialist. Such behavior cannot be tolerated, otherwise everything will only get worse.

There are so many agressive cockapoos ending up in rescues these days. These poor dogs mainly come from puppy farms and unscrupulous breeders. You need a behaviourist ASAP OP and never leave your children unattended with the dog.

The phrase going around is Cockapoo Rage Syndrome. Personally I think the whole thing is overblown. Cockers need a lot of exercise and they need basic training and sensible boundaries. I wish there wasn't so much surprise reaction and more understanding and acceptance that ALL puppies need to play so find them a suitable outlet. This is a sensible article on it

cockapoo.me/cockapoo-rage-syndrome/