I just don't know what to do with her :(

[AlittleHelp86]

Sorry as this might be a long one but I don't want to drip feed, and I've name changed for this but I've posted on afew threads on her over the past few months about my little pup and got some great advice when it came to crate training etc, so I'm hoping for a some help/advice now too.

She's a ten month old cocker spaniel and we've had her since last November, had afew issues regarding crate training and house training in the first few months but she's been great and no bother at all in those departments for months now, until recently. This past week she's crapped on the floor three times, and every time it's felt like it's been in protest over her not getting attention when she's wanted it. Twice now I've nipped upstairs to get my DS up from his nap, no longer than ten minutes away from her, but as soon as she hears his voice she starts whining and jumping up at the baby gate that stops her getting upstairs, and both times I've come down to find that she's crapped all over the dining room floor, like ALL over not just one spot, and she has gone straight to her bed and wont even look at me when I come down and see it! She KNOWS she shouldn't be doing it!! It happened today, so the next time I needed to nip upstairs I put her in her crate and then opened her door as soon as I came down, I then popped into the living room to get my sons water cup, (it's all open plan downstairs but living and dining area separated by a large baby gate) so she could see me but was whining because I'd climbed over the gate rather than opening it so she could get in, and she pooed on the floor again right by the gate! She made NO attempt to go to the back door which she usually does every time she needs to go, she's been brilliant at letting us know she needs out for months so I just don't see any other reason to crap on the floor other than to "spite" for not letting her in/come with us as daft as that may sound. I also always let her out before hand if I am going upstairs for a long amount of time, something I've done since she was a pup so she always has the opportunity to go and so I'm not missing her signs that she wants let out.

This problem along with just being needier than my two year old, terrible on her lead which makes walks very stressful especially as I always have to bring my DS along (she's always pulling and wanting to be off, good as gold off her lead mind) and just being hyper ALL of the time unless she's had a good hour an a half walk is just making me feel so down. I feel like she'd be better off with someone else, family members have offered to take her as they have large gardens and other dogs so she'd have a large area to play in, and other dogs and more people to play with and give her attention (currently just me and my son here) but I feel SO guilty about it, she was VERY much wanted but it's all abit too much for me, and I don't know what to do

It doesn't sound like spite. It sounds like separation anxiety. It is fixable, there is plenty of advice on line.

As for being hyper, she's a ten month old cocker! I'm not sure what you expected? She's also a teenager which often means a regression in training.

Rehoming should be an absolute last resort and there's plenty you can try yet.

I have a 9 month old cocker. They are bouncy and need mental stimulation as well as walking. Try and get her to find items like balls that you hide to channel some of that energy. Do you practice obedience tasks at home, like sitting, staying still etc that again tires them out as well as providing a calming affect.

For pulling on the lead, they are known for it as their natural instinct is to hunt from side to side. Nothing you can do except keep trying to train her not to pull.

For the pooing it sounds more likely that she has started getting anxious when you are away. Maybe start to build up the time away from her again, going back and rewarding that behaviour as if she was a very small puppy. Build up that time away slowly making sure you go back frequently and reward etc. You are in the teenage period so expect training regressions and more neediness until it passes. Mine varies between 'stubbornness and forgetting everything he has been taught' to being overly affectionate.

She's certainly not pooing on the floor out of spite, dog's just don't think like that.

It sounds more like she's worried when you leave her. Has she had her first season yet? It's not unusual a bitch to become suddenly very clingy and needy when it's approaching. It's also very common for adolescent dogs to take a backwards step (or several) in various aspects of their training, including house training.

Cockers are very busy dogs, especially the working type (you don't mention in your post which type she is), and need plenty of mental stimulation as well as physical exercise. Stuff like trick training, brain games, body awareness exercises and scentwork will help wear her out just as much, if not more so, than physical exercise alone. If she's fed dry food you can easily turn mealtimes into brain games by using food dispensing toys or even just scattering her food in the garden for her to find.

Having a good "off switch" at home isn't something that comes naturally to some dogs but it is something you can teach. is the first in a series all about teaching hyper dogs to chill out at home, it's well worth watching.

What everyone else said. Also if she's coming into season they can start going indoors, my girl did. It's definitely not spite!