18 month old cockapoo bit me

[pamelat]

We have had our cockapoo from 8 weeks old. We did the whole biting puppy bit which was natural etc

I have been a bit concerned that he's still 'mouthy' in excitement but it's not in anger, more play. We are following all the guidance around that.

I have also been a bit worried that since turning one he has growled, predominantly at my husband, if asked to do something he doesn't want to do. Ie. Get off the bed.

I have really told him when he has growled at our children and slapped/tapped his nose for it. With them he seems to have stopped and tolerated them.

He's definitely my dog and prefers me because I walk/feed etc.

He is actually quite anxious if I walk away when out in a family group or if he is taken from me by anyone, but fine once I'm not there or if he is home alone.

This is relevant because today I was taking the children out and my husband was working from home. The dog ran to get in the car with the kids and knew when I took him out that he was staying home. He growled in a grumpy way, and I picked him up and carried him from the car to the house. He carried on growling and i told him no. I think I tapped his nose (this is all quite gentle) and told him off. He lunged at my face aggressively and his teeth made scratches down the side of my nose.

I actually cried in shock and was upset. I put him down and shouted quite loudly at him. He did cower and knew he was in trouble. I made him "go" in the house and left on bad terms with him.

I suppose rather than biting me, he lunged at me with his teeth bared? I am just worried at this unnecessary grumpiness and if he were to do this to the children?

He was probably tired as he had a full fun day of walking with me yesterday, 12 miles. I know he would have felt that he was missing out but staying home but I'm surprised that he did this. Maybe he is too?

He is such a loving day but definitely a grumpy or perhaps spoilt one? What do you advise?

Does not rationalise

Please read the advice you are being given rather than being defensive. We want what's best for your dog and your current methods will not be effective in making you or the dog happy in the long-term; far more likely to land you with a problem animal. Have a look into:-

• Calming signals
• Positive reinforcement
• Clicker training

Look at the book and videos I recommended earlier. When we learn to understand our dogs and really listen to them then we can communicate better and achieve excellent results.

Mixed messages.
Physically abused.
Rehome the poor ddog.
Never get another one.

Never tap or hit a dog on the nose. It is such a sensitive part of the body. Never ignore a growl, it is the same as a shout, cry or scream. I think you should get a professional dog trainer in.

I'm really pleased about all the compassion shown by everyone for the dog.
But what about some compassion for the OP?
Upsetting her out isn't going to help anyone.
OP I agree about reading up on calming signals, etc, that should help you more than some of these obviously perfect posters will.

You hit your dog when he growls and you seem to be utterly clueless when it comes to dog behavior and training but you want us to reserve our compassion for you? Have you not gone yo any dog training classes to learn how to interact with your dog? Did it never occur to you to seek help before things got this bad? I despair sometimes.

Cesar Milan is a horribly cruel dog trainer, I don't know how anyone could think his methods are worthy of copying.
Op, the first thing you could do is stop 'tapping' your dog or shouting at him. I can honestly say I have never hit or shouted at my dog, but it doesn't mean I wasn't tempted at times - she was very annoying when she was younger. If things were getting heated I either removed her or myself from the situation. I also used a lot of 'kidology' by tempting her to do as I wanted with treats and squeaky toys, so she thought things were her idea, rather than being forced. You will have a much happier dog, and be a happier owner, if you seek adice from a professional dog trainer.

A dog’s nose is incredibly sensitive.
Your dog warns you and you smack one of the most sensitive parts of that dog and you wonder why you get snapped at? Really?
Have a look at the ladder of aggression. You’ve likely missed many signs that your dog is unhappy. A growl is often the last warning. Tell them off for growling and next time they’ll just bite.
Seek professional help and don’t hit your dog. Not even a tap.

Stop punishing him for growling! If you tell him off for growling he'll stop growling....and go straight for the bite.

And stop tapping his nose!

If you go to your vet they will be able to refer you to a properly qualified behaviourist. Alternatively you could join this FB group and either ask for recommendations for someone covering your area or look in the files to see if there's anyone listed there. Dog training is a completely unregulated industry and there are still plenty of trainers peddling outdated or incorrect ideas which could do more harm than good, particularly in a situation like yours.

There is no difference between tapping him on the nose and hitting him , would it be ok if someone tapped you in the face if you did something they didn’t like .

But what about some compassion for the OP?

The tapping of the nose etc is the type of punishment/training that my parents would have done about 30 years ago. However, dog behaviour and training has moved on massively during that time and it doesn't take much searching online to see how different it is now and the millions of articles on dogs body language etc.

If the OP can use this forum to ask for help then I am sure they could have researched dog behaviour and training techniques to work out what not to do in the times that the growling has escalated. Hence why most posts are saying get a professional in so someone can bring them up to date with better methods and explain what the dog is doing.

You need to ban him from the places where he growls if you ask him to get off for a start.
Stop carrying him
Never hit him, even a tap on the nose
Get some professional advice

Facebook- dog training advice and support.
Please don't tap him.

OP, there is no “venom”.

People with experience are responding to your request for advice. Surely it’s the easiest thing in the world to stop tapping his nose and employing some positive reinforcement? The tapping clearly isn’t working and is not recommended by behaviourists.

Our dog started to be a bit growly when we asked her to get off the bed/sofa or to do something she didn’t want to.
We bribe her with a high value treat instead and if we really need to move her and she’s refusing then we clip her lead on and walk her where we need her to go.
The grabbing/carrying/lifting is threatening to them. The hands off approach using a lead is much better.
She growled a few times at 10 months old and never done it again.
Although actually I was trying to move her across our bed the other day as I forgot she didn’t like it and she turned around and touched my hand with her teeth in temper.

The nose is the most sensitive part of the dogs body - no wonder he bit you!

Stop carrying your dog around and stop telling him off for growling! A growl is not a sign of an aggressive dog - a growl is a dogs way of saying "I don't like that - stop it". By telling him off, all you're doing is stopping him from giving a warning - the next stage up from a growl is a snarl and a bite. He needs to be able to say "no, I'm uncomfortable - stop it".

Why on earth do you think it's acceptable to slap your dog like that? No wonder he's become aggressive with you - you're aggressive with him! It's a bit like you telling someone "no, I'm not comfortable with that" and them smacking you on the face and telling you "shut up, you have to be comfortable with it because I say so".

Get the poor thing rehomed and don't get another pet

Take the constructive advice and learn from it lass.

I have three big dogs. I've had many dogs over the years. I make mistakes and I'm still learning. I've had to up my game because if I get it wrong and push any of these dogs beyond their limits then there'll be major problems. Read and learn and get professional help.

Christ almighty why are some people still recommending Ceasar Milan?! Don't do that!

You need someone like this canine behaviourest, Sussex Dog Behaviour

Someone who knows their stuff.

But what about some compassion for the OP?

I'm afraid I don't really have much compassion for a grown adult who thinks it's acceptable to smack a dog on the nose.

Blimey poor OP. Just asking for advice and being demonised

OP most of dog training is preventing unwanted behaviour rather than dealing with it when it occurs. This approach keeps a more relaxed and calm atmosphere for everyone.

To me all of your dogs behaviours sound as if they are from fear or anxiety so look at it from this angle rather than the dog being "bad" or "naughty".

If you are taking him away from a situation that he is happy in - use a lead and loads and loads of treats. So use the treats to lure him to the new location.

It sounds as if he is a little uphappy with being handled so work on this with stroking and treating, touching him and treating etc all when he is not reacting. If he growls you have moved on to fast and just move away.

Growling is his polite way of saying he is not happy. So if you can avoid or work on situations when he growls but I would leave this until you have see a trainer in rl as they can guide you through this.

Over Christmas keep him calm give him lots of space and loads of treats and toys to move him to quiet locations if he gets overwrought.

I think walking him for 12 miles if he is only 18 weeks old(but I may have got that wrong) is way to far and he could easily have been in pain or over tired which would make all situations worse.

Keep things calm , get professional advice and this can be sorted out easily for all your family

I am posting as someone who has had to seek professional help from a behaviourist for our dog this year.
We were very shocked to be in that position, but we realised that the way we were dealing with our dog wasn't working.
We thought we knew what we were doing as we had have previous dogs without problems so asking for help was hard to do.
However it has made a large difference and the situation is much better now.

Just to add as a response to a PP that mentioned rage syndrome - real rage syndrome is neurological issue thought to be similar to epilepsy. It is incredibly rare and would need to be properly diagnosed, I see so many people suggesting that a dog (often cockers or cocker mixes) that shows even the slightest display of aggression has rage syndrome, when it is simply acting in self defence. Rage syndrome attacks have no trigger, the dog cannot control it and after the attack is over, the dog will be calm and friendly again, acting like nothing has happened.

This sounds like a classic case of a dog's growls (a warning!) being consistently ignored and even punished for, so the dog has no choice but to go to the next level - a warning bite/snap. As other people have suggested, sounds like a positive-training dog behaviourist is required.

Rehome him and don't ever, ever get another dog.

Also, it's not a cockapoo, there is no such thing. It's a mongrel/cross breed which can be unpredictable due to unhealthtested parents and mixing two different breeds. This is what happens. No sympathy.