dog is growling in the kitchen & I cant get him out

[coffeelover3]

He's a lovely dog normally but this house has a lot of doors and I think he gets scared. He's between the kitchen door and the fridge. I've tried him with treats, with getting his lead out and putting on my coat and he wont budge. I cant get to the fridge ! I tried to open the freezer door - under the fridge-freezer - but he went mental at me. He's in the kitchen now growling at nothing - I'm in the other room. What should I do. I don't know why he's doing this. He started it in a another room between the sofa and the door, and I had to block him from going into that space. Anyone any tips - if I throw treats out of hte kitchen he dashes out, eats them and dashes back to his 'spot'. I'm actually scared

The only time I’ve been bitten by a dog, it was a cocker. I have facial scarring. I’m very wary of them. They are lovely dogs, but too many have this tendency. IMO.

Definitely try and video it so you can show the vet. I'm wondering whether it could be his eyesight going? And now the new house plus many doors is confusing or disorientating him. (Sorry really clutching at straws here.)

When he goes elsewhere could you get on the floor in that spot at his level and see if you can work out what he is so fixated on?

Our solid black cocker used to have fits. He’d go all quiet and spaced out, then he’d keel over fitting and shaking and making the most awful screaming noise, then he’d go all quiet and still for a couple of minutes and then he’d get himself up and be absolutely fine. Never did get to the bottom of it. Perhaps there is some truth in the rumour of cocker rage but it presents itself differently. He wasn’t aggressive, he was completely out of it. Mostly used to happen when we were out on the farm, usually on a shoot. We put it down to some sort of over excitement. I hope your poor doggo is ok.

A friend of mine had a black cocker who behaved like this. He flew at her 75 year old mother for no apparent reason in the end. She need stitches in her arm - he bit down to the bone. Awful.

Ours has done that on three or four occasions. Each time, he has hidden something and we have gone too near it. It scares me as well but within minutes he is fine again.

@MsAdoraBelleDearheartVonLipwig

Our solid black cocker used to have fits. He’d go all quiet and spaced out, then he’d keel over fitting and shaking and making the most awful screaming noise, then he’d go all quiet and still for a couple of minutes and then he’d get himself up and be absolutely fine. Never did get to the bottom of it. Perhaps there is some truth in the rumour of cocker rage but it presents itself differently. He wasn’t aggressive, he was completely out of it. Mostly used to happen when we were out on the farm, usually on a shoot. We put it down to some sort of over excitement. I hope your poor doggo is ok.

That was low blood sugar on the shoot, your vet wants shooting too if he did not recognise it.

My rescue cocker aged 5 was labelled with probable 'cocker rage' . His aggression was unpredictable. Turned out after several visits to get that he had pseudamonas in both ears. £2000 (uninsurable) and 12 months on, he's a different dog. Pain/ discomfort often a major factor in sudden onset aggression in dogs.

I have a black solid cocker that has also displayed this behaviour in the past.

If I were you I would ignore him altogether tonight, leave him where he is and he will be a different dog in the morning. Trying to work with him now is probably just likely to escalate tensions.

When my dog has been at his worst it has been guarding behaviour that has been at the root of the issue, but there can be other factors that exacerbate - eg stressed in new location, tiredness, pain from an injury or illness that needs to be checked out. (I would muzzle him for the vet.)

@justasking111 that was obviously discounted fairly early on after several tests etc. Funnily enough the vet did think of that. We spent hundreds on all sorts of tests and simply never got to the bottom of it.

@Growapair you do realise that Veteranari that you quoted is actually a vet? The clue is kinda in the name ... She's very well known and respected on this board.

He went under the table and I covered it with a blanket - not going too near as he was growling - I've been sat on the sofa ignoring him, watching tv, and now he's snoring... Hopefully he will be ok in the morning. I'm wary of him though as he has always had guarding tendencies, but we could always get him out of the behaviour using treats, but now they just don't work any more and he just stares at the treats and wont take them. Will get him to the vet in case it's something physical. I have a feeling it's anxiety/guarding though, its just escalated. Had a dog behaviourist before and she was good, which is how we know to not take things off him, distract him with a treat etc etc. He's a gorgeous dog, but you cant trust him and it's getting worse as he gets older. I'm getting him groomed this week too. Sometimes when his fur gets too long I'm wondering can that make him grumpy.

I think the guarding is a symptom of something else here, and the first and most obvious thing to check is pain.

Unfortunately that is not easy and you will need a vet who is VERY up to date on the relationship between pain and behaviour, I would go with a veterinary behaviourist and there aren't many in the country. My top two would be Amber Batson and Kendal Shepherd.

Speak to your own vet about the possibility of a pain medication trial to see if that improves things (it can, but its a bit clunky, however if theres nothing else you can do at the moment it isn't a bad option assuming your vet is on board).

Unfortunately not all pain will respond to pain medications and not all pain medications are suitable to such a trial.

I'd also want him seen by either a Ttouch practitioner* or a veterinary phsyiotherapist, at home.

*Ttouch is a load of woo, however their practitioners are extremely well educated in canine anatomy, correct movement and signs of pain, if you can't see a vet physio, see a Ttouch person.

Unfortunately with the best will in the world, most vets will struggle to see obscure pain, soft tissue pain etc within the confines of the average veterinary practice as dogs tense up and hide things, and most vets simply haven't the space to let a dog move around and behave naturally, hence seeing someone at your house rather than at a vets office. If your vet will come to you, great... they are likely to see much more, but they may not be able to do this.

I would get as much footage of your dog as you can, walking, trotting, moving around, in the house, in the garden, on the lead, so that someone can have a look (or ideally several someones), but of course it would be better to have someone in person if you can.

Many claim rage doesnt exist and yes, i too thought it was a myth until my solid coloured male started doing it. It's different to normal spaniel resource guarding, although it is probably bourne out of that instinct, which we have genetically exaggerated for their working lives (cockers have to want to find, pick up and carry things). Mine could be a bit of a git about food and things in his mouth but that was worked on early and he was OK. The rage was like him becoming someone else. He had to be kennelled to protect my daughter once it became apparent and he was fine about his kennel, welcomed me coming in to feed and let him out, but months in, one morning i could instantly tell something was different, he had crazed dark eyes and was biting the walls, growling like fuck. i hesitated with the broom (for cleaning, normal routine!) In my hand and the look on his face told me if i used it it would get attacked too. I quietly shut the door and left him to it - later that day, he was back to himself. Fine again for months.

(That said, i do encourage a vet visit asap as it could very well be pain)

How is he this morning @coffeelover3?
Hope all's well

See if you can video some of this behaviour to show the vet and get photos of the places he does it, to give them a fuller picture. It sounds neurological or pain/fear related to me but he definitely needs professional input.

@Gooseybby

Many claim rage doesnt exist and yes, i too thought it was a myth until my solid coloured male started doing it. It's different to normal spaniel resource guarding, although it is probably bourne out of that instinct, which we have genetically exaggerated for their working lives (cockers have to want to find, pick up and carry things). Mine could be a bit of a git about food and things in his mouth but that was worked on early and he was OK. The rage was like him becoming someone else. He had to be kennelled to protect my daughter once it became apparent and he was fine about his kennel, welcomed me coming in to feed and let him out, but months in, one morning i could instantly tell something was different, he had crazed dark eyes and was biting the walls, growling like fuck. i hesitated with the broom (for cleaning, normal routine!) In my hand and the look on his face told me if i used it it would get attacked too. I quietly shut the door and left him to it - later that day, he was back to himself. Fine again for months.

when we were cat owning, childless, wannabe dog owners, we talked to our vet about breeds - we'd fallen for cockers - he strongly advised against, said he'd had to PTS some lovely dogs that had suddenly turned and done real damage to family members.

I do think they are stunning looking, but the ones I've know have been incredibly focussed, to the point of obsession, with favourite toys (like balls) and they wouldn't fit well into our "pack" set up, where I don't allow obsessive behaviour. My Golden would be ball obsessed if I let her, but she only gets it for part of some walks (not all) and understands the "game over" command.

I hope there's a simple solution to your problem @coffeelover3, not wanting to wish ill health on a dog, but if it's something that can be treated, like an ear infection, then I'm sure it will be a relief!

good luck.

Hi OP. How's the dog today? Did you contact the vet?

Any update @coffeelover3?

Any update OP? Hope your dog is doing ok today