dominant springer spaniel

[tippy]

3 years ago i rescued a 3yr old springer spaniel from my local r.p.c.a.i was told she needed a bit of training which i was prepared to do as i have had many problem dogs.
my problem is,that 3yrs on and she will not do as she is told without biting me and always a battle of wills and snarling.we have had 3 private dog trainers on a one to one basis which resulted in all three saying she should be taken back to the r.s.p.c.a which i was loathe to do as i had bonded with her and they said they would put her to sleep.
she has been to numerous schools which we were asked to leave.she has no recall as has infact had quiet a bad accident where she impaled herself on a tree branch and we nearly lost her.all areas of training has not worked(clicker training,treats,love and cuddles)i have been told that she is not listening and never will as she goes into work mode outside.needless to say she is not a pleasure to walk as she pulls like a train and although i love hear dearly i find i dont enjoy her.is it possible for a dog to have A.D.H.D.

[mick11]

Hi tippy,

Is it possible your dog is deaf as spaniels are prone to have ear problems.

Mick

[nick_j007]

What do you feed her on?

[tippy]

to answer the previous guest,no, she is not deaf.
the answer to the next guest,she started off from the r.s.p.c.a eating james wellbeloved and then we tried others all organic ,which each brought their own problems eg diahorrea,skin rashes,hair loss,vomiting the list is endless.
what i forgot to say in my introduction is that i am her third owner and now i know why. :

[nick_j007]

You still don't say what's she's fed on

Please follow this like a religion for 1 weeks and report back: Nothing in Life is Free

Is the dog insured? Who with if yes?

Where are you?

Many thanks.

Nick

[tippy]

dear nick,
my spaniel is now fed on a tesco cheap product dry dog food which is the only food that agrees with her after many products failed.
to answer your second question ,i live in ruislip,middx.
i dont read any more dog behaviour ideas as i have tried them all and have often found that one dog trainer contradicts another.i do not have her insured any more.i already know about ignoring bad behaviour,she does not have tit bits,she is not allowed on my bed nor upstairs.she knows the word no and it just makes her all the more stubborn and aggressive.she also does not have the run of the house while im not there.after years of having problem dogs i think im pretty clued up by now as i have always turned my previous dogs around.

[nick_j007]

Originally Posted by tippy

dear nick,
my spaniel is now fed on a tesco cheap product dry dog food which is the only food that agrees with her after many products failed.
to answer your second question ,i live in ruislip,middx.
i don't read any more dog behaviour ideas as i have tried them all and have often found that one dog trainer contradicts another.i do not have her insured any more.i already know about ignoring bad behaviour,she does not have tit bits,she is not allowed on my bed nor upstairs.she knows the word no and it just makes her all the more stubborn and aggressive.she also does not have the run of the house while im not there.after years of having problem dogs i think im pretty clued up by now as i have always turned my previous dogs around.

Ok a few quick points.

Whilst diet is not everything, you need to find a good brand free from additives that agrees with the dog. Tesco's own will be additive laden (plus lower quality ingredients) so you will need to address this again.

Make gradual test introductions to:

Burns
James Wellbeloved
Nature Diet
Arden Grange
Natures Menu wet packs or...raw frozen that you defrost might be a good.

Diet has to be addressed with this sort of behaviour!

You sound a bit defensive, and you say that you don't read any more ideas as you have tried them all. I can't comment as I cannot see the dog from here, but that statement suggests you are at your wits end.

You may well have what could be termed as an 'experts dog' this means it's bloody difficult to train and manage for the regular owner!

Most good trainers will be able to spot your needs and offer similar advice in a number of areas. The difficulty for you is to find a good one that you trust...and then follow their advice only despite what others may advise. If you do it any other way you will inevitably end up allowing yourself to be pulled in different directions.

Contact Stan as he is a bit closer to you than I am. He has a practical approach with working dogs that is well balanced and effective. Google: Stan Rawlinson Dog Listener

Nick

[hayton]

Hi Tippy, came across your message by chance as I was looking for ideas to remedy the same problem. Its a relief to know I'm not alone. Archie is a six year old, beautiful rescue dog and has been with us 6 weeks. We had little knowledge of his life before, but I guess he had never been on the lead, he pulls so hard trying to get at anything that flies. We have purchased several different harnesses and is now walking under protest with a haltie. Not enjoyable for him or me. I'd love to let him off the lead but he doesn't respond to any commands even on the lead, he just wants birds so I'm sure he would just run away, possibly hurting himself or causing an accident. To top this problem he has now started growling at my husband and son - (21 years). I've been told from the kennels that he is just asserting his authority and needs to be put back in his place. Easier said than done. I've tried to take a back seat, but its hard to ignore him when he follows me everywhere, and I'm the one who is with him in the day. I read your responses and like you with Max,feel that Archie is not deaf and has a good tinned diet with tesco mixer. I'm wondering if clicker training would help, but don't know much about this, I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts. Being told that all springers are basically mad does not help.

[3wags]

Originally Posted by tippy

3 years ago i rescued a 3yr old springer spaniel from my local r.p.c.a.i was told she needed a bit of training which i was prepared to do as i have had many problem dogs.
my problem is,that 3yrs on and she will not do as she is told without biting me and always a battle of wills and snarling.we have had 3 private dog trainers on a one to one basis which resulted in all three saying she should be taken back to the r.s.p.c.a which i was loathe to do as i had bonded with her and they said they would put her to sleep.
she has been to numerous schools which we were asked to leave.she has no recall as has infact had quiet a bad accident where she impaled herself on a tree branch and we nearly lost her.all areas of training has not worked(clicker training,treats,love and cuddles)i have been told that she is not listening and never will as she goes into work mode outside.needless to say she is not a pleasure to walk as she pulls like a train and although i love hear dearly i find i dont enjoy her.is it possible for a dog to have A.D.H.D.

Hi there,
It is awfully frustrating when you love a dog but cant seem to get her to focus and respond well to you. Well done on sticking this out and for not wanting to put her to sleep - it is a very brave decision!

Firstly, what has your vet said about your springer? Has she been given a clean bill of health? That's always the first consideration with challenging dogs. If she is, then great! All is not lost. Next, find something that she absolutely loves - is it a squeaky tennis ball? A James Wellbeloved treat? Cheese? etc. and use it with her, starting with small things like settling down, sitting, etc. I know you've said you have significant experience with rescues, and have engaged the help of behaviourists before, but since you have chosen this battle for her, keep trying! Try different treats, different toys, different environments.

Also, Nick is right - food is really important. I work with this wild puppy of a dog, and eventually worked out that she was receiving more than 20% of her recommended daily protein intake, which was leading to hyperactive behaviour (I really wanted to rip hair from my head, so I applaud you for sticking it out with your springer!).

Lastly, continue giving calm-assertive leadership. All the stuff you currently do is great (setting boundaries, etc.) so keep on doing it. One thing you might like to do is just ignore obedience training for the time being and just bond with her (without reassuring/reinforcing negative behaviour). Maybe what she needs in addition to all the other things is to build a relationship with the people around her. Do check with your vet and behaviourist as well. Good luck, and keep us updated!

[tippy]

hello dog lover,tippy here.well i havent been on the site for a long time and i thought i would tell you about the progress of my rescue spaniel.
this month(october 2009)she has been with us for 4yrs and nothing has changed,she still bites me and now i have to muzzle her nearly 24/7.my daughter let her off the lead in the park at the weekend and guess what happpened,yes,she did a runner.unfortunately she found her way home after an hour,i secretly hoped she wouldnt come back.dont get me wrong i still want her but find i have now admitted defeat.never will i get another springer or infact another dog from th r.s.p.c.a.i wll struggle on with her till the end of her days and live my life round her bad behaviour as i am just as stubborn as her.incidently i have recently read a fantasic book called,"walking ollie"by stephen foster and highly reccomend it,forget all the dog training manuals and so called experts, one read of this put every thing about problem dogs int perspective it even knocks spots off "marley and me",i now realise im not the problem,laugh, it is now my bible and recommend it to other dog owners who are made to feel stupid.ITS NOT YOU,ITS THE DOG!!!!!