Cheeky little Cocker!!

TeetersOnHeels

Hi all -
Just after some advice really, I have an 18mth old working type Cocker, who generally is quite well behaved. He's always had this thing about pinching stuff from the kitchen work top - usually the tea towel, or bits as I'm taking them out of the washing machine. Up until now we've been "swapping" the item for a dog biscuit, but he seems to have cottoned on to this and now won't drop whatever he's got. If you try and retrieve the tea towel from him he starts to growl. I have never tried to force the item from his mouth, nor have I smacked him - but the biscuit trick seems to be wearing a bit thin :rolleyes:
Any idea's where we go from here?

nuttywoman

What about a small pop bottle filled with beads and give that a shake when he won`t drop an item - they don`tlike that noise.
I know what you mean about always carrying stuff, ours nicks socks and empty toilet tubes but never chews anything .They are clever animals and i thin its best to gain control over him because they do try to dominate if you let them.
Hope that helps.

WolfSong2000

by swapping the item for a dog biscuit, you've essentially been rewarding him for what he's been doing. The fact that he's now taken to growling at you suggests that he's now exhibiting dominant behavior and challenging his place in your family "pack". This needs to be resolved, ASAP. I'd have a set of keys or something that will make a noise on you at all times and when you catch him trying to steal something, say "no" loudly and firmly (no need to shout, though) and throw the keys near (NEVER at) the dog. This will distract him for a moment, giving you a chance to re-enforce the command "leave it".

What he's doing is totally unacceptable and he's essentially taking the pi** and seeing how much he can get away with, which is something all young dogs will try.

Other things you can do to keep him in his place are to make sure you eat before he does, walk through doorways, etc before he does and make sure he's responsive to basic commands like recall, sit, leave it, etc, etc.

If this continues he's just going to keep pushing to see how far he can go and you'll end up with a dog liable to growl and snap at you when he feels you're invading his space/making him do something he doesn't want to, etc.

The other possibility here is that the growl is a play growl, and he's inviting you to play rather than being defensive with the item, but either way, this behavior needs to be nipped in the bud for all your sakes!

TeetersOnHeels

Whatever he does pinch he doesn't chew, just takes to his bed. When I try to get things off him & he growls, its the sort of growl you get when playing with tug toys. I know what you mean about him wanting to be in charge - we eat our meals before him (and our 8yr old Springer, who's not an ounce of bother). And I do make sure I go through doors etc before him - not sure about the noise thing, I used to bang a saucepan to stop him chewing when he was little, and it didn't seem to have much effect - although he doesn't chew furniture now, just thought he'd grown out of it.

allIcouldwishfor

I agree with Wolfsong - it sounds like your lad has hit his terrible teenage years and is pushing his boundaries, so you need to reassert yourself in every way and do it consistently.

Our springer boy, Jasper, sometimes pushes his luck and ignores a command on the offchance he can get away with it. When this happens I repeat the command in a lower, growly voice to show him I mean it and he complies. Not sure if that's what any books say but it works for us!!

Good luck.

WolfSong2000

allIcouldwishfor wrote: »

I agree with Wolfsong - it sounds like your lad has hit his terrible teenage years and is pushing his boundaries, so you need to reassert yourself in every way and do it consistently.

Our springer boy, Jasper, sometimes pushes his luck and ignores a command on the offchance he can get away with it. When this happens I repeat the command in a lower, growly voice to show him I mean it and he complies. Not sure if that's what any books say but it works for us!!

Good luck.

You're doing the right thing. If a wolf ignores someone higher up in the pack, they'll get a warning growl, so your pup understands what you mean. As long as you're consistent with it, it should be fine. Problems arise when people are inconsistent, as this can confuse the animal...for instance I've never understood why people use the word "down" when a dog is jumping up. Surely "off" is a better command, as the dog (should, hopefully) associate the word down with laying down, so it may confuse him.

Also, when your dog does something that you've asked him to, remember to make a big fuss of him - positive re-enforcement works so much better than negative re-enforcement. even if you've had to "remind" him with a growl, if he's done it right, praise him immediately. This doesn't have to be with treats (indeed I'd encourage treat use only randomly so they don't expect it automatically), but a happy voice "good boy, well done!" will work wonders. Your dog *wants* to please you. It's just doing the natural pup/young dog thing of testing its boundaries .

There are some excellent books out there...Ian Dunbar is one of the best trainers I've ever seen and I thoroughly recommend him. There's also another great book called "Why does my dog....?" by John Fisher which I also really recommend.

But yeah, going back to the reward thing, clicker training may be a good way to go, especially if you have a bright dog

TeetersOnHeels

Thanks for the pointers, I'll have a look on Amazon for the books you've mentioned, and also try and get a clicker. Some stuff he grasps really well, like staying off the furniture, and being good off his lead when we're out meeting other dogs. It's just this business with pinching stuff!

WolfSong2000

some dogs have a natural penchant for theft, and it's a tricky habit to break . The earlier you put a stop to it, the better, though.

And he's probably dragging stuff to his bed because that's his territory, so he's officially (in his mind) claiming ownership of the item. Any more questions, feel free to PM me

suki1964

As a long time cocker owner I know this scenario all too well

Basically what we have done is not bother about whatever it is hes got,in our case its always undies, socks etc. What I mean is if he wont swap then I leave him at it. He soon realises theres no fun to be had cos Im not chasing him or making a fuss and he leaves the stolen item where he drops it.

Im also very lucky in that I have taught him on no account does he hurt me so if I really need something out of his mouth fast, I slip my finger in the side, touch his teeth and squeal "ouch". He drops the item like a hot potato.

jessicamb

my cocker pinches things and then tries to get you to chase her to take it back (she doesnt chew the things). If she is ignored she soon loses interest and puts the things down - usually socks, gloves etc.

border_collie

Try offering higher value swaps. Give him a bit of hot dog or cheese but only when he has given you the thing he pinched.