'Selectively' aggressive Cockapoo

jemball

Our 13 month cockapoo is obedient, affectionate, playful and friendly with us, people and other dogs. He is part of our family and you could almost call him a perfect dog

However, when he gets hold of any of our shoes, hats or gardening tools he refuses to give them back, and seems to revert to his 'wild' side snarling, baring his teeth, and biting in extreme cases.

We have always trained him to wait behind us at mealtimes, going through doors, heeling, etc. so I can't imagines that he thinks he is the pack leader.

Our local vet suggests that he may be a natural 'alpha dog' and has reached the age when he would begin to challenge for leadership. (I must say that he does appear to be very slightly larger, faster and stronger that the average Cockapoo.)

He also suggested that we use very thick gloves and reclaim any item which he won't give back until he passes through this stage, which could take several months.

Has anyone had a similar experience and found a different solution?

HappyMJ

jemball wrote: »

Our 13 month cockapoo is obedient, affectionate, playful and friendly with us, people and other dogs. He is part of our family and you could almost call him a perfect dog

However, when he gets hold of any of our shoes, hats or gardening tools he refuses to give them back, and seems to revert to his 'wild' side snarling, baring his teeth, and biting in extreme cases.

We have always trained him to wait behind us at mealtimes, going through doors, heeling, etc. so I can't imagines that he thinks he is the pack leader.

Our local vet suggests that he may be a natural 'alpha dog' and has reached the age when he would begin to challenge for leadership. (I must say that he does appear to be very slightly larger, faster and stronger that the average Cockapoo.)

He also suggested that we use very thick gloves and reclaim any item which he won't give back until he passes through this stage, which could take several months.

Has anyone had a similar experience and found a different solution?

You need to be the "Alpha". Take control and dominate the dog. Don't let him get away with keeping an item.

Sagz_2

Pack and dominance theories are really old fashioned now - if your vet is still advocating them then I, in your position, would find a new vet.

Seek out a good, reward based, trainer to help you through this normal teenage puppy stage.

Hope you get it sorted and can learn to live happily with your companion.

missbiggles1

I have an elderly, adopted cocker spaniel who is similar regarding being in the car and his bed.

Google "resource guarding cocker " which will show you it's a cocker spaniel trait and will give you some ideas on ways to deal with it. Mine's 11 so I work round it, for a younger dog you'll be better to do something about it (or trying to).

GwylimT

Ah, you have a teenager! Like any teenager they need reward based methods, not dominating.

Doing something gentle they don't like can be very successful, such as ignoring them or shutting them out of the room, then when the item is dropped a huge reward given.

Like above, I would find a good trainer who isn't going to use techniques based on intimidation.

krlyr

I would firstly suggest reading this article on dominance (and how it's an outdated theory). The biologist who applied it to dogs has gone on to realise that it was based on some incorrect observations, and it really does need ditching as a theory for dogs.

http://www.apbc.org.uk/articles/why-wont-dominance-die

Whether you choose to change your vets, or just accept that they're no good for behavioural advice, is up to you - I'd do the former if there was an acceptable alternative nearby though, as there are times when you may leave your dog in their care and I'd be worried about their handling methods if they were of the 'pack theory' sort.


It sounds like it could well be a case of some resource guarding issues, in a young pup it shouldn't be too difficult to catch in the early stages. The book "Mine!" by Jean Donaldson is a good read - but if you're not too experienced in dog issues, I'd suggest getting a behaviourist or a one-to-one trainer in to help out. https://www.apbc.org.uk or https://www.apdt.co.uk are good places to find behaviourists or trainers that subscribe to modern, science-based methods that don't use intimidation or aversive methods.

In the mean time, manage the behavious by keeping high value resources away from him. If he does pick up something, don't try to take it from him, instead, either ignore him (so there's no fun in it) or trade for something he does want (you're not rewarding him from stealing the item - but avoid making it a game, put the item away once you've retrieved it and distract the pup with a little trick training session, or a walk, or another more appropriate game, so he doesn't learn that stealing things is the only way to get attention.

Definitely don't try to take the item off him, this just reinforces the need to guard - you've proven that you will take things off him, so he will be more and more likely to guard things from you.

You may wish to work on the 'drop it'/'leave it' cue too - this will help with his self-control
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMNup72dGyA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWe8O_7UV4o

gettingtheresometime

My beagle (5) is a bit like this still but it could be with anything that he has 'stolen'. He doesn't do it all the time so it's not a case of seeing X and he must have it at all costs.

We think its when he's bored or when he just wants to draw your attention to him.....it's nothing for him to walk into the living room with his stash in his mouth parading like a model almost daring us to get it off him. One look from us to say 'really?' and he spits it out as if he knows it's not getting the reaction he wants from us.

(Strangely, for a food oriented breed of dog, he will let us remove his food even when he's eating)

I'm not sure what the answer is but how do you react when he has stolen something?

teddysmum

Teddy, a cavalier, became aggressive generally at about 14 months and refusing to give things up was one of his traits.


I first started by offering a tasty treat, which would require him to drop the item in order to eat (dropped slightly to the side so he dropped then turned , giving me chance to grab).


Eventually he would drop anticipating a treat, so I then started not treating every time.


If I had anything that I thought he was eyeing, I would also growl 'Mine', which caused him to break eye contact


It took ages (not years),but at 12 he is now a '!!!!! cat' though I wouldn't take food, from him or any other dog.

unforeseen

Please. The dog is a mongrel or even a cross breed. Calling it a 'cockapoo' is just pandering to people's vanity in pretending they have something approaching a pedigree or pure bred breed.

sheramber

Teach him swapsies.

Ask for the item and offer a swap- high value treat or a favourite toy for a game.

I start teaching it with toys so I can give the item back to the dog as his reward for giving me it.

When it is a 'forbidden' item I swap for a reward.

No shouting, no coaxing to give it up and no chasing- these all make it an exciting game and the treasure more valuable

You do end up with a kleptomaniac who offers you empty packets and empty coke cans for a reward but you don't get damaged items.

Until the dog learns ot give thins up PUT IT AWAY.

A pup in the house is the best way to train children- and adults- to be tidy and put things way.

Aliss08

Unforeseen - why even bother to reply? The OP is, I assume, fully aware of exactly what makes a cockapoo. Perhaps a better option than a lot of pure bred/pedigree dogs with all their associated health problems due to over breeding.