Cocker Spaniel kids and pool

Question
QUESTION: We inherited our two year old female cocker spaniel. no real issues except one that has recently arise. She does get aggressive with other dogs when on a lease. Fine when not on a leash. The real problem is as follows:

My 6 year old daughter swims in the pool a a lot. just recently "Reba" our dog will try and prevent her from jumping into the pool. She will jump between my daughter and the pool. We don't know if she is playing. Today she actually scratched her when she tried to jump into the pool.

Thanks

ANSWER: My very first cocker would go nuts when I was swimming in our pool.  He'd run up and down barking...what he was doing was sounding the alarm.  Your dog is worried.

I suggest you & your six year old sit by the pool, pet the dog, then slowly get into the water.
Stay at the side for a moment or two before starting splashing...and I bet your little girl makes a lot of noise in the pool since most kids do.  This is alarming the dog.

An easy fix is to put her inside or take the time to teach her it's okay and no one is in harm's way.  I can advise on that and how to involve your daughter.  At 6 she's quite capable of understanding why her dog is reacting and how she can help.

Either way, it's not a serious problem.

As for the on leash behavior..can you be specific about her aggression?  Dogs often feel at a disadvantage when they're on leash and the other dog isn't.  It would help if you could describe the scenario...

It's entirely possible she's protecting you (in her mind).

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank You so much.

We walk the neighborhoob at least twice a day. She is fine atthe dog park no issues. When on the leash, she will get agressive towards other dogs and joggers. People walking or doing yard work is fine. She is fine with bigs dog once introduced (still on the laesh). Little dogs are an issue. The agression agression (barking and growling) will continue. she is fine with all dogs when off the leash.

ANSWER: Towards other dogs whether they're on or off leash?  This is important.

Has she ever actually done anything other than "a show" of aggression?  Even nipped or tried to bite another dog?  Is she pulling on the leash to "get at them" or is she putting herself between you and them and barking/growling?

I can tell you how to handle this but the more specific facts I have, the better.

The joggers are similar to the pool situation...someone is running "at you" or even worse, coming from behind you.  In her mind, they're in attack mode.  Walkers & Gardeners are not threatening.

It's really kind of sweet (in an unacceptable way) and shows she's strongly bonded to you and your family.  So now you have to teach her "I've got this and it's not your job".

And that's not so hard.  The key is to anticipate and step in BEFORE she reacts.

So if I can have a detailed picture of precisely what she does/has done it'll help.  Far easier if I could pop over and watch but we'll have to do it this way.

Just know that she's not being a 'bad girl'.  She just needs to be taught not to over-react.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The other dogs are on the leash most of time. There Is one instance where the dog was off the leash. She nipped at this dog (a chiawaa ?). This dog came at her and nipped at her first. She is pulling at the leash to get to them. She will do this with the two neighbors dog who she is friendly with. The pulling stops once she can sniff them. There is little dog that sits in screened in garage she will pull to try and get to the dog. A couple times she has coward behind me, but rare. There is also a collie that sits out all the time, Never barks or pulls at the leash to get to her. They will just sniff each other and we continue with the walk. She will also pull, very excited if she see or smells another dog walking in front of us. Won't bark just get real excited.

Answer
Okay.  This is what you need to do.

You're walking...you see another dog..STOP..make her sit (cookie time) BEFO
RE any action happens.  Stand in front of her (blocking her view).  It's really, really important you block her view and get between her and the other dog.  Continue (even with extra treats) until the other dog has passed by.  Keep commanding "Stay".  It'll take a few times, but once the other dog has passed...you say "Okay..let's go" and carry on.

Initially she'll try & get around you.  Herd her in with your legs and say NO calmly but firmly.

The message is "this is how we handle this".  YOU (dog) are not in control...I am in control and this is what I want.

If all she's done is nip a Chiwawa (sp?) who nipped her first, then it's all "show time".

I strongly suggest a harness rather than a collar.  There's one (PetSmart) called Easy Walker that actually turns the dog around if they pull.  Plus a harness is easier on their necks in general.

Honestly John, if this is her only behavioral flaw...you're lucky.  This beautiful breed has been so overbred in puppy mills that problems abound so hers are pretty mild.  I've had severe possession aggression - anxiety over the top, etc.

You sound like a wonderful & caring owner and I'd like to talk to you about nutrition and preventing common cocker health issues.  Supermarket food is garbage and gusrantees vet visits...brushing teeth is key to saving you money and her health.  Over vaccinating (annually) is bad and no major vet college recommends it.  Too many family vets still do it.

We can do so much to extend their lives and health IF we have the knowledge to protect them.

don't hesitate to write...training sometimes needs fine tuning...so try what I've suggested and if it's not working, let me know.