Suddenly growling..

Question
QUESTION: I have a 10 month old male cocker spaniel.  Very loving and happy go lucky and is great with my other dogs.  We have had him since January, we kept him inside for the most part and other than a few accidents here and there he was great...never aggressive or growled.  We let him outside (without a leash) one day to play with the other dogs and a few hours later he was gone.  After a week of searching, we finally found him chained up at a neighbors house who obviously weren't feeding him.  Again he has been fine...non-agressive...just happy go lucky.  Well because he was so filthy and his hair was matted we just put him on a long runner in the front yard and kept him outside with the other dogs.  I cleaned him as best I could but he was still in pretty bad shape.  We would let him in a few hours a day and then took him back out.  He went to the groomer's for the first time, since we have had him, yesterday.  He looks great and he acted fine.  When we got home I brought him and was going to keep him since he was all clean.  He came in with our Great Pryennes and laid in the kitchen floor while I cooked with no problems.  He played with our other dog..no problem.  He came into my bedroom with me, like he always does and laid at my feet while I was on the computer.  He was fine...my other dog cam over to me to be petted and my cocker jumped up at him and was playing then all of a sudden two seconds later my cocker started growling.  I thought he was playing but both dogs looked kinda standoffish and off course if my Pyrennes went after he would kill him no doubt.  My husband came and called Mick (the Pryennes) and he went and laid down next to my husband in the same room but on the opposite side.  Neither dog could see one another from where they were laying.  My cocker jusst kept on growling, I would discipline him and he just kept on.  Finally after about 20 minutes of this I reached down to pet him and he turned and nipped my hand...nothing serious, just more like a "hey leave me alone kinda thing".  My husband came and took both dogs outside and as soon as they were outside my cocker was fine...he didn't growl anymore and he and the Pyrennes went out in the front yard and started playing together.  The only thing that we have in our bedroom that is different from when he used to stay in all the time is a wireless router for our computers and a small fan that sits on my desk.  I want to keep him inside but not if he is going to constantly growl and nip at me when I pet him.  My Pyrennes stays in at night and I am afraid if both dogs are inside and my cocker just doesn't like the other dog be inside too, that sometime in the middle of the night my cocker will go after the Pyrennes and if that happens my Pyrennes will kill him.  It's almost like there is something in my bedroom that my cocker hears or smells that he doesn't like but I have no idea what it could be.

Please Help!!

ANSWER: Hi Kristina i do know that Wireless Routers let off a high pitched frequency noise that only dogs can hear, this could be upsetting him, but how is he with the other dogs when in other room, if this is the only room that he is being a problem in, then i would just keep him out of that room, try leaving the dogs in another room, and step outside the door but listen, because if they kick off you will need to step in quick, if you would like your dogs in at night, and to ensure you get a peacefull sleep, how about introducing a puppy pen for your cocker, that way he will feel secure and so will you, i swear by them for all types of training, im using one for my cocker to try and stop her going so mental when anyone comes to the door, its defo working! Let me know how they are in a different room together other than  the bedroom, or you could try putting your computer in your living room and see how that goes, please let me know. Good Luck
Kathy

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

QUESTION: Hi Kathy,

My husband and I were thinking the same exact thing about the router hurting his ears.  But just in case it was the fact that my Pyrennes was just getting too close to me (because the cocker is my baby and the Pyrennes is my husband's), we brought the cocker in by himself.  When he first came in..he ran right into the bedroom with me and let me love one him for a minute and then a few seconds later he started growling again so I lead hi with his collar back outside and he was growling all the way to the front door and then just as soon as I let him loose on the front porch he was fine!  So I am thinking that it is the router but what I don't understand is why is it only affecting him and not the other two dogs when they come inside?

Answer
Hi Kristina, Cockers have very sensitive hearing, and some dogs more than others and because he is young probably even more sensitive to noise, as is said in previous message is he okay with the other dogs in any other room? If he is i would say its definately the router, if you really want him in that room try putting a radio or cd player on before he goes in there, that way he may not tune into the router, bless him if he has no other problems you can overcome this, let me know how you go Good Luck
Kathy