aggresiveness

Question
QUESTION: My family adopted a 2 yr old male cocker spaniel a yr. ago. He never was especially fond of young children, but in the last month he has attacked and tried to bite different people at least 6 times. Today was because my mom tried to take a piece of turkey skin from him that he stole from the garbage, and last night he was sleeping with my son and his girlfriend when all of a sudden he attacked the girlfriend whom he normally loves. She was just waking up. We treated him with Bayer advantage the second week of October and again a month later. Could this be causing his bi polar attitude. I have a busy household and he usually loves everyone in it including visitors. This new behavior is scary because there is no warning or reason. I don't want to have him put to sleep, but I am really afraid because his behavior is so unpredictable. He has never growled or showed aggression toward me, but I worry about my family and friends if he cannot be trusted. Do you have any suggestions?

ANSWER: Laureen, Stop the Advantage.  Yes, it could cause this.

But we have to now deal with it.  I need some precise information first.  Has he ever actually bitten anyone?
You've said "tried to bite" and "attacked" and I need to know the exact circumstances of each incident.  And how many people are normally in your household and have any of them been involved?

I know about your Mom and the turkey from the garbage but what did he do?  Growl? Make a "motion" of biting?
Actually bite?  

Any dog that really wants to bite IS going to bite.
They don't "miss".

In the meantime, he sleeps in his own bed and needs to be confined (crate - puppy gate) when you can't keep an eye on him.

I'd also suggest a vet visit since a sudden behavior
change can often mean a medical problem.

So write back in detail and let's figure out what's going on here.
Delores
p.s.  Is he neutered?

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

QUESTION: Yes he is neutered. Four people actually live in the house. He has growled at my foster son repeatedly and sometimes will not allow him to come upstairs if I am up there, but when my foster son first moved in, he took a dilike to the dog. I believe they are jealous of my attention toward both of them. My husband also caught my foster son teasing Riley while the dog was inside of my car. Last week my son Brian had 4 friends over and the dog was playing with them and then sat on one of the girls laps while they watched a movie. All of a sudden he started growling at her and my son separated them, but Riley then jumped up on my son, about knee high, and bit him but because of the jeans he had on it did not penetrate. I believe he did bite my mom, but because of her pants it did not penetrate either,but left a bruise. I covered the piece of turkey skin with my stocking foot because I was not sure what he had and did not want him to get a bone. I was able to pick it up and dispose of it.He did bite my son's girlfriend, but I will check on the details. I have not recently tried to take food away from him, but when we first got him, I did and he had no problem with it. He knows I run the household and I have only have to say  his name a certain way and he goes to  his dog bed, because he knows that he has done something to displease me. The last dose of advantage was given Nov.9th.

Answer
Laureen, this dog has decided that you and your husband (who you don't mention so I'm assuming he hasn't had a problem) are the alphas...he is Number 2..and everyone else
is below him in the pack order.

Can this be fixed?  Absolutely yes but it'll involve the whole family doing some training/attitude adjustment.

He hasn't seriously bitten..what he's doing is "disciplining" lower pack members when they displease him.  

I suggest you write to me directly at DeeBeck7765@aol.com
if you're willing to put in the time to correct this behavior.  Sit the boys down and explain that everyone must co-operate to change this.  
Delores