AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR

Question
QUESTION: MY NORMALLY LOVING COCKER SPANIEL GETS VERY VERY AGGRESSIVE WHEN I TRY TO GROOM HIM HE USED TO GO TO SOMEONE WHO GROOMED HIM BUT WAS VERY NERVOUS NOW I TRY TO DO IT MYSELF BUT HE HATES IT! ANY IDEAS HOW I CAN CALM HIM DOWN I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING I KNOW IF THE CLIPPERS GO NEAR HIM HE GOES MENTAL AND NOW HE EVEN DISLIKES JUST BEING BRUSHED HE GROWLS ALL THE TIME. THANK YOU LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR SUGGESTIONS HE IS 8 YEARS OLD BY THE WAY

ANSWER: Hi Lindsay,

I need some more information.  Was he always nervous about grooming?  When did the aggression begin?  What does "going mental" mean?  Growling or attempting to bite?

Pending answers to that...I'd suggest taking him to a new groomer who's experienced in handling nervous dogs.

My other thought is something is bothering him so run your hands all over his body and see if perhaps there's a rash or a skin condition that clipping exacerbates.

He's 8 years old...he's been groomed about 100 times so there's something else going on here.  Have there been any other behavioral changes?  

My other thought is if you're "tense" when grooming he can pick that up and react.  He also just may not "enjoy" it and knows he can get away with objecting.

So write back in a little more detail so we can figure this out.
Delores

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

QUESTION: I NOTICED HE FIRST STARTED TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS AFTER HE HAD BEEN GROOMED WHEN HE CAME HOME HE DIDINT WANT ME TO TOUCH HIM HE JUST USED TO GO TO HIS BASKET AND DIDNT WANT ME TO PET HIM MUCH HE WOULD COME ROUND THE NEXT DAY. THIS IS WHAT MADE ME THINK MAYBE THE EXPERIANCE FOR HIM WASNT A GOOD ONE SO THAT IS WHEN I DECIDED TO DO IT AT HOME! TO BEGIN WITH HE WASNT TOO BAD BUT AS TIME AS GOT ON HE HAS GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE, UNDER NORMAL CONDITIN YOU COULD'NT WISH FOR A BETTER DOG I LOVE HIM TO BIT'S, THAT'S WHY IT HAS CONCERNED ME SO MUCH THAT HE IS BEHAVING IN THIS WAY, WHEN I SAY AGGRESSIVE HE TRIES TO BITE WHAT EVER IT IS I AM USING AT THE TIME I.E CLIPPERS OR HIS BRUSH, HE HATES ROLLING OVER SO IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TOO GROOM HIM PROPERLY AND I DO LIKE HIM WELL GROOMED. HE DOES SUFFER FROM A FUNGAL SKIN CONDITION UNDER HIS BELLY AND BETWEEN HIS TOES WHICH GETS VERY SORE, HOWEVER THIS I AM NOW ON TOP OF AND HAS SETTLED DOWN AGAIN FOR THE MOMENT, THIS TENDS TO FLARE UP MOST SUMMERS. I AM CONTINUALLY MONOTORING THE CONDITION SO IT DOESNT GET TOO BAD, HE IS ON TWO LOTS OF TABLETS AND CREAM FOR HIS PAWS. APART FROM THAT AS I SAY I HAVENT NOTICED ANY MORE PROBLEMS HE IS A VERY CLINGY DOG ALWAYS HAVE BEEN HE HATES IT IF I AM OUT OF HIS SIGHT THIS IS SOMETHING I HAVE GROWN USED TO, MY OTHER COCKER WAS THE SAME BLESS HIM. THANK YOU FOR YOU INTEREST AND YOUR VERY QUICK REPLY I HOPE I HAVE GIVEN YOU SOME IMFORMATION THAT MAY BE OF SOME HELP SO THAT I IN TURN CAN MAKE THIS A BETTER EXPERIANCE FOR BARNEY. KIND REGARDS LINDSAY
ANSWER: Lindsay,
What I need to know is has he always reacted badly to grooming or is this recent?  He's 8...when did this start?

I also need to know exactly what you're giving him for this fungal condition and precisely how you "monitor" it.
What are the "lots of pills and creams"?  Be specific.

And what are you feeding him?

If this is skin related (and it may well be if this is a fairly recent development..like within a year) then advice would be different than if he's been like this re grooming since he was a puppy.

So take your time...give me details..meds..food.. time frame of this behavior and what your vet says about his skin.
Delores

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

QUESTION: HI DELORES THANK YOU FOR YOU TIME AND PATIENCE
I FEED BARNEY ON THE PEDIGREE DRY DOG FOOD CHICKEN AND RICE
WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF MEAT MIXED IN.
THE VET DIAGNOSED BARNEY ABOUT THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO WITH HIS SKIN COMPLAINT, HE HAD SKIN TESTS ETC AND THEY SAID IT WAS A FUNGAL INFECTION,PROBABLY FROM THE GRASS,MORE ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER, HE WAS PUT ON  TWO LOTS OF TABLETS ONE OF WHICH WAS STEROIDS,HOWEVER IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO I DISCOVERED GLOBAL HERBS SO I AM NOW TREATING HIM NATURALLY
HE IS ON 30KG SKRATCHPLUS AND 20KG DEFENZE FOR HIS PAWS HE IS ON DERMANOL CREAM.I FIND THIS WORKS VERY WELL AND KEEPS THE PROBLEM AT BAY. I TOOK BARNEY TO THE VETS FOR HIS REGULAR CHECK UP AND BOOSTER IN MARCH AND HE SAID HE IS LOOKING IN VERY GOOD CONDITION.
I STARTED TO TAKE BARNEY TO BE GROOMED WHEN HE WAS A PUPPY HOWEVER WHERE I FIRST USED TO TAKE HIM CLOSED DOWN ,FROM THERE ON IN I STARTED TO USE ANOTHER GROOMER IT WAS AFTER PICKING HIM UP FROM THERE I NOTICED THE CHANGE.HE IS ALWAYS SO EXCITED WHEN I PICK HIM UP BUT WHEN HE GOT HOME HE DIDNT LIKE ME TOUCHING HIM FOR A START UNTILL AS I SAY THE NEXT DAY IT WAS AS IF HE HAD HAD ENOUGH BEING MESSED ABOUT FOR A BIT, THIS IS WHEN THE GROWLING FIRST STARTED.EACH TIME THIS HAPPENED SO IN THE END I DECIDED NOT TO TAKE HIM ANYMORE AS I THOUGHT THE TWO THINGS WERE OBVIOUSLY RELATED, AS IF SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED TO HIM AND HE WAS BEING WARY,THEY ALWAYS HAD ALOT OF DOGS IN A SMALL SPACE HOWEVER THEY ALWAYS DID A LOVELY JOB OF HIM,I HAVENT MENTIONED THAT I HAVENT HAD HIM CASTRATED! I THINK THATS THE WORD LOL, SO I WONDERED IF HE MIGHT JUST BE TRYING TO SHOW HIS DOMINANCE TOWARDS ME.
SO EVENTUALLY I DECIDED I WOULD TRY AND DO IT MYSELF INITIALLY IT WAS FINE HE WOULD TOLERATE IT NOT LIKE IT!
BUT MORE RECENTLY IF HE SEES THE CLIPPERS HE RUNS! HE GROWLS HE SHOWS HIS TEETH, HE WILL TRY TO BITE THE CLIPPERS AND OBVIOUSLY I HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFULL BECAUSE MY HANDS ARE IN THE WAY. HE GETS VERY FEROCIOUS
I THINK THE WORLD OF THIS DOG, AND I DONT LIKE THE FACT HE GETS SO UPSET. SO IT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE BEST FOR BOTH OF US IF I FOUND ANOTHER GROOMER FOR HIM! HE IS EXCERCISED DAILY AS I HAVE A FIELD JUST ACROSS THE ROAD AND TAKEN ON HOLIDAY WITH US TO DERBYSHIRE AND YORKSHIRE SO HE HAS A GOOD LIFE,SO IT IS SUCH A SHAME HE IS PETRIFIED OF THIS EXPERIENCE. THAT IS WHY I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT WHY HE IS LIKE THIS, AND TRY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY NERVOUS OF OTHER DOGS RIGHT FROM A PUP, HE USED TO RUN AWAY OR TRY TO CLIMB UP ME, SO I DECIDED TO TAKE HIM TO SOME CLASSES TO GET HIM USED TO BEING AROUND OTHER DOGS WITH CLOSE CONTACT, THIS DEFINATELY HELPED.
AS I SAID BEFORE HE IS A VERY CLINGY DOG I CANNOT MOVE WITHOUT HIM, IF WE GO OUT AND ONE OF THE PACK SO TO SPEAK GO TO THE TOILET OR WHATEVER HE GETS DISTRESSED UNTILL WE ARE TOGETHER AGAIN SO HE SUFFERS FROM ANXIETY.
I THINK I HAVE COVERED EVERYTHING NOW, HE IS A BIT OF A MIXED BAG BLESS HIM.
ONCE AGAIN I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR DIAGNOSIS.
KIND REGARDS LINDSAY  

Answer
Hi Lindsay,
Well, thank God you had the sense to stop giving him steroids.

You're feeding the worst possible food and I'd strongly recommend changing that.  I like Canidae All Life Stages for cockers and canned is better than kibble.  Innova EVO is also good...not the 95% meat variety..the regular one.
Kibble exacerbates skin problems due to the very heavy carb load and lack of fat.

Barney should be neutered. It's better for his health and his behavior.

I do have other advice to assist his skin issues and if you'd like to write me directly we can discuss that.
DeeBeck7765@aol.com.

After reading his grooming "history", I'd recommend a professional groomer who's good with nervous dogs.
And right now, due to his skin, I'd get him clipped right down until this is under control.  I think he had a bad experience with the 2nd groomer and I also think he's doing a show of dominance with you.  Apparently you're in the UK so I don't know if you have anything like a PetSmart there where they'll do an express groom?  But call around to available groomers and explain your problem.  It'll be better for both of you.
Delores