springer spaniel

Question
I have a 9 year old dog, new to us as to a family death--brought up as a valued family member, no violence.  We have had him 3 months--great personality, smart.  Had one episode of "rage"--no one near the dog; glass broke in kitchen 10-15 feet from "Sam'; suddenly he started growling very viciously  gums bared and pale, eyes wild, body very stiff. Seemed he would attack at any time.  I have had dogs all my life, some more friendly than others, have never seen this fierceness--have heard that springers have a "rage syndrome"  any info?  Thanks--Kitty  

Answer
Kitty,

Aggression needs to be evaluated and diagnosed by a qualified behaviorist. I personally don't believe this is rage syndrome, and I provided a link below to an article on rage syndrome in English Springer Spaniels. You can speak to your veterinarian and ask for a referral to an experienced canine behaviorist in your area. There may also be some testing your veterinarian wishes to do, as there are sometimes neurological or otherwise physiological causes to things like this. There may be medication that your dog would benefit from.

http://www.essfta.org/Health_Research/aggression.htm

Good luck.

Ashley