Problem cocker

Question
Dear Marwan,

My wife and I are at the end of our rope with our new 5 1/2-month-old American Cocker Spaniel.

We bought her at 7 weeks of age from a "backyard breeder." (My wife fell in love with her at first sight.) She was fine--the usual obedience/behavior problems--until around 4 mos. old. Something happened then, and she started snapping more than just teething, and began actually attacking and biting us.

We lost our first cocker in December, and she was near-perfect; not a mean bone in her body, a classic merry, loving cocker temperament.

We know all dogs, like kids, are different, so we didn't expect a parallel experience. But our new puppy's behavior has evolved to the point where we do not trust her. Instead of being a loving member of the family, she is sewing distrust and fear--and she's only 19 pounds!

She's loving and sweet and otherwise perfect 90 percent of the time. But the 10 percent she isn't occurs in a nanosecond, like flipping a light switch; she becomes for that moment a junkyard dog, biting and attacking with intent to hurt; a real Jeckyl-Hyde personality. In a person, I would call it psychotic.

We've talked with professional trainers--who we cannot afford--and with our vet, who says it may be genetic, and that our ultimate decision may be whether or not to put her down.

He just operated on her for cherry eye in both eyes, and we had her spayed at the same time. Either way, since we were still on the fence at the time, we figured it would benefit both us and her.

My wife and I have been bitten for no apparent reason as many as three or four times a day. I'm not writing to ask you how we can correct it or what may be causing it. We have decided we do not want this in our lives. Normal training we can handle; hard-core aggressive biting behavior training that may or may not work is too much a risk, too long an investment.

We are traumatized and devastated, but our decision has been made. We want a trusted companion, and we don't think that's too much to ask of a pet.

So the problem is how do we cut our losses, since so far I haven't found a rescue organization that will take a known biter. We do not want to put her down--wedon't feel it's our right to decide who or what lives or dies--but if it is our only resort, that is what we will do.

Afte ten years, our first cocker had become like our child; at five months, we have not developed the same kind of attachment to this puppy, and have in fact been demoralized and hardened by its behavior.

Somebody else may actually relish the challenge, a knowledgeable dog lover with special skills, perhaps, who believes they can manage the problem or correct it; or one of those expensive trainers that are so quick to assure us that almost any dog's behavior can be modified acceptably with real effort over time. With no guarantees of course.

So what do we do, now that we're running out of options? We want to begin again and have at least a fighting chance with a normal puppy. This may sound weak, but after the disappointment and all our grief (plus one bite that sent me to the hospital for three days with a very serious infection), we don't have to justify our decision to anybody. We've treated her with love and used positive reinforcement training techniques, and never beat or hurt her, and in it all seems to make no difference in the long run.

We don't want attempts to dissuade us; we want help in where to turn next.

This has become a nightmare. It is so against our being to take a step like this, but the next ten years of our lives are too precious (and life is too short at any rate) to spend with a pet we cannot trust and commit to.

We're in our fearly ifties. My wife is healthy, but I am on the fragile side with many challenges--heart, lung, bone and skin (another story) from long-term steroid therapy. She commutes to Manhattan (a five-hour r/t) every weekday and I am the day-long caretaker. Just putting her collar on and taking it off several times a day is risky for me. We really have no choice but to turn away from this relationship.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions, and thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Bruce & Marie

Answer
If you do not want to put the dog to sleep, you can try the SPCA. They are a non-profit organization, and it is a very good choice for you to let go of your puppy. Also you can offer her to one of the "professional trainers".
I have to, although you said you have no interests in keeping her, tell you that any time you dog bites you, you should close the dog's mouth with your hands untill it starts to whine.
If you are thinking of adopting a small dog, I recommend a spayed Miniature Pinscher. Also a spayed Boxer is an excellent choise for a medium/big dog.
I hope this helps, I am not sure exactly where is the question. If this doesnt help you, please send me your question again. Thank you and good luck.