help with growling

sandcastle97 said:
I just wanted to stop by and update everyone. Life is back to normal. His only problem was the hugging and with supervision and teaching the children problem solved. He is back to his cuddly kissy self with them. Thanks to all!
Our vet appointment is on the 13th and I'll let everyone know what he says. So far I haven't seen a problem, limping etc... I still want to rule it out.
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So happy to hear that he has improved and that you most of all have been willing to TEACH the children how to handle a dog. I can't tell you how many folks would have just dumped him....I just know that I used to get pretty testy when kids hung on me:lol:

I actually had one of my Cocker owners (several years ago) who bought a pup when she was single, call me to tell me that she just had a baby and needed to get rid of the dog...I said why? she said she was taking the advice of her mother. The dog had done NOTHING. I said that is absolutely ridiculous and really counseled her on how to get through the new baby introduction. She kept him. JJ lived out the rest of his days with her and her 3 kids and loved every minute of it...she called me the day he died, bawling her eyes out, she brought up the phone call years earlier where she wanted to get rid of him. She then shared with me the subsequent years and how happy she was that she took my advice..and not Mom's. That he had been a wonderful loving patient pet for her and her kids.
 
Oh Gina
What a wonderful story! I just love hearing positive stories about parents teaching kids how to behave around dogs..

I am an Assistant Manager at a Vitamin Shoppe, I can't tell you how many times a day I correct kids bad behavior in our store and the parents are just in their own world, unaware of what their kids are doing. I always think, what could these kids be doing to an unlucky animal???!!!
 
Getting rid of him never crossed my mind. My children for one would string me up. My husband and I believe strongly in teaching both the dog and the children to get along. They are all so young they just need some help. I've learned with Renie great dogs rarely just happen. You can't expect for them just to know everything. I continue to read and educate myself so I can give him the tools he needs to be as happy with us as we are with him. Thank you all for your kind words on the picture.
 
this is rather off topic but i noticed your username is sandcastle97 and my cocker baby is from Sandcastle Kennels...any connection? sorry that's really off topic! as for something on topic...my whole family has cocker spaniels and one of them absolutely cannot stand children...my brother-in-law has tried everything and bailey just won't budge she growls and snarls at anyone younger than 8 the only exceptions are a few nieces and nephews that have been taught to approach with caution, she seems to like them better?...i have nothing to base this on but it seems to me that maybe some cocker spaniels are just not good with small children now that's not to say they NEVER could be but i agree with the other posts saying that it's better for a child(or anyone for that matter) to approach an unknown dog with caution and not just jump in there and hug them...as the victim of a nasty dog bite as a kid i can say i learned the hard way that not all dogs like to hugged! good luck with your baby!
 
carlyg1989 said:
i have nothing to base this on but it seems to me that maybe some cocker spaniels are just not good with small children now that's not to say they NEVER could be but i agree with the other posts saying that it's better for a child(or anyone for that matter) to approach an unknown dog with caution and not just jump in there and hug them...as the victim of a nasty dog bite as a kid i can say i learned the hard way that not all dogs like to hugged! good luck with your baby!
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That may be true however it may be true of any breed. Proper socialization plays a major role in our pet's behavior. :)
 
i agree with you manuel...i did not mean that only cockers have this problem...i think all dog's AND people should be socialized...i was just basing that on the cockers that i know...
 
manuel said:
That may be true however it may be true of any breed. Proper socialization plays a major role in our pet's behavior. :)
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Carly I have to agree 100% with Manuel! Also, when I'm out in public with my dogs, especially if I choose to take them to a dog park, I watch the children very carefully. I do not allow any child to just walk up and hug any of my dogs. They don't know the kids, and, to protect my dogs, I just don't allow it. Cockers do attract attention, they are merry looking, and beautiful. So, it's up to ME to protect my dogs.

I don't believe you can bundle a whole breed up with bad behaviors because of one or two dogs' actions. There are good and bad in every breed.

And, I know some parents are not always aware of what their kids are doing all the time.
 
i agree as well...i think that all children should be taught that no matter the dog to approach with caution until the dog is comfortable...please do not think that i was bundling the cocker breed with poor scialization with children...i know many many cockers who love their kids and have never had a problem just as i know of many pit bulls and dobermans who are just big puppies who would never hurt anyone...i do not buy into breed temperment generalizations...
 
Our first dog was a black lab. Way before my husband and I had the 3 boys. Sam was a wonderful dog who just never took to kids under the age of 8 give or take a few years. He never bit, he'd just turn his back to them and give him his rear to pet. It was just the way he was. It never changed.

Thankfully Renie doesn't share that problem. He loves kids, but not being hugged. That in mind I have no problem not allowing strange children to pet him. I was training him on walking without pulling this weekend. A small child wanted to approach and we were just starting our walk. He was very excited and not in the right frame of mind. I knew he wouldn't bite, but I was worried he'd jump up and the child was small. (Ren is only a year old, so we're still working on those things.) I smiled and said, "I'm sorry we're training right now." And I kept on walking. It was a tip I read a while ago and I use it when I'm not certain of a situation. It works beautifully and you are being polite. I believe 100% with protecting your dog. If we were at the end of the walk then I would have put him in a sit and allowed it.The child was calm. Renie just wasn't yet at that point. He was excited to walk.

I didn't know there was a sandcastle kennels, pretty name. I use that name because the year the internet went in our house, we had just returned from vacation. So I chose the name sandcastle. 97 is the year my first son was born. Since he was our only child way back then I chose his year of both because sandcastle is a common word.
 
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