We have a two year old springer spaniel/retriever cross (male). He is generally a lovely friendly dog but very exciteable and boistrous.

We have a problem with him when people come to the house, he gets so over excited that he becomes something of a nuisance - jumping up, won't leave the visitors alone etc.

However our main problem is when we need to take him to the vets, he gets so stressed that he ends up becoming very aggressive and needs to be muzzled and sedated before the vet can even administer his booster injections. Seeing him in this aggressive state is frankly quite frightening and makes us wonder how stable he really is. Our daughter is expecting our first grandchild in September and although she doesn't live with us we are concerned for the babies safety if Scout gets jealous and turns on her. I must stress that Scout is not normally aggressive but having seen how he can react is causing us some concern.

We are considering some behavioural training but to be honest I do not know how effective that would be and the only alternative would seem to be to get him rehomed - we obviously cannot risk any potential harm happening to the baby.

So, if the worst comes to the worst, how do we go about getting him rehomed? does anyone know where we should start looking for a suitable adoptive family?

Any advice appreciated.

He is excitable? Not a crime - Have you worked with him, alone and in training classes to show him being calmer gets rewarded? Put him for 'time out in the garden' for 5 minutes when he jumps, turn out and ignore him. Say 'down' when he listens 'treat him' use 'cliker training'.

- He is scared at the vets and shows this, it doesn't mean they are unstable- My dog becomes another dog at the vets and it is hard tiring work that is an ongoing battle but I would never re home him. Take him to the vets more often get the reception workers to play with him. Get him used to the envionment.

- You are assuming he will turn on the baby before the baby is even here?? I was worried sick like you when a member of the family had a baby. Of course now they are supervised 100% of the time, that is common sense but my dog adores every child in the family. If you show you are unsure about the dog around the baby, the dog will wonder what is the problem, pick up on the tension. If you relax, but still be aware then the dog should adjust to the new situation.

Try those training classes. Try further bonding.

Re homing should be a last resort. But if you HAVE to do not give away to just anyone. Look at good re homing centres/charities in your area for advice who home check and give the dog to a family who is suited to your dog and will take care of it. The last thing you want I am sure is for your dog to go into the wrong hands.

Can't you just keep the dog in the kitchen or bathroom when your daughter visits?

He gets excited when people visit and stressed at the vets? That sounds pretty normal to me.

I have to be blunt, it sounds to me like he is becoming a handful and you are looking for an excuse to rehome him. Sorry.

I'm sure that dogs have an "adolescent" phase at about 2 years old, mine certainly did! They can be a right handful and as others have said bouncing around and stressing at the vets is all pretty normal stuff that a good behaviorist/trainer will be able to help you with. "Help" being the word though, much like human adolescence you have to get through this with firmness and absolute consistency both in your own behavior and from other people who need to have authority over Scout.

Also, just re-read your post, springers and retrievers are working breeds, they need a lot of stimulation and exercise. Is he getting these?

I know you want advice about re-homing but I don't think you'll get that until you've had a discussion with people here about what you've tried and how that has gone. I'm sure that if you really have to get a new home for him people will give you suggestions but its only fair that you state your case first.

Please don't be harsh on the OP.

There is a recognised condition known as 'Springer Rage Syndrome' that they should investigtate.

The kind of behaviour they are describing considering the breed is a genuine cause for concern.

IMO, they should speak to their vets about this .

Springer Spaniels inflict more attacks and bites on humans than any other breed due to this syndrome.

Thanks for the feedback everyone,

Just to fill in a bit on the background. Scout was brought home by our other daughter (not the one who is pregnant) . Although my wife and I are fond of dogs and were both brought up with dogs we had no intention of getting a dog at that time. However once he was here we fell for him in a big way and have looked after him ever since.

He has had a course of behavioural training which has helped with his general behaviour but not the problems we have mentioned.

We took him to the vet today for a kennel cough vaccine but he ended up not getting it as he was so stressed and the vet was unable to administer the drug. The whole experience was so traumatic that I suppose the rehoming question was a reaction to yet another bad experience at the vets. The vet told us about another behavioural trainer who she recommended but I suppose we are just at a stage where we wonder if whatever we do will make a difference.

I work from home and spend more time than anyone with Scout - walk him twice a day etc. and believe me it would be the hardest thing in the world for me to give him up but I need some support in this from the rest of the family and I don't think their hearts are in it anymore.

I have emailed the new behavioural expert and will see what response we get from her before doing anything else but thanks again for the replies, I know it comes across like I have just given up on him but perhaps it is just caused by frustration at the events of today

Sorry rubble2, not meaning to sound harsh and we dog owners do understand, honestly. I have a terrier, have always had terriers, so I do understand what it can be like to live with a dog that's a bit of a nutter. I can also see how people who don't have the same strong relationship with Scout as you do will have had enough. Whatever the protesting it looks like he'll have to be shut in the kitchen if he can't be polite to visitors. See how you get on with this new behaviorist.

I think only you know his real behaviour and only you know if you could trust him or not..I understand all the dog lovers on here giving you a hard time about letting him go..but from a mums point of view..if my parents had a dog who they were unsure of I personally would not want to take my child anywhere near them..I will take all the back lash thrown at me but my order of priority would be child first dog second!..and would not take the chance.

I realise you find yourself in a very difficult situation. But reading this - why do you think a new home is going to resolve the problem? Okay it would resolve it for you, but how easy do you think it would be to find a home for a dog with these problems? I really hope the behaviourist can offer help and you are able to keep him.

As Josephine says, if you have to rehome him please do it through a reputable animal welfare society - and please tell them the extent of the problems so they know what they are dealing with.

Ok,

Having slept on it, I think that considering rehoming may have been a bit of a knee jerk reaction.

I think I need to look at the two main problems we have as separate issues.
I am fairly sure that the jumping up at visitors can be resolved with some intensive training.

Reflecting on the incident at the vets it is clear that Scout was extremely stressed and that his behaviour was caused by fright rather than plain aggression. Because he starts to react so strongly to going to the vets even before the vet tries to treat him I think that we would be on a hiding to nothing if we perservere with taking him to the same vets practice. I am thinking therefore of registering him with another vets practice in walkind distance and taking him there on a regular basis during his normal exercise walk just so that he gets used to it. He is not due for a routine visit until the end of November so I hope that by that time he may be more relaxed about his visits to the vet.

Any comments or suggestions welcome

Hi rubble2, it sounds to me like you are on the right track, what a difference it can make to sleep on it! A strategy for many problems of course. A dog can be a handful and its absolutely fine to take time out - its the same with kids, sometimes you just have to pack them off to the grandparents for a weekend to get a bit of breathing space or you go nuts

My dog used to jump on people when they came through the door but as she is little she got away with it, people would say "ah it doesn't matter, she's so sweet" but it bothered me. I used the following technique, which incidentally, I have also used on my boss's collie X who comes to work and it has been successful for him too.

When someone comes in the house, or indeed approaches you and the dog anywhere, tell them to maintain eye contact with you and do not look at Scout. When Scout jumps up the person must turn their back on him, they can acknowledge him when he has all four feet on the floor. If he starts bouncing around again just turn away. It takes a few goes but I find that this starts to work really quickly. The dog begins to understand that you are the boss so you get first attention from visitors and secondly, he only gets what he wants when he asks politely.

Let me know if you try this and how you get on.

rubble, you say he is walked twice a day, is that off lead? A dog walks three/four times as much as us off lead with their darting all over the place.
I have a rescue Cocker, nothing like the Cockers I've had from pups. This one acts more like a mad Springer, and spring he does on all four legs when I come in. I simply refuse to acknowledge him until he sits down. It's working, rather than jumping, he now vocalises his delight almost like he's trying to talk.
One thing that calms mine is to give him something for him to parade with. Anyone with a retrieving breed will know what I mean. They get something such as a toy or ball, and walk around with it, pleased as punch. Maybe on entering the house, have something to give him to parade with.
On the Vet question, why on Earth have they not suggested a mild sedative for you to administer before taking him? As he was due a kennel cough vaccine, does that mean he was going into kennels? If so,will the kennels take him without it? It's a squirt up the nose, surely possible with a Vet's muzzle that leaves the nose free.
My Vet always gets down to my dog's level to make friends before anything else,hope yours does too. Like Drs, some Vets have the gift of a bedside manner, others don't.
There is also a plug in to calm dogs called Feliway.http://www.nutrecare.co.uk/Product-1...sing-Pheromone

Great minds and all that, Fieldfare.

Hey rubble2. How's it going with you and Scout? Tried anything yet?

I would like to see some hard evidence of "Springer Rage Syndrome" if you have any links please. Is this the same as "Cocker Rage" or "Rage Syndrome"? Can you back up your last sentence please?

Hi Fieldfare,

I have registered Scout at a new vets and I took him there yesterday for a social visit. He got on fine, had a look around and was made a fuss of by the nurses.

I will be taking him back a couple more times over the next ten days but the crunch will come a week on Friday when he needs to get his kennel cough innoculation ready to go into the kennel for our holiday.

Wish me luck, either way it will need to done or we won't be going away on hols.

This is me wishing you luck, I think you need your holiday!

Hi Rubble you have two issues here, the vet and the jumping up with visitors. The jumping up with visitors is an easy fix. As the visit to the vets is usually few and far between concentrate on the easy fix first. My Staffie was terrible at jumping up, I took her to the GCDS run by the kennel Club and after two sessions we have cracked it, but its very, very har work and you do need to get friends, family and neighbours to help out. Spaniels are really working dogs, busy dogs and VERY intelligent and need stimulation not just walking think of other things to do play at retrieving and things like that. Take him to gun dog lessons etc my girl goes to Flyball to spend all her energy and enthusiasm as I cant walk far enough to tire her out!

The jumping up is an easy thing to doand it works with lots and lots of treat/reward, only do this when Scout give you the behaviour you want. I enroled my mate to come to the door, come in, my girl as usual jumped up, I would give the command to stop and yup she carried on, and until her bum just touched the floor she was then rewarded. Its time consuming and hard but a Spaniel will get the idea wuickly which is a bonus. The Dogs trust do some fab videos about behaviour problems also the lady that does it has them up onYouTube if you get stuck PM me

Keep at it, dont re-home as you are just palming off a problem to someone else its not resolved

Good luck

never heard of Springer rage either,in fact most Springers ive ever met are nothing but overfriendly.

I know someone who had a cocker spaniel that had cocker rage,the guy had cockers all his life but this one(golden) was vicious.he had him put down in the end.