Question:
> You guys are scarring the hell out of me! > I have a 9 month old female springer who every now and then goes into > hyper fits. She has never attacked anyone, but tears around the house > running back and forth between the kitchen and living room. She usually > does this after we’ve been playing hard so I just wrote if off to her being > an energetic puppy. Is this the beginning of "springer rage"? > Should I start discouraging any kind of hyper activity now?
Scott, I see that ‘orbiting’ behavior in puppies of all breeds. Springers are a sensitive breed that are sometimes trained using harsh methods that can lead to ‘fear’ biting. I would recommend that you train your puppy in a positive manner. SIRIUS PUPPY TRAINING Video by Dr Ian Dunbar is a good source of positive off-lead lure and reward training that Springers excel at. Call 510-658-8588 to order a copy. You might ask them, when you call, if they can recommend a training class in your area. best from, Joel Walton Walton Family Dog Training
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> : You guys are scarring the hell out of me! > : I have a 9 month old female springer who every now and then goes into > : hyper fits. She has never attacked anyone, but tears around the house > : running back and forth between the kitchen and living room. She usually > : does this after we’ve been playing hard so I just wrote if off to her being > : an energetic puppy. Is this the beginning of "springer rage"? > : Should I start discouraging any kind of hyper activity now?
Hey, I am concerned about my Springer also. He is distancing himself and has snapped a couple of times, snarling and biting for nothing( luckily no one injured severly) I had wrote it off as bad day or something. He loves to run and play and was very loving couldn’t get close enough kind of dog. Now he doesn’t really want much to do with us and just has a real blank stare at us no sparkle in his eyes like he used to. He continues to get more and more defiant and wilder when he is apart from us which is maybe an hour or two a week. Pacing and barking non-stop. What’s up with this dog I thought he was getting better, when we got him from the pound he was 6 months old and seemed calm, he was too wild for the house and destructive, so we put him outside in a large kennel and let him run lose in the field for exercise. When it got cold outside we brought him back in because he had started to refuse going in his dog house and slept outside in the cold. When we brought him in it was like he had been transformed into the perfect dog. No garbage eating, pottytrained (miracle), no piddling, no swipping food off the table while you were trying to eat it and no fear like when we got him. Now about a month and a half later he has been exhibiting alot of strange behavior. Could this be Springer Rage or an indicator he is rather scary when he just dead stares at you? This is a dog who just couldn’t get enough loving and now he’ll walk away from you when you begin to pet him. I have children and a dog that has a potential for craziness is not what I need. Any advice? Thanks ,
Response:
You guys are scarring the hell out of me! >I have a 9 month old female springer who every now and then goes into >hyper fits. She has never attacked anyone, but tears around the house >running back and forth between the kitchen and living room. She usually >does this after we’ve been playing hard so I just wrote if off to her being >an energetic puppy. Is this the beginning of "springer rage"?
Your dog is probably not a risk, unless he exhibits some actually signs of aggression, e.g., snarling, snapping, barking at you while being disciplined, etc.. The puppy’s excited running through the house may indicate a need for additional exercise and/or general obedience training. Dogs frequently engage in such behavior simply as an energetic expression of exuberance — a kind of happy energy. I would avoid chasing or trying to catch him, since this may only cause the problem to become worse — perhaps making him more competitive and dominant. The best alternative is to keep him on leash when you need added control. Find a good obedience school. Steve Lindsay Canine Behavioral Services Philadelphia., PA
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I see that ‘orbiting’ behavior in puppies of all breeds. > Springers are a sensitive breed that are sometimes trained > using harsh methods that can lead to ‘fear’ biting. > I would recommend that you train your puppy in a positive > manner. SIRIUS PUPPY TRAINING Video by Dr Ian Dunbar is > a good source of positive off-lead lure and reward training > that Springers excel at. Call 510-658-8588 to order a copy. > You might ask them, when you call, if they can recommend > a training class in your area. > best from, > Joel Walton > Walton Family Dog Training
Our 3 year old Springer also "exercises" herself from time to time. She picks up one of her two dozen tennis balls and runs back and forth from kitchen to front hall (long hallway) and has a great time. Springers obviously crave human contact, and life revolves around whatevefr we as a family are up to. I can’t see a Springer as an out-of-doors dog — beside me on the couch is wher she belongs, and we both know it.
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>> : …….Is this the beginning of "springer rage"? > : Should I start discouraging any kind of hyper activity now?
I’ve never heard of Springer Rage. Could you explain this behavior in detail? John
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>I wish I could tell you what to do about it. The only thing that seems to >work is to crate the dog when an "attack starts."
I have a friend who had to put her 14 month old springer to sleep the day after Christmas. It attacked her husband on Christmas day — the one thing that probably saved him from serious harm (besides kicking the dog — no flames, the dog was seriously attacking him) was the fact that the dog was INCREDIBLY well-trained — they kept yelling "kennel" "kennel" "kennel" at the dog, and eventually he ran and laid down in his crate. But they didn’t DARE approach him to shut the door even still. BTW — this dog was incredibly well trained — he already had his "Canine Good Citizen" certificate. >triggers the attacks….and this may be very difficult. When you see the >dog going into the attack mode….sometimes their eyes get glassy and they >crouch….try to put it in a crate immediately. But you must be very >careful about getting bit or try to coax it into the bathroom or another >room with a door…turn out the light and leave it in therer until the >attack passes.
Based on her experience, I wouldn’t even TRY to touch the dog — work on teaching it a "go to XXX" command like they did. >there is no hope. If you do get another springer and I know many >wonderful dogs, go to another breeder and stress that you want good >temperament. You have my sympathy and understanding.
Mine too. But even a good temperament is no guarantee — my understanding of this problem is that it’s similar to epilepsy — her dog was 98% of the time a WONDERFUL dog, and came from very nice bloodlines (Am/Can/Mex Ch, CD, CDX, TD, etc in the parents). The episodes of aggression were not terribly common — but unfortunately they escalated in severity quickly. It wasn’t easy for her to decide to put her dog to sleep. You have my sympathy also. & Edric the Wonder Mutt, Kati the world’s hairiest Akita, __ /|__ Gypsy the brindle pinto pogo stick, ah, I mean Akita, / ___/ ^_/ and Battlecat & Cringer, who think all dogs are dumb / | (oh, yeah, there might be a husband under all the hair) / — / "If I don’t vacuum for another year, maybe I’ll finally || || have wall-to-wall carpeting!"
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> I own a 2 1/2 year old springer spaniel that has been attacking lately. Our > vet told us this is due to a disease that springers get. I was wondering if > anybody else has had an experience with this.
The disease your vet is referring to is probably "springer rage". Unfortunately , being an obedience instructor for 19 years I’ve seen a lot of springs with it, however I’ve also seen some very fine springers with no indication of temperament fault. I wish I could tell you what to do about it. The only thing that seems to work is to crate the dog when an "attack starts." Try to figure out what triggers the attacks….and this may be very difficult. When you see the dog going into the attack mode….sometimes their eyes get glassy and they crouch….try to put it in a crate immediately. But you must be very careful about getting bit or try to coax it into the bathroom or another room with a door…turn out the light and leave it in therer until the attack passes. These dogs are not trustworth at all and cannot be around small children who put their faces too close to the dog. The rages may get too severe and then your only option would be euthanasia…I’m sorry to say that…that if your dogs gets worse….that almost always means there is no hope. If you do get another springer and I know many wonderful dogs, go to another breeder and stress that you want good temperament. You have my sympathy and understanding.
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Hello! How frequent is this illness (10% of population or)? Is it all springer spaniels that can get it (english and welsh) or? /Minna
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>How frequent is this illness (10% of population or)?
I don’t think anyone knows for sure. The person I know whose dog had this problems did *not* get a definitive diagnosis — because it’s hard to know when a behavior problem stops and a neurologic problem starts. She had her dog completely autopsied — and they didn’t find ANY abnormal anatomy or pathology. But apparently even in dogs who are "diagnosed" with rage, often their autopsies show nothing abnormal (something like 40% of the dogs have no identifiable physical or cellular abnormalities). >Is it all springer spaniels that can get it (english and welsh) or?
I’ve heard of it in cockers as well – although not as commonly. I don’t know about Welshies — although they’re a much less popular breed, so they haven’t been overbred for greed. I would guess Welshie breeders have much better control of their gene pool, since you don’t see a lot of Welshies in puppy mills. & Edric the Wonder Mutt, Kati the world’s hairiest Akita, __ /|__ Gypsy the brindle pinto pogo stick, ah, I mean Akita, / ___/ ^_/ and Battlecat & Cringer, who think all dogs are dumb / | (oh, yeah, there might be a husband under all the hair) / — / "If I don’t vacuum for another year, maybe I’ll finally || || have wall-to-wall carpeting!"
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>Hello! >How frequent is this illness (10% of population or)? >Is it all springer spaniels that can get it (english and welsh) or?
I have never heard of this problem in Welshies. Karen F.
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>You guys are scarring the hell out of me! >I have a 9 month old female springer who every now and then goes into >hyper fits. She has never attacked anyone, but tears around the house >running back and forth between the kitchen and living room. She usually >does this after we’ve been playing hard so I just wrote if off to her being >an energetic puppy. Is this the beginning of "springer rage"?
I doubt it. You’re describing typical puppy behavior — the "I’m going to run run run run run run run as fast as I can and play play play play play" stage. Don’t sweat it — springer rage is something different. >Should I start discouraging any kind of hyper activity now?
It’s my understanding that like epilepsy, there is no way to "discourage" or "prevent" actual rage. This is beyond the control of the dog. Some owners can manage their dogs despite the rage (just like some owners can handle an epileptic dog) but others cannot — but there is no known cure or prevention. Bottom line — it sounds like you have a normal puppy that needs a little more exercise. & Edric the Wonder Mutt, Kati the world’s hairiest Akita, __ /|__ Gypsy the brindle pinto pogo stick, ah, I mean Akita, / ___/ ^_/ and Battlecat & Cringer, who think all dogs are dumb / | (oh, yeah, there might be a husband under all the hair) / — / "If I don’t vacuum for another year, maybe I’ll finally || || have wall-to-wall carpeting!"
Response:
>I own a 2 1/2 year old springer spaniel that has been attacking lately. Our >vet told us this is due to a disease that springers get. I was wondering if >anybody else has had an experience with this.
Unfortunately, yes. It is called Springer Rage and is VERY ugly. It usually happens after 2 years of age. It is not a behavioral issue, it is physical – in the brain.
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I own a 2 1/2 year old springer spaniel that has been attacking lately. Our vet told us this is due to a disease that springers get. I was wondering if anybody else has had an experience with this.
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RE: psycho springer spaniel It is difficult to comment on your dog’s behavior without more information concerning the exact situations in which he has displayed aggression and the form it takes. Many springer spaniels exhibit a genetically-linked form of dominance aggression, variously referred to as "springer rage," low-threshold dominance aggression, or advoidance-motivated aggression. The leading expert on springer aggressive behavior is Dr. Ilana Reisner at Cornell. She has been doing research on the disorder and has developed a treatment plan that you may want to discuss with your veterinarian. Working with such dogs requires great skill, expertise, and patience. Many cases respond variably well to a combination of training and behavior modification, sometimes carried out in conjunction with a variety of drug therapies, especially serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g., fluoxetine) and drugs enhancing serotonergic action (e.g.,lithium). Steve Lindsay Canine Behavioral Services Philadelphia, PA
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