# Cockapoo Bad Behaviour and Agression



## IamJessieB (May 18, 2021)

I have a very loving male cockapoo who is just over 1 year old. When both myself and my partner are home he is very well behaved. He listens to my partner much more than me though, even though I am the one who trained him!
When I am alone with him (which is at least 5 days a week for at least 8 hours and at least 2 evenings a week until he goes to bed) he gets very nasty. I will say nasty as I can be sat on the sofa and he will turn... he starts scratching and the sofa or jumping up at things on the tables or sideboard and as soon as he is told no he will come at me bearing and biting. If I try to pick him up to time him out he starts launching at me teeth beared and biting me and my clothing. It is then impossible to pick him up and I end up having to leave the room.
I have lost count of how many holes I have in clothes and bruised and cuts I have on me.
Even if I leave the room and give him a minute as soon as I enter it starts again. When I do finally manage to get him into the kitchen for a good time out, whenever I let him back in its not long before it starts again.
I end up very upset and lost as to why he does this to me and only me!!

When ever myself and boyfriend are at home he follows me everywhere and gets sad when I am not in the room or if I have gone out.
He is very affectionate at others times and so it really confuses me why he acts this way.
He did this as a pup and stopped at around 6 months for 6-8 weeks and now its back with a vengeance.

Is it just adolescence and will he grow out of it because I am worried he will not.
We have thought of getting a behaviourist but he sadly only does it when its just me and him.

Thanks


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

It sounds to me like he is maybe getting bored and starts to engage in some attention seeking behaviour and from his point of view you then get quite aggressive with him trying to pick him up to remove him so he has learned to pre-empt this by coming at you.

A trainer would be a very good idea and videoing the behaviour but I suspect if you change your behaviour he will change his. I don't mean just letting him get in with what he is doing but instead of telling him no try engaging him in some training or provide him with something to do like a filled kin toy.


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## IamJessieB (May 18, 2021)

2ndhandgal said:


> It sounds to me like he is maybe getting bored and starts to engage in some attention seeking behaviour and from his point of view you then get quite aggressive with him trying to pick him up to remove him so he has learned to pre-empt this by coming at you.
> 
> A trainer would be a very good idea and videoing the behaviour but I suspect if you change your behaviour he will change his. I don't mean just letting him get in with what he is doing but instead of telling him no try engaging him in some training or provide him with something to do like a filled kin toy.


Thanks so much for responding. I thought he may be bored but he gets the same if not more attention when it's just myself and him. If my partner is home alone with him they just relax, sleep and he gets much less attention. Can it really be classed as boredom? Thanks


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

I would imagine he is quite tense with the encounters too so he will be less likely to relax when it is just the two of you as experience says things quite often go wrong.


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## Arabellapoo (Sep 21, 2021)

IamJessieB said:


> I have a very loving male cockapoo who is just over 1 year old. When both myself and my partner are home he is very well behaved. He listens to my partner much more than me though, even though I am the one who trained him!
> When I am alone with him (which is at least 5 days a week for at least 8 hours and at least 2 evenings a week until he goes to bed) he gets very nasty. I will say nasty as I can be sat on the sofa and he will turn... he starts scratching and the sofa or jumping up at things on the tables or sideboard and as soon as he is told no he will come at me bearing and biting. If I try to pick him up to time him out he starts launching at me teeth beared and biting me and my clothing. It is then impossible to pick him up and I end up having to leave the room.
> I have lost count of how many holes I have in clothes and bruised and cuts I have on me.
> Even if I leave the room and give him a minute as soon as I enter it starts again. When I do finally manage to get him into the kitchen for a good time out, whenever I let him back in its not long before it starts again.
> ...


Just joined the forum to see if any advice on something very similar to this.

Our Poo is just one and has similar tendencies. She can be the most fussy, affectionate dog at times but then other times if you go near her starts growling. This could be if we walk past her bed or go near her if she has got on the sofa. The growl becomes aggressive barking at times and occasionally lunging and snapping.

We have not got a clue how to stop or even reduce this if people have any ideas.

How has your Poo been since as noticed original post was about 4 months ago and any tips.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Hello and welcome, from the description of the incidences it sounds like classic resource guarding, sounds like she gets comfy on the sofa and does not want you to remove her and is telling you that, in her bed it is quite likely she has something she fears you are going to take off her. 

Training is all to do with helping the dog to understand these situations and that they have nothing to fear from you. Things like teaching to get off the sofa when asked instead of being forcibly removed and teaching to give up things are all really helpful. 

Folk sometimes think they need to teach the dog the humans are in charge - this will generally make things much worse, you need to work on it calmly and gradually so they learn to behave without being forced. Avoid confrontation at all costs and a good reward based trainer can really help you with this sort of thing.


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