Are Cocker Spaniels known to be a Dog Breed that Bites?

Cool Breeze: Is it true that Cocker Spaniels are known to be a breed that bites?
My buddy said that a Cocker Spaniel would bite you quicker than a Pit Bull or Rottweiler would, I find that very hard to believe! Your thoughts?

Answers and Views:

Answer by NyGroomer
I have about 30 American Cockers that I groom...  3/4 of them need to be muzzled. Some just for the nails, some for legs and feet, some for the full groom and bath, some have to be muzzled by the owner as soon as they walk in the door because I can't get near them.

Pitbulls and Rottweilers...offhand I can only recall one Rottie that I needed to muzzle and that was only to do the nails.

Answer by trax203
Generally, I find that to be true with most Cocker Spaniels...They tend to be overly protective of you, your family ( especially children ), and their surroundings when they mature. The second factor they generally are a small breed and everything they see is bigger then they are. Thus the expression " ankle bitter " seems to fit.

As with all dogs, the younger the better.
If you are single, socialize that dog as much a possible with other people (male and female), don't forget the mailman and all meter readers, other dogs, and especially young children.

Answer by cloe
Any dog can be bitter weather it's a cocker spaniel or a beagle. it's all in how you raise your dog. Try taking it to an obedience class to see if that will help.

Answer by DOT
From what I have heard, they are a very gentle and loving breed of dog. My nephew had one and it was extremely loving and friendly, even when meeting new people.

Answer by Whippet keeper
Many poorly bred Am Cockers are very prone to biting ask any groomer. If they aren't trained from early on, they will bite if someone touches their feet or if anyone does something they don't like.

A hunting breed that uses its mouth is normally mouthy as a baby, if it's not stopped then they tend to become worse as adults.

Cockers can be very sweet or very nasty. A good owner and good training can make all the difference. Many owners spoil them or make excuses for them "snapping".

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They got so popular that puppy mills and BYBs were churning them out so the temperaments got pretty bad. They can still be good dogs, but it may take more work than some folks expect. Plus most mill pups and BYB pups are sold too young (under 8 weeks) so they miss out on crucial bite inhibition training from mom and littermates.

They also sometimes fear bite and submissively pee.

Still a nice breed, if you get a good one and train it. Some of the rescued Cockers are so grateful they are super nice as well.

In my area of California, many grooming shops would not take American Cockers at all. I had a bunch of Cocker clients as I would work with even the nasty ones. I was able to retrain most of them. If the owner would work with me the dogs usually got better.

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