Cocker Spaniel embarrassing behaviour

theonlygirl

Hi Guys

I have a 1.5 year old cocker spaniel and he is really embarrassing when I bring him for walks. Whenever he sees other dogs he lies on the ground and sort of crawls towards them making this weird squeaking whiney sound, and he looks like a complete mental case! He is well socialised as he has our newfoundland as a constant companion and also goes to play with my OH 's 3dogs most weekends, and he never acts like this around them. He just looks really weird when he does this in front of other dog owners and I don't know how to explain his behaviour! Any thoughts?

Lemlin

theonlygirl wrote: »

Hi Guys

I have a 1.5 year old cocker spaniel and he is really embarrassing when I bring him for walks. Whenever he sees other dogs he lies on the ground and sort of crawls towards them making this weird squeaking whiney sound, and he looks like a complete mental case! He is well socialised as he has our newfoundland as a constant companion and also goes to play with my OH 's 3dogs most weekends, and he never acts like this around them. He just looks really weird when he does this in front of other dog owners and I don't know how to explain his behaviour! Any thoughts?

It could be shyness. Cockers are known to suffer from it sometimes. He'd be well used to the dogs you socialise him with but not other dogs.

wexford202

It sounds really cute.

He is just introducing himself to the other dogs that way as like the other poster said it is just shy and excited at the same time to make a new friend.

You should video it doing that. Kirsty's home videos would love that!

Morganna

sounds like he is being submissive

nearly_there

my boxer used do that as well when she was younger, seemed to me like she just wanted to play and was saying hello although she did look like like she was about to pounce on some smaller dogs. After bringing her to puppy socialising class and letting her play with my friends dogs, she has stopped doing it. Maybe its just a juvenile thing?

Blueprint

I'd say it's a confidence thing, my dog started lying down and waiting for dogs to come up to him after he once ran up to an unfriendly dog and got bitten in the face when he was young. The dog is saying that s/he is friendly and doesn't mean to cause any trouble, so it's submissive behaviour. My guy doesn't whine though.

ceoltoir

You can see this behaviour at 2.00 a.m. on any Dublin street–from two-legged creatures!

Durga

My Sheltie X does this sometimes but I've always put it down to the herding instinct in him. He sees a dog approaching, down he goes, eyes up the target, crawls forward, then leaps at them like the big playful furball that he is....except they're not sheep, just other doggies and he'll dance around them hoping they'll play