THE ENGLISH COCKER-SPANIEL - PRELIMINARY FINDINGS ON AGGRESSIVE-BEHAVIOR

Two thousand questionnaires were distributed randomly via the Kennel C lub (UK) to owners of purebred English Cocker Spaniels (ECSs). Owners were asked to give details about the ECSs they owned: age, sex, neuter status, coat colour. They were also asked to indicate whether their d og showed aggression (on a 1-5 scale; 1, never or almost never, 5, alw ays or almost always) in any of 13 situations. These were: aggression towards strange dogs (Al), towards strangers approaching the dog (A2), towards persons approaching/visiting the home (A3), towards persons a pproaching the owner away from home (A4), towards children in the hous ehold (A5), towards other dogs in the household (A6), when the owner g ives attention to other person or animal (A7), toward owner or member of owner's family (A8), when disciplined (A9), when reached for or han dled (A10), when in restricted spaces (A11), at meal times/defending f ood (A12) and, suddenly and without apparent reason (A13). A total of 1008 (50.4%) replies was received, of which 932 (owning 1109 dogs) wer e suitable for analysis. Solid colour ECSs were significantly more lik ely to show aggression than particolours in 12 out of the 13 situation s (A2-A13) and red/goldens were more likely to show aggression than bl acks in situations A1, A4, A5 and A7-A13 inclusive. Males were signifi cantly more likely to show aggression than females in situations A1, A 8, A9 and A10 while females were significantly more likely to show agg ression towards other dogs in the household (A6). When comparing ECSs which had been neutered before signs of aggression were apparent, with entires, neutered females were found more likely to show aggression t owards children in the household (A5), Cluster analysis revealed six g roups of associated variables; these were labelled, 'protective (of it self and owner)', 'protective (of territory)', 'intraspecific (unfamil iar dogs)', 'competitive', 'possessive', and 'dominance-type' aggressi on. Most dogs showed 'protective (of territory)' aggression (45.7%) wh ile 'dominance-type' aggression was the least common (11.7%). The resu lts suggest a genetic and neuroendocrine basis for the within-breed di fferences in aggression. Neutering was not found to be useful as a pre ventative measure for aggression. From the cluster analysis, there was some evidence that so-called 'rage' syndrome, a condition often repor ted in the breed and one which is characterised by sudden and unpredic table aggression, is an expression of social dominance, rather than be ing a separate or pathological phenomenon. Follow-up projects are now underway and it is hoped they will lead to a better understanding of a ll types of canine aggression, and provide an answer as to whether or not 'rage' truly exists as a distinct phenomenon.