Cockers are suppose to be bad about nipping.
We had weinee dogs for years,ours did try to bite strangers pretty regularly.
And they did try and bite the Marshall that showed up here( looking for neighbor had two passports,they wondered why )The Marshall said he'd never been bit by a Doberman,pit bull,or Shepard but dauchunds had nailed him more than once.But they are hunting dogs,bred to go after badgers in their den so they are pretty brave.Ours attacked a stray pit bull that showed up in the yard,they were both fighting and I'm sure it would have went badly for them till my ex popped the pit with a bullet.Whoever threw that dog out to starve really deserved the bullet.
One day my ex came in the house and his neck was bleeding,I asked what happened and he said that Bluto had bit him.Huh?I visualized the dog hurtling thru the air and attaching to my husband's throat What happened was my son had been naughty and my ex had bent him over his knee to paddle him.Bluto was not going to allow that,when he heard the first squeal he jumped up and went for the throat!!But you could not punish a dog for trying to protect a child.If a stranger had tried to harm that kid that little dog would have done all he could to protect my son.And they were excellent ratters and varmint dogs.
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I am the dust that dances in the light. - Rumi