Help! Dog is v sexual

[lainiekazan]

I have a 10-month-old golden retriever. I have had some helpful advice on here regarding his often challenging behaviour. On the whole he is lovely, though!

However, he is so dog obsessed that even the trainer at the dog classes he was attending agreed he should quit. He tried to mount a passing female dog and it was incredibly difficult to pull him off.

He is also going bananas on walks, leaping at lamp posts and burying his head in nasty-looking patches of undergrowth and inhaling the scents there. He also flies at passing female dogs.

Anyway, yesterday he jumped up at me (he knows he is never allowed to jump up) and I saw he had an erection

All the advice is not to get a young large breed neutered, but I can't have him going on like this.

Does your vet advise against neutering? Why is it not advised?
I'm not an expert by any means but I've never heard that ( doesn't mean it's not true)

It's a hormone surge and happens to all dogs of that age. He can be taught not to do it - it is not a desirable behavior. At all. I would be cross if a dog mounted one of my bitches if she wasn't in season - it points to an untrained dog.

And you'll see many more boy dog erections, neutered or not. Lopping off his knackers will not stop his knob appearing. Nor will it dramatically alter his behavior if he learns to continue with it.

I, personally, would reconsider castration in our case.

It might not change anything, so that's one risk. However, if your dog is fully grown and has no issues with nerves, then castration might help combat this unwanted behaviour.

My dog is a crossbreed, and smaller than yours, and is booked in for castration next week (10 3/4 months) and the vets didn't bat an eyelid.

Alternatively - talk to a behaviourist. There might be some sort of distraction technique with a higher reward. I can't think of any, but if you don't think early castration is right then it's worth an ask.

^your, not our

Your are in the teenage phase all of this including the erection could easily be teenage exuberance. There is a good chance that if you have him neutered the behaviour will still be there.
I would only advise neutering combined with behavioural work.

I was on your other thread and as you know my dog is similar. We had him neutered 3 months ago as he was humping my dd constantly and humped the trainer in puppy class! It is not a cure all, you still need to work on his behaviour, which you know, but with my dog it has definitely stopped the humping and he has calmed down. It takes about 3 months for the testosterone to go and I think that, combined with my training and him naturally calming with age has helped. I would get him done if he's causing issues with other dogs when you're out.

With Goldens especially all advice is to wait at least a year, ideally 18 months before neutering to reduce the risk of hip dysphasia.