Time to neuter?

[grizzlegrumps]

Our lab is 14 months and having been advised by our vet to wait until he's 18 months "ideally" I'm wondering if now's the time?

He's not humping really but getting more growly. We were out today with the family and he was growling at every dog that came near us! Other days though he'll be totally fine.

Any advice? Wait another few months?

Thanks

We had ours done before 12 months. Not sure if breed affects when it should be done. We've got springers

We had our (schnauzer) done once we was regularly cocking his leg, at about 9 or 10 months.

We did it on the advice of the vet and also because my brother had a dog a year older - they had delayed neutering him and he had become a bit of a pest with marking and humping. When they had him neutered, he continued to do it. Seemingly it had become learned behaviour.

Vet told us to wait until he's got through puberty. I know that bigger breeds take longer to mature.

Just wonder whether growling is enough to prompt it. or should we try and wait as otherwise he's totally fine. And it only happens occasionally.

The waiting is because if the growth plates have not closed when you neuter , it can cause problems.

The growling maybe fear - and if it is , the general opinion is that neutering will make it worse.

The growling is quite separate and worrisome.
Is he aggressive off lead too?

He's off lead when he growls but it's normally when other dogs approach us. Which makes me think he's being territorial vs scared.

If he's resource guarding you against other dogs, there's no reason why neutering would stop that behaviour.

careforreactivedogs.com/

This behaviour is highly unlikely to be hormonally driven so neutering is probably going to do nothing to help.

The above website might be useful. I'd probably take expert advice on both his behaviour and whether to neuter. You can find an appropriately qualified professional to help you by looking at the APBC website.

Thanks very much for advice and links. Super helpful

Can anyone help me decide if I should get my 8 year old dog neutered.
The dog sitter says he is humping male and female dogs and she thinks his testosterone is affecting the pack.
I am not keen but he does do that mounting thing a lot.
However, i have read it is a dominance thing rather than sexual so would it make any difference?
He is a staffordshire-poodle cross.
I know. [hmmm]
He was a mistake.

Mounting is not sexual. It is stress, over excitement or displacement behaviour. Neutered dogs and females still hump. Your dog sitter needs to figure out at which point the humping starts, distract him and redirect him onto something more appropriate.

It's not really dominance. It can be sexual (unlikely unless the other dogs are female and in season or male with certain health conditions) but in most cases it's something that dogs do when they're over-excited. Watch him when he does it and see if there's a theme of high excitement when he does it.

I think your dog sitter needs to (a) manage the dogs' interactions a bit better and (b) read a bit about social behaviours of dogs.

Thanks for advice.
I agree, dog-sitter seems to be having a knee jerk reaction to his behaviour.
Although very sweet and gentle, he is a bit highly strung in some ways and I think the random male/female humping is a symptom.

I am going to tap into this stream of dog knowledge and ask - any advice on separation anxiety? he doesn't chew or bark but he will cry if left without me outside his normal routine (i.e. at home on my usual working days). Slightly embarrassing at local shop when he cries loudly, ditto when my daughter gets in from school on her own, if left at anyone's house, even if they are in.

Any thoughts please?