Dogs balls chopped

[Sparks2]

I have a 8 month old hyper cocker spaniel. He can sometimes get prospective and lash out.

I was wondering if anyone knows the pros and cons for this and if anyone has had their dog neutered? Any information or replies would be appreciated.

Resource guarding is a behaviour seen quite commonly in cockers, it may help, it may not although i would think it needs to be implemented with training and correcting the behaviour also

Can you give us a more detailed example of the behaviour you describe?

Most issues that result in a dog lashing out are fear-based. That sense of fear belies a lack of confidence. Testosterone tends to give the dog a confidence boost, and so the dog can actually benefit from remaining intact.

Unfortunately, while often touted as some sort of behavioural cure-all, neutering is not reliably effective at managing anything except scent marking (and fertility!)

You need a behaviourist - someone APBC or CCAB qualified - before you make irreversible decisions.

@AvocadosBeforeMortgages he's usually well behaved, just a hyper dog which is expected but once he's got something he knows he isn't supposed to have he will growl and will not let go. Once you attempt to remove it, he can get aggressive. We did have classes booked in December but got cancelled due to lockdown. He also has a tendency to hump dogs a lot, which can be frustrating at dog parks etc. (I do t know if it stops this).

This wasn't the main reason of nurturing but I just just curious about the topic in general.

Resource guarding is very common in cockers and it's not a behaviour that will be resolved by neutering.

8 months is also very young to consider neutering a male dog.

Castration will not help this behaviour. Studies have shown the only behaviour that may be altered by castration is marking. Although you will get a lot of ancedotal evidence saying other things!

It can be pretty complex so worth getting a professional dog behaviourist to help with this. It will not go away on its own and can escalate.

Speak to your vet to make sure you get a qualified behaviourist

My dog was neutered 2 weeks ago, the vets were very thorough on asking me questions on my dogs behaviour before they would consider doing the procedure. They wanted to know if he was territorial, did he resource gaurd, how was he with other dogs and people, was he nervous, was he ever aggressive etc etc. They said they will not neuter dogs with certain behaviour issues as it often makes it 10 times worse.

They said they will not neuter dogs with certain behaviour issues as it often makes it 10 times worse.
I wish our vets had been like this. I regret getting my dog neutered.

Clearly loads of research done before purchasing this lockdown puppy.

When was yours done @SatsumasOrClementines? I don't think they used to be as strict on which dogs they would neuter, it's only more recently as new studies and research are done

@SatsumasOrClementines at two years old, about six months ago.

I had done my research in so much as I knew I was supposed to wait much further than the standard 6months that was being pushed by the vets, so I held out until he was two. But it never occurred to me that I could not get him neutered at all. I genuinely thought I was being a good dog owner. But he’s so nervous and it’s made that 10x worse, plus, his coat has really suffered.

@LittleBoPeep95 I tagged myself 😂🤦🏻‍♀️

You need to seek professional help for the Resource Guarding, it’s a specific problem and needs a tailored solution. It’s also dangerous for you and your dog
We had our dog neutered at 16 months and it did improve his behaviour and calm him down but it’s not always the case and should be discussed with your vet.

@SatsumasOrClementines Can I ask what breed he is and what's happened to the condition of his coat? They never mentioned anything about that to me but I have actually noticed my dogs coat is definitely not as silky and is more coarse since the castration but never would have linked the two!

Resource guarding will not be improved by neutering. This is an issue that requires behaviourist input sooner rather than later, before the behaviour becomes an ingrained habit.

Nor, indeed, will it resolve humping other dogs. Mine is neutered and I've long since lost count of the number of other dogs he's humped - mostly other boys. Quite frankly sometimes it looks like both dogs are consenting, but I've no sympathy with my DDog if he gets told off by the other one!

Mine came pre-neutered (rescue; I suspect first owners neutered him at an early age because they were fed up with his behaviours and CBA to train him), and is in some ways a nervous wreck. If there was an operation to have his bollocks reattached, I'd do it (albeit with a vasectomy!)

8 months is way too early to even be considering neutering. Resource guarding will not be helped by neutering. It is a complex behaviour that needs long term management, under the guidance of a behaviourist. Good pet insurance will often cover this.

@LittleBoPeep95 he’s a smooth haired mini dachshund (so very prone to small dog syndrome anyway). His coat isn’t as silky but is also now very thin along his stomach and under his arms. I have some Keeper’s Mix supplement from Dorwest on order to try. It has really excellent reviews. There are more specific supplements too but I plan to be patient and take it slowly with this for now (to take photos etc) so I can properly see any improvement as I haven’t ever given him supplements before.

It’s www.dorwest.com if you think it might help your dog. I’m happy to do an update but I don’t know if I’ll remember in six weeks time so you might need to message me!

OP, how much training and brain-work are you giving your dog? A working-line cocker is going to be bright, active and driven, with powerful hunting instincts. If you can harness these and use them to your advantage, you should end up with a much easier dog all round. A gundog trainer should be able to help you with this.

IME, 8 months is way to early to neuter: you want your dog to finish developing mentally and physically before you remove some really key hormones.

@WINKINGatyourage

Clearly loads of research done before purchasing this lockdown puppy.

I don't know what that has got to do with a 'lockdown puppy'? I am just in no way saying we are getting him neutered or considering it. I was just interested in the topic and the pros and cons of this.

This behaviour isn't something we are worried at the moment, he is a puppy but I was just curious if it would change any of that.

@GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman

OP, how much training and brain-work are you giving your dog? A working-line cocker is going to be bright, active and driven, with powerful hunting instincts. If you can harness these and use them to your advantage, you should end up with a much easier dog all round. A gundog trainer should be able to help you with this.

IME, 8 months is way to early to neuter: you want your dog to finish developing mentally and physically before you remove some really key hormones.

He is a show cocker but still very active. I've booked 1:1 classes and read a few books. He is out first dog and it is all a learning process.

I definitely am not considering having him neutered at such a young age, it is simply something I was curious about.

This behaviour isn't something we are worried at the moment, he is a puppy but I was just curious if it would change any of that.

Why aren't you concerned? The behaviour you've described would definitely worry me.

**This behaviour isn't something we are worried at the moment, he is a puppy but I was just curious if it would change any of that.

Why aren't you concerned? The behaviour you've described would definitely worry me.**

My sisters cockerpoo is absolutely terrible with resource guarding, this behaviour tends to escalate rather than go away on its own. I started a thread about it, I will try and find the link. The dog ( who isn't much older than yours i may add) has already bitten 2 people. It can be very dangerous to ignore resource guarding. Neutering won't help in this scenario.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_doghouse/a4111713-Sisters-dog-advice-please?msgid=102796131#102796131

My sisters cockerpoo is absolutely terrible with resource guarding, this behaviour tends to escalate rather than go away on its own

Absolutely, and cockers are notorious for it. It can be an incredibly dangerous behaviour and without early intervention it will only get worse.

Please don't assume this is just a grumpy teenage dog. Resource guarding can escalate very quickly. The last thing you want is for your dog to bite someone because you've neglected to treat the behaviour on time.

The reason I am not necessarily worried is because this is common and he has only started this in the past month (we have tried to do something about it as soon as it started).

As I have mentioned, we had 1:1 classes booked for him but they were cancelled due to covid. These will still be going ahead once available to but in the meantime we are trying everything ourselves so he is absolutely not being neglected.

Also, further up the thread I was asked about his behaviour and I finished with saying his behaviour isn't necessary the reason I was interested in neutering.

My vet refused to neuter my pup as he was too nervous. It was always my understanding it was done when dogs were young, irresponsible to leave them entire. That seems to have changed.

There's a very good Dog Training Group on FB with lots of study materials.