Male labrador castration

[radfordrunner]

I have a 2 year old male lab. He is absolutely gorgeous, with his only foible being that he likes to hump two particular dogs; one female lab and one castrated male dog (unsure of his breed!). Every time my boy sees the female lab, he hops straight on to hump her (she has been spayed) and when he sees the male, he tries to hump him. He has plenty other dog friends who he does not hump (these are a mix of spayed / castrated or intact).

He was due to be done last year (for no other reason that this is what was advised by the vet due to the likelihood of males experiencing testicular / prostate problems when older) but he was attacked quite severely by an intact male dog (tore a hole in his side and in his neck). We saw a behavioural therapist as he became very nervous around other dogs. The vet and therapist said to leave castration for a few months to make sure he had all the testosterone to build him back up from the anxiety following the attack. He is now much, much better and will say hello to strange dogs before wandering off / being distracted with a ball.

There is a male intact dog local to us though who actually chased my boy across two fields recently to attack him (the owner ran after her dog and grabbed him but this dog usually makes a bee line for my dog, even when both dogs are on a lead). I try and avoid this other dog and will pop him on the lead if I see them / a dog I don't know. He is fine otherwise.

If it wasn't for the humping, I would leave him intact.. He's a lovely boy but when he wants to hump the female lab, he is relentless and I have to put him on a lead as he will hyper focus on her and it makes walking with the owner (my friend) very difficult.

The therapist said that I could try the temporary castration injection which will curb his hormones, but the vet said that the injection can be very painful.

I worry that if I get him castrated then it won't stop the humping and will make him a nervous around other dogs - this is probably highly unlikely but, after what he has been through, I don't want to go backwards with him.

Can anyone offer advice as to whether or not castration is the best idea? I will speak with the vet again but ours is quite difficult to speak with as we only have a small practice near us which is always busy (we are very rural).

TIA

I think in your circumstances I'd opt for a chemical castration which is reversible. I know someone with a similar experience, they weren't 100% sure on castration due to some other issues. So their dog had the implant, can't recall if that was for 6 or 12 months. It stopped the problematic humping and that seemed to break the cycle. So then the implant was removed and he was left intact, but the humping didn't resume.

Thanks @OpalescentFly - I think maybe that is the best route. My main worries are that if I got him castrated and he was attacked, that he would become reactive as he didn't have the testosterone to "pick him back up", if you see what I mean.

It's such a controversial topic amongst my dog walking pals - half are on the "they're just testicles! Get them gone!" and the other half are appalled that male dogs are literally having them cut off when, in some cases, it doesn't have the desired effect.

It doesn't always have the desired effect, but on the other hand, if you do nothing, he will always be fixated with trying to hump your friend's dog. Also if an intact male smells a bitch in heat they can literally run away or run into a road to get to her, even if well trained.That's the primary reason I opt to neuter male dogs (and cats).

2 yr old lab here. We got the implant about 6 months ago. Not because of humping but he was so boisterous around other dogs (playing) and wanted to see if it calmed him down. Was worried about any reactivity developing hence going temp route.

He was fine having it done, they sedated him. And it was really quick. He’s been fine. Calmer around other dogs. We’re letting it wear off to see if maturity has made a difference. If not, we’ll likely go permanent route.

worth nothing that bitches hump too. It’s also a sign of playing/friendship.

Similar situation here with a 3yo (almost 4) golden retriever. Kept intact until now for a number of reasons (did a lot research) and he is a lovely, slim, confident and friendly dog. But there is the odd neutered male that he will make a beeline for and want to hump. @radfordrunner he plays nicely with most dogs no matter if boy/girl neutered/spayed or not.
My problem is similar to yours - I don't want him running off after these particular dogs, he will just run to them and although he is well trained nothing will stop him, so very dangerous around roads. It only happens about once a month but that's too much. And like you I don't want to wreck his confidence. Some intact dogs have been aggressive to him and he just ignores / barks / runs off - not bothered at all. But I think he attracts the aggressive dogs because he is intact and I think having him neutered would help. DH thinks we shouldn't do something so extreme because other dogs aren't trained properly.
I may try the implant. Does it work differently to castration? Other than being temporary is there a difference? I'll go and google!

Hi @shopsalot - I spoke with my vet yesterday and it was helpful to get her perspective. She said that since my boy is anxious (always had been, even before he was attacked by an XL bully) then castration may make his anxieties worse. This was also the opinion of a behavioural therapist I saw post-attack, as she said castration may make him feel like he has to stand up to dogs and be on the defensive.

He's all booked in now for the chemical castration and will be having sedatives the evening before and the day of. I just feel sick because, if it wasn't for the humping, I would leave him be. I'm hoping it doesn't change his beautiful nature. He doesn't like the vets anyway (he had to get patched up several times post-attack as the bites took an age to heal) so I'm hoping it won't be too traumatising for him.

@mintbiscuit - that's really helpful to know, thank you. Did he recover very quickly the same day? My vet has advised to have a chill-out day following the injection, so I'm planning on mooching by the river with him (his happy place).

Thanks @radfordrunner so sorry your dog was attacked - I would be traumatised, never mind the dog. Dog walkers I've spoken to who have gone with the implant have been happy with it but different situations and younger dogs. At least it is temporary. I have heard that the first week or 2 after the implant can be difficult as the hormones sort themselves out so maybe ask about that. My dog also hates the vets (has had broken nails pulled out) so sympathy, hope it goes ok.

Thanks @shopsalot - I'm hoping, as a PP said, that it breaks that humping cycle and he can think about other things when he's on his walks! I'm hoping I'm doing the right thing for him and at least it wears off and isn't permanent like the alternative. I will let you know how we get on :)

He recovered really quickly! Slightly quieter than usual in the evening but totally back to normal the next day.

FWIW I think you’re make the right decision going the temporary route. Just remember you won’t see any immediate change over night. Takes a a couple of months to really notice any changes.

We're going to go down the vasectomy route with our lab once he's old enough to have it done. We've looked into it and decided we prefer that, rather than castration.

There's a vets' practice in Leeds which specialises in doing the procedure.

Hi @NoWordForFluffy that sounds interesting and less invasive / extreme. But does it stop the hormones or just prevent puppies? I can't quite see how it would work to stop the dog's natural desire to hump or stop other dogs being aggressive to his scent but maybe it is more than a simple cutting of tubes.

It just prevents puppies. Hormone reduction isn't always needed, it depends on the individual dog. Plus, you have to look at the health benefits (or opposite) of each option.

This is the vet we'll go to.