Castration pro's & con's help

[Cazzie]

Oh sorry didnt know he was 4yo.

Well If he was left long enough with a bitch in season he would eventually get the urge. Male dogs hump each other and so do the girls.

 If he doesnt cause you a problem then why even consider the snip? You will not change him now at 4yo. This is the reason many people get bitches instead of dogs.

Why did you not get him done at an earlier age? Did you not know how male dogs behave that are entire? 

[Nicola]

Alfie is entire and never humps nor shows any inclination to yet one of his best mates, Moss the neutered greyhound will hump him every chance he gets. He never tries to do it to Tilly, it's always Alfie

You cannot say that all entire dogs will hump things, some do and some don't just like some neutered dogs will stop humping and others won't.

[Cazzie]

Yes I agree Nicola. But if My dog was in season Im sure youre dog would RISE to the occasion. 

Back to topic sorry. I am all for neutering if not breeding thats my opinion and what I have done with my dogs works for me. Could go on forever but there you have my thoughts 

[Jan/Billy]

Well If he was left long enough with a bitch in season he would eventually get the urge. Male dogs hump each other and so do the girls.
 

He will never be left alone with a bitch in season   don't wish that on me please   the bitches he has met are when we are out walking & owners stop & chat & then tell me their bitch is in season.I've not purpously put him with them  

If he doesnt cause you a problem then why even consider the snip? You will not change him now at 4yo. This is the reason many people get bitches instead of dogs.

He's recently started disliking other dogs & it's mainly entire males, the reason  am considering castration is in order for it to assist in him overcoming the barking & lunging that's making life Very difficult. BUT he's also suffers from fear agression with some (very few) strangers, & I have heard that castration may in some cases make this worse.

Why did you not get him done at an earlier age? Did you not know how male dogs behave that are entire?  

Because until recently he never humped, was never intrested in bitches in season & played very happily with ALL dogs   So I wasn't going to castrate him just for castrating sake  

[CraftySam]

I've always castrated or spayed all the animals I've owned.

However I was very aware of the coat change on show cockers and how gold cockers often change colour too. So I decided to hang on and see how things went. Barney started to develope some aggression towards other dogs, who hadn't done anything to upset him, which worried me.  So we decided to have him castrated, he was 7 months old.  Now we don't have any problems with aggression towards other dogs unless they do something to hurt him.  For example a Great Dane sat on a bit of him and he hated him forever, he holds a grudge and there's no changing his mind.

But he's happy to run around the park meeting all kinds of dogs, both on and off the lead, and we've not had any bother.

It hasn't changed him at all he's still the exact same dog, as is Max who was also castrated.  Neither of them have changed in their love of everyone they meet (except the one person we all know Barney doesn't like   )

As an aside, despite Max being castrated a long time ago he still humps Sapphi, who is spayed. There's no guarantee's that it will stop that problem or any others and thats why we all have the dilemma.  
I don't regret having either of them castrated and Morgan will be castrated shortly.

Why did you not get him done at an earlier age? Did you not know how male dogs behave that are entire? 

Thats rather a blanket statement to make.    By no means do ALL entire dogs behave in the way you are insinuating. There are plenty who are entire and are the gentlest natured dogs and don't have any behavioural issues.
I'd also like to know where they sell the crystal balls that show us whether or not our entire dogs will have any "issues" or not.  

[Jan/Billy]

Here's an article you might be interested in:

http://www.apbc.org.uk/article4.htm

Cheers 

[Cazzie]

I never said entire males have behaviour problems   But nature takes its course with male dogs & sometimes bitches that have not been neutered>

This humping behaviour it is just not acceptable in a home around other dogs/kids/whatever takes his fancy. It is each persons individual choice what to do with their dog, but I m not the one posting with problems with a male dog.  

[Jan/Billy]

This humping behaviour it is just not acceptable in a home around other dogs/kids/whatever takes his fancy.

 He has never ever humped anything!!!  

It's his lunging & barking at dogs that's the problem  

[Cazzie]

This humping behaviour it is just not acceptable in a home around other dogs/kids/whatever takes his fancy.

 He has never ever humped anything!!!  

Hear that one before 

It's his lunging & barking at dogs that's the problem  

That will not change with neutering it could make the problem worse. 

[Jan/Billy]

This humping behaviour it is just not acceptable in a home around other dogs/kids/whatever takes his fancy.

 He has never ever humped anything!!!  

Hear that one before 

It's his lunging & barking at dogs that's the problem  

That will not change with neutering it could make the problem worse. 

 I know!!  that's my dilema 

[Colin]

I'd have much preferred to keep Jimmy entire, I'm afraid I can't think of any positives since having him done other than he can't sire pups with Misty - which is why he was neutered in the first place of course... but of no relevance to Billy. He's been wary of persistent entire males since adolesence ( only if they are bigger than him) - since being neutered ( aged 2½, he's now 5) he hasn't had a scrap with one but his barking at them has increased, particularly over the last year. The good side is that entire males don't seem intent on provoking him anymore and when he barks at them they don't seem to think he matters ( he's castrated so no threat), they just kind of shrug their shoulders in bemusement and go away. The down side of it is that the more he sees that it works and the other dog just toddles off, the more he does it.  I think once a behaviour like that is learnt it's very difficult to put a stop to.

It's a really difficult dilemma you've got and unfortunately I don't think any of our anecdotes or experiences will help you much as they won't necessarily apply to Billy -  you can't be sure how it will affect him, for better or worse, until it's done - you are probably just going to have to make a decision one way or the other and hope for the best.    Good luck.

[Rhona W]

It's a really difficult dilemma you've got and unfortunately I don't think any of our anecdotes or experiences will help you much as they won't necessarily apply to Billy -  you can't be sure how it will affect him, for better or worse, until it's done - you are probably just going to have to make a decision one way or the other and hope for the best.    Good luck.

Totally agree with Colin. 
Unfortunately this is one of those subjects that for every person that says you should have Billy castrated, they'll be another one saying you shouldn't.  No one can really say whether it will help or not. You just have to make a decision and hope it is the right one for you and Billy. Otherwise you will just keep going round and round in circles.
Hope that doesn't sound harsh as it's not meant to.  I do understand how you feel and know how difficult it is to make this decision as we spent months agonising over it with regards to Casper.

[spanielcrazy]

Jan, I've read loads of material on this; but have never found anything that is totally objective - the authors are either pro- or anti- and so the articles are all bias one way or the other 

My own feeling would be if you aren't sure one way or the other, then delay the operation until you are - once you are sure, then no matter what happens, you won't beat yourself up as much about the decision you make 

I absolutely agree with this. You don't sound keen on this at all. Cancel the appointment, take your time to think about it and research it. You've lived with him this long as an entire dog, a while longer is not going to make any difference. 

[CraftySam]

It's a really difficult dilemma you've got and unfortunately I don't think any of our anecdotes or experiences will help you much as they won't necessarily apply to Billy -  you can't be sure how it will affect him, for better or worse, until it's done - you are probably just going to have to make a decision one way or the other and hope for the best.    Good luck.

Totally agree with Colin. 
Unfortunately this is one of those subjects that for every person that says you should have Billy castrated, they'll be another one saying you shouldn't.  No one can really say whether it will help or not. You just have to make a decision and hope it is the right one for you and Billy. Otherwise you will just keep going round and round in circles.
Hope that doesn't sound harsh as it's not meant to.  I do understand how you feel and know how difficult it is to make this decision as we spent months agonising over it with regards to Casper.

I have to say I agree.  All any of us can talk about are our personal experiences, either first or second hand. From these experiences we will have formed our own opinions. From the opinions we've formed we can suspect or sumise what the outcome of castrating Billy will be, but truth be known NO ONE knows.  

[Pammy]

I agree - everyone's experiences will be slightly different as each dog is different. Cazzies sweeping statements are just that - sweeping statements and not actually helpful. Just because some people think all dogs not used for breeding should be neutered doesn't mean everyone thinks that way or that either school of thougt is right or wrong. As long as you reach the decision that is right for you and your dog and circumstances then it is the right decision.

Having Billy castrated might make some difference but it might make none at all. It certainly won't work overnight as it does take some time for all traces of the hormones to fade.

Have you tried a Tardak injection? Chemical castration that mimics surgical? I tried it in Jasper a number of years ago when some of his behaviour was driving me bonkers. It made not the slightest bit of difference so he is happily intact

I'm not sure castration will solve Billy's problems - but do consider the tardak.