Working Cockers and Castration

[workingcockerfan]

Hi all,

If I do get a working cocker, it may well be a boy. However, since we have some entire girlies in this house, he would have to be castrated. I would like to know how this would affect him, so how much do their coats change after castration? And do their personalities change at all, eg. do they get more laid back?

Thanks

[Rhona W]

I have a black working cocker who was castrated about 14 months ago. His coat is/was very thick and wooly and over the last year it has become very curly too. Personality-wise, he hasn't changed in the slightest. 'Laid back' is not a term I would use to describe him! 

[Suzybee]

Hi, I have a working cocker, he was castrated in March 08 and it has changed him at all, he is still a bad boy. His coat hasn't changed much either.

[JasperPop]

Hi, I cant shed too much light on this really  as jagger has only just been done (still in Buster collar  ) but I dont think the op is supposed to change them much.  The only behaviour it could possibly affect would be hormone related ie dominance towards other entire males, mounting females and escaping to find a bitch in season nearby.  These behaviours are often not seen anyway - Jagger doesnt do many of these, the only thing he does is mate my MILs Boxer bitch and I am not sure that will stop.  So you probably wont notice any difference...

Hi, I have a working cocker, he was castrated in March 08 and it has changed him at all, he is still a bad boy. His coat hasn't changed much either.

Jagger wasnt a naughty boy  and workers coats are generally more manageable anyway so I cant see that being a problem for you.  Ours are fairly busy Cockers and we love it like that, they are fairly laid back in the house most of the time anyway, but most dogs steady with age.  Maybe ours will too hahaha

[cazza]

I also have a working cocker boy and he was castrated earlier this year March 08 - his coat hasn't changed at all (well not so far any how   )

As for behaviour - nah he's still the same mischievous little   and I wouldn't want him to change as he is adorable   , altho would have prefered the vet had taken his stiches out but he had other ideas  

[Mudmagnets]

Not sure if I am right or not, but I believe that it can take anything up to six months for a dogs personality to change after castration, I know when i had a jack russell 'done' the vet at the time said still be careful of Suzie (unspeyed bitch at the time) cos he could still have the necessary will/body chemicals to mount and mate. As i say I may have this wrong but............

[debbie321]

Bens coat changed a lot!  It took a few months but his coat got very long and fine - nightmare for picking up seed and twigs and also liable to matt easily.  A coat king works wonders as the fluffy stuff is easy to get out on his back but he needs the attention of a groomer .............. very soon too!

As for behaviour - he didn't change much 

[CarolineL]

I think you need to be careful with fearful dogs as when castrated they can become more fearful.

H is not castrated yet - he shows absolutely no interest in the ladies - I too am slightly concerned that his coat might change for the worst and TBH this is the main reason I haven't had him done yet. 

[miche]

I have a working cocker called Mikey and working cocker x show called Herbie.  Both dogs have fantastic temperments anyway but I had them done when Herbie was 7 months and Mikey was 9 months.  Herbie's coat is now like candy floss, very fluffy, wooly and gets matted easily so I keep his coat short with about 3 visits to the groomers a year, he's a lot more comfortable being clipped and he likes to run in amongst twigs and mud so it's easier for me too.

Mikey's coat hasn't changed one bit, he has a very easy to manage shiny coat, not one bit frizzy like Herbie's.

As I said both of mine have excellent temperments but they did start to scrap a bit being two entire males going through adolescence at the same time and it took a few months for their hormones to calm down after having them done but they are fine now.  I wouldn't call Mikey laid back though he's highly strung and very active but he is a 3 year old working cocker

[White Bryony]

Woofie was castrated at 7 because of health problems (he is now 9) and the only thing that has changed is that he has become a woolly mammoth!

[ali]

barkley was castrated 17 months ago and his coat is still very soft and fine. it is quite fluffy but then i've done absolutely nothing to it so i'm sure it could easily be trimmed to look much smarter if i was so inclined.

behaviour wise- it's obviously hard to know how he would have been if he hadn't had the op but we certainly haven't noticed any major changes since.

[Beth]

Sorry to burst anyones bubble about their coats not changing ... but the coat change takes quite a while. Jarvis was done late last year... october ish? and has only just gone fluffy now.

[Nicola]

Alfie (2 year old blue roan working cocker) was castrated last November and his coat on his body hasn't changed, it's still very fine and silky but he has started to grow a tuft on his head and the black hair on his legs has gone fuzzy and I have to keep stripping it out. It's not too mad looking as it's still soft and fine but it's definitely fuzzier than it was before and grows a lot faster. Personality wise he hasn't changed which I'm glad about as he was done because of a health problem rather than for behavioural reasons.