Neutering - behavior effects?

[*blackrose]

Abrams will be 2 years old in April, and I'm highly considering getting him neutered shortly thereafter (if not sooner). Obviously, neutering is very...irreversible and I want to make sure I'm making the most informed decision possible.

I've read most of the literature available and even some behind the scenes discussions on the Veterinary Information Network, and I am comfortable with health-related issues neutering him around 24 months. But that isn't really where I'm hesitating. I'm more curious about how neutering him will affect his behavior.

In some of my research, I feel like I read somewhere that neutering can exacerbate fearful behavior? My childhood dog and my Grandmother's yorkie were both neutered around 3 years of age. I didn't notice anything adverse because of the neuters - my lab calmed down a LOT (he had a hard time focusing and kept mounting my younger siblings) and Cooper stopped marking in the house. They didn't develop any weird personality quirks or fears.

While Abrams isn't fearful, he's always been a bit dramatic about certain things. I never really noticed any change in this as he's matured other than him gaining confidence to investigate what he's being dramatic about (as a wee pup he'd startle, run away from what startled him, and then investigate once he had backup [me ha]...now he'll jump to alert and confidently investigate without the initial flight response), and I don't want neutering him to cause him to revert, if that makes sense.

I AM hoping that neutering him will help him stop being such a butt. He's become progressively more annoying with Cynder (and other dogs - crap, even Histamine) by sniffing, chittering, drooling, and zoning out while doing all of the above. It's starting to drive me batty. He redirects well, but it's the fact that I *have* to redirect him so much that irritates me. He's even started to break a retrieve when Cynder pees and he feels the need to smell/drool/chitter mark it, and he blocks out *everything* when we play fetch.

I'm leaning towards getting him altered...just want to make the right decision!

So....thoughts? Personal experiences? Opinions? Any studies done on the issue?

 

[BostonBanker]

I had Gusto done around 11 months, or maybe a week before. I'd planned to wait until he was at least a year, but was pretty much done mentally with the drooling and chattering all over the training room floor during class. And the glazed over eyes.

Neutering him eliminated it pretty quickly. I know there are studies that it takes x amount of time to clear the system of the hormones, but it must start decreasing them, because by the time two weeks had passed and he was back in class, the behavior was pretty much gone with no further effort on my part. He still chatters every once in a great while, but only when he's completely 'free' and not being asked to do anything. I have not had him check out from working to start the behavior a single time that I can recall.

I didn't notice any other behavioral or physical changes in him.

 

[Laurelin]

Beau definitely decreased his marking and humping behaviors when he was neutered as well as his insistence on being obnoxious around the girl dogs. He also gained coat and weight like crazy.

 

[Steve Wisley]

I have had several male dogs over the years. All were neutered, except the one I have now, an English Shepherd. All seemed to "calm" down after the operation. I have talked with dog owners who say it did not make any difference in their behavior. Maybe the age does have a lot to do with it.

 

[Stingr69]

Snoop was beginning to change from what I believe were hormonal development at about 6 months of age. He began to regularly leave the yard when let outside and he also become more vigilant. Small changes but clearly something new. After he was altered, the roaming stopped but he seems to have stayed vigilant. He did gain 2 lbs. It would be hard to complain about any change in his behavior. He is less fearful if anything. Socialization is probably a bigger influence here.

We were convinced it was a good thing to do after that so we went ahead and fixed the girl at 6 months even without noticing any changes. She is 1 year old now and has not put on any weight. She is less fearful but that may be due to us working on it. So far, so good.

She still tries to hump him and he still tries to hump her, but they usually prefer to go at it right after a bath for some reason. opcorn:

After 2 years your dog may have learned some things but it is never too late.

 

[Beanie]

Well, Payton is not neutered so I can't answer for him obviously. He did go through a fear stage that sounds like Abrams, I called it "over-noticing" because he would be like "THERE'S A THING IT IS DIFFERENT MUST BARK AT IT NO NO NO DIFFERENT NO NO NO." Then, like Abrams, it shifted to being more like "THERE'S A THING IT IS DIFFERENT oh it's just a thing."
I would not be afraid to neuter him.

Auggie, OTOH, was neutered at 8 months. I didn't notice any changes in his personality or temperament. He didn't gain weight. And he is the "problem" humper in the family even without testicles. Payton? Nope. Auggie? Yes. He is constantly being shouted at by my dad because he tries to hump Georgie when they play. But Auggie was also a humper when he was a small puppy, and Payton never really went through a HUMP ALL THE TOYS HUMP MY BED HUMPY HUMP HUMP stage, so I kind of think that's just a difference in personality and play styles... Auggie is just a humper. =P



FWIW my holistic vet doesn't buy into the whole altering might make your dog a freak thing. We had a lot of long discussions about a variety of subjects in regards to altering before Georgie was spayed, and it's not something she has seen any convincing literature on to this point.

 

[stardogs]

FWIW my holistic vet doesn't buy into the whole altering might make your dog a freak thing. We had a lot of long discussions about a variety of subjects in regards to altering before Georgie was spayed, and it's not something she has seen any convincing literature on to this point.

Yea, I'm not convinced that altering will have super obvious effects on behavior either way. I do think that it could push a dog on the edge of fear/reactivity into that, but not create a predisposition that wasn't already there. Of course I think it also goes the other way, too: other than very hormone related behaviors, I wouldn't expect it to change much to the positive, either.

 

[Dizzy]

Following this as Fred's testicles are gross.

 

[*blackrose]

Awesome, thanks guys!

I think I am going to get him neutered. As I said, I'm not concerned about any health implications at this point, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't going to drastically affect anything that I'm not and it sounds like it won't. I'm not worried about weight gain/etc. If anything I'll be happy I can stop feeding him so freaking much to keep him at the weight I like. LOL

Now I just have to figure out when and where. I soooooo wish I was able to just take him up with me to Indiana and have him done at my old vet, but I can't - not planning a trip up there anytime soon and after our last trip with the dogs I think Michael and I have decided we're just leaving them at home from here on out. Where I work is so f-ing expensive it is unreal (like, $600+ expensive), but then I'd KNOW he'd be treated right, I could be there with him if I chose (I'd likely get a catheter in him and then run away LOL), and I could drop him off/pick him up on my terms. So that may be worth it. I'm going to call the vet clinic close to my house that I was offered a job at, too, to see what their prices are. Although that may be awkward. "Why, yes, I declined a position here in favor of this other clinic, but would you please neuter my dog because the other clinic is too freaking gosh darn expensive?" LOL

 

[*blackrose]

Following this as Fred's testicles are gross.

Abrams has cute little (well, moderate sized) fuzzy testicles. They're really not even that noticeable. An older coworker of mine gave him the nickname Fluffernutter. It fits him so well, for various reasons. LOL

 

[StillandSilent]

Gimmick used to have cute little fuzzy balls. Now they're naked and pink and he loves to display them like the hope diamond.

 

[Jadex]

Following this as well. The past few days Ryker has been super humpy and whiny. It's really annoying. We've never had problems with him being intact before. I might just take the plunge and get him neutered because I'm not sure if Gypsy and I can stand him like this for much longer.

 

[amberdyan]

Gimmick used to have cute little fuzzy balls. Now they're naked and pink and he loves to display them like the hope diamond.

I like that this quickly turned into a "describe your dogs balls" thread (not even being sarcastic). This made me laugh so hard I spit out tea.

 

[Southpaw]

I dont have male dogs obviously but when I got Cajun spayed one of my hopes was that I'd notice some positive behavior changes. I don't know what exactly I'd like to see and what could be attributed to hormones, she's just a freakazoid lol. Fingers still crossed on this one.

Also, do you not get any discounts where you work??!

 

[CharlieDog]

Gimmick used to have cute little fuzzy balls. Now they're naked and pink and he loves to display them like the hope diamond.

OMFG. Warn a person not to have a drink in their mouth!!!

I just died. Harrison has pretty furry balls right now lol, and pretty furry pants. I knew a GSD though his were so big they were like, squeezed out of between his legs, so he'd have these gigantor testicles just flopping away back there when he walked around, or trotted, rather. And of course, he carried his tail up



Ozzy was already a fearful reactive aggressive jerk when we had him neutered, but he'd started marking in the house and humping the girls and and chattering over pee. It didn't change any of the fearful reactive aggressive jerkiness, lol (I do sort of wish we'd waited to see if that was a phase) but it did stop him from marking and the rest (we didn't wait, because he hiked his leg on my moms VERY EXPENSIVE bed and she would have removed them for him if we hadn't had it done lol)

 

[*blackrose]

Also, do you not get any discounts where you work??!

Nope. :/ We get a $600 credit every year, but that's it. And that doesn't kick in for me again until...May? And I'd like to save that for things I actually *need*, if that makes sense.

 

[Doberluv]

My humpiest dogs have been the two Chihuahuas, male and female (rip Chulita) and they were both "fixed" early on.

My two male Poodles are about 20 months and they do their fair share of humping, mostly in play it would seem.

They get along well, really good buddies and only an occasional squabble over a toy or something.

They both have terrific temperaments and are confident and not afraid of much at all.

They did do that marking thing, even in the house a few times, but soon they learned that outside marking is the only way to fly.

As far as health benefits, I understand that it's better to leave them intact, at least until they're full grown.

So all that being said, for my boys, this breed, I see no reason to neuter them. They don't roam the neighborhood and I have no troubles with their behavior. There's no doubt that with some breeds there may be marked differences. For instance, I'd never house two male Dobermans together, neutered or not. Poodles are just so easy in that they don't tend toward dog aggression.

And besides, they have cute diamonds. :rofl1:

 

[DJEtzel]

I skimmed through replies, but wanted to get a reply in while I had time!

I saw no behavioral change for Frag. Dogs hated him a little less, maybe.

Recon was a very fearful puppy, and around 12-14 mos got really confident and drivey. He was also getting really sniffy and disconnecting. He was crypt on a neuter contract so I had to neuter him anyway, and decided to do it when he started getting really sniffy and chattery. Well... right back to fear periods and being weird and scaredy. Hasn't stopped. The last month or two he's really perked up in drive, but he is still very suspicious and scared easily/quick to make grumpy. I wish I didn't have to neuter him.

Patton will be left intact indefinitely, unless something major changes and it's in his/my best interest to have a vasectomy or neuter done instead. If anything, I would strongly prefer the vasectomy.

Pilot is also going to be left intact until they decide whether he will be breeding stock, working stock, or wash out. I believe dogs placed in working homes are all neutered, but I'm not sure if they have any requirements if he washes out and I want him. I probably wouldn't take him if I had to neuter him.

 

[Grab]

I have thus far been lucky in that Brooks is not a sniffer/humper/chatterer. I hate the chattering and obsessive sniffing some dogs do... in fact, there is a female GSD who comes into work who acts exactly like a horny, intact male. Ugh.

That said, in dogs that are fully grown, I've not seen too many behavior changes either way.

Because everyone else described their dogs' testicles, Brooks has ridiculous testicles. It's like a Newton's cradle.

 

[Doberluv]

Here's something on behavior and neutering that's informative I think:

http://www.angryvet.com/neutering-and-behavior/