# what is your experience -- will neutering help reactivity?



## Shamrockmommy (Aug 16, 2013)

IMO: Nope. 
First dog was a minpin. He was reactive to other dogs/people/kids/bikes as well. He also marked indoors and out. Neutering did not change a thing, not one thing! He also (neutered) tied with my intact bitches when I was showing bichons! 
The only thing it changes is that they can't make puppies. 

My poodle boy is intact and will stay that way (zero intentions of breeding). He has some fearful issues (strange people and dogs are scary to him), and I don't think neutering would help with that either. 

Friend of mine has a very reactive PWD male. The only thing neutering changed was it stopped him from marking insidethe house. Still very reactive to other dogs. 

To me, anymore, behavior problems are a training issue vs. a hormonal issue. 
JMHO, though!


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## Clackman (Jul 2, 2013)

Thanks, shamrockmommy. I am getting pressure from the day care owner and trainers to get Mitch neutered, because they say it will help with his reactivity. I have only tried one other day care (inquired) and they won't accept an intact dog. I am guessing others are the same. Even if he were neutered though, with his reactivity, I doubt he would be a good candidate for the day care that refused, because they just had about 20 dogs or so, of all sizes, all together in a big room with an employee with a spray bottle of water in there to monitor things. At least the place I have taken him (where he started marking the walls) separates small and large dogs and knows which dogs don't get along, and make sure to keep them separated. I need to talk to the owner about the marking problem, if she will allow Mitch to come back. My ideas are for me to stay there and monitor the situation so I can correct him if he marks, and/or put a belly band on him while he's there.

With his separation anxiety, it was nice to have a place to leave him occasionally at day care and I think it was good for him to be around other dogs, but now that resource is not available, at least until we work out a plan. I called the owner but she did not answer and is not good about returning calls. I will try her again.


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## sweetheartsrodeo (Sep 19, 2012)

Remington was neutered at about a year and a half. He can be very reactive and it is a training thing. When he puts his vest on the mindset changes and it is like he has blinders on. I am not sure about the marking issue. Remington has only peed in the house when he was sick or got really scared, neither of which I would blame him for. 
We use a belly band for Jackson because he leaks due to a bad neuter (pound rescue). I wish you luck on it though. Let us know what is working and what is not... Shamrockmommy has given you great info, and I know others will chime in as well


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## loves (Jul 2, 2013)

Low thyroid can also cause a dog to be very reactive. Sully is a year and not neutered, waiting until 18 months or so.

My Belgian Terverun was neutered this spring at 3 1/2 after developing some marking problems in the house. Faelan had been the perfect dog since he was a puppy, very easily potty trained and extremely trustworthy. He did have this thing for humping on the smaller dogs in the family, elderly cocker spaniel or son's Doxie. I never thought much about it until after we got Sully and I went in yard and there was Faelan "air humping" the poor dog was Sully was chewing on him. Poor Taz is 13 yrs old, poor eyesight and little hearing, and he was screaming for his life. 

Ok, that ended Taz's time outside with the big dogs. That was about October last year. Then after Christmas we started noticing puddles here and there, and it was Faelan. People said it was because of the new puppy, etc. etc, etc. Faelan lost his out all night privileges, got belly bands for him, which often ended up wet. The last straw was when he walked into my grooming room to see who had come in, turned to leave and not even 2 feet away from me lifted his leg and marked the table. OMG Buster, you are so busted!!!

Yep, he was neutered quickly. And now I have my perfect dog back!!! Yep, stopped the undesirable behavior instantly. My thesis on that is that it wasn't because of the new puppy, but because I took away his "boy toy", he no longer had Taz to use for his sexual release. It also dawned on me, why when Taz would come in his back was often wet. Ewwwww!

So, now we are happy again. But he is once again not eating much, coat is falling out like crazy and time to get thyroid checked cuz I think that absence of testosterone has screwed things up. Oh well, that is another story.

Client's Yorkie who had marked every thing constantly in the house, stopped when they finally had him neutered at age of 3. But I would check thyroid too.


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## Shamrockmommy (Aug 16, 2013)

I SO wish I had had the same experience with my minpin years ago. He was neutered at 9 months and it made no difference whatsoever. He was a difficult dog to live with, ugh!

I think I will probably leave Jack intact, then, unless or until his nice manners turn into bad manners.


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## Clackman (Jul 2, 2013)

The subject of neutering reminds me of a television show, "The Incredible Dr. Pol." On one episode, they gelded a stallion with problem behavior and stated, "in a week, he will be a different horse." Ha! We had a colt who was fine until about 4 months and then became an obnoxious little stallion. We were going to wait until spring to get him gelded because you have to run them for a certain period of time each day to prevent swelling, but we couldn't stand him anymore and had him gelded in January, with the ground frozen solid and slippery, so we had to run him on it anyway. We had such high hopes for our little guy. He was better for about a day, until the sedative wore off. Then -- no change whatsoever. He acted like a stallion his whole life. To make matters worse, he was an orphan who had bonded with humans (his mom, our daughter's first horse, had died right after his birth from a ruptured uterine artery) and treated us humans like horses and tried to dominate us. So neutering, at least with horses, doesn't always change their behavior, and it sounds like dogs are no different -- it helps with some and doesn't make a difference with others.


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## nataly (Jul 31, 2014)

Dog #1 - Great Dane with aggression issues toward people - neutering at about 18 mo didn't change a thing in his behavior.
Dog #2 - Italian Spinone. Neutering at a little over 1yo stopped his humping every dog he saw as soon as the hormones were out of his blood (a few weeks later). Made him more relaxed and laid back. He was very calm as a puppy too and after neutering went back to the calm personality we knew before. Our other dog has really appreciated the change.


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

I wanted to comment because I was in a similar position with Sugarfoot. Having been attacked as a puppy, having a naturally more aloof temperament, and having a painful eye condition while young had created a generally reactive dog, one who barked at or ducked away from people and dogs. I didn't have a marking issue, though he was getting very humpy / borderline aggressive with our female (all spayed) dogs.

I'm well-read on neutering issues and we compete in Agilty, so I specifically did NOT want to neuter him. I was concerned about losing hormones that could possibly help his confidence; he needed all the confidence he could get!

As our issues free, though...I did it, almost a desperation move. He was a little over 18 months old, IIRC.

Did it help? Yes. All obnoxious behaviors lessened. Of course dear Sugarfoot is still a dog with issues, but it have never regretted the decision to go ahead and neuter. 

If I have another male, I'll try not to again, but I'll have to judge on the dog.

--Q


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## Mahlon (Jun 8, 2014)

Obviously this is a topic that can get heated, as people can tend to feel very strongly for or against, and the standard line by most professionals involved with animals, is every animal should be spayed/neutered that is a pet. Myself I feel that is in general good advice, as most people aren't willing to be responsible owners of intact dogs, but I also feel very strongly against pediatric neutering, and especially spaying. There is a lot that goes into having a dog or bitch especially when the hormones are raging, and I'm sure anyone here that does can attest to needing to be more aware of other intact animals, whatever the sex. Things such as bringing an in heat female around other dogs (even those neutered/spayed), or automatically expecting two intact males to get along even if they are independently relaxed are just foolishness. 

I think its a personal decision that each owner needs to honestly consider for their animals, and I think its silly for anyone to expect a large change, unless sexual aggression/reactivity is at the heart of the issue. A dog who humps based on domination, is not going to stop after neutering, but if they do it out of frustration or sexual drive, then its likely to stop. On top of the added responsibility of owning an intact dog, there is the added frustration of being limited in participating in certain social dog activities, and constantly being told that is the source of the issue.

But that's my opinion and suggestions, hope it helps and either way just keep moving forward, stay honest with yourself and evaluate yourself along the way, and make the choice that you feel is best for you and your pup.

-Dan


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