# Neutering and dog aggression



## Sheila

Kerchak turned a year at the end of February.
Until then we had regularly taken both dogs to the dog park and he'd happily played with all the other dogs.
It almost seemed that over night he changed.
He turned aggressive to all other dogs, even females, at the park and we had to stop going.
I was surprised that he seemed aggressive to all other dogs, I had always thought it was just a male/male thing at that age.
He seems to get along with our other dog, but the smaller one is older and so I'm thinking Kerchak sees him as the top dog.
Kerchak is an entire male at the moment, and hubby had always said he didnt want to have him neutered, However we both are wondering if this might help the situation a little. We had a quick word with our vet, when we were in getting Dustys annual shots the other week. She said that it might help, but wouldn't necessarily solve the problem entirely. Also that they recommend having it done as early as possible.
Has anyone else had a similar problem and found that neutering has helped.
Kerchak is very obedient in all other areas and loves people. He hasn't shown any other signs of male dominance around the house.
The operation will cost about $200, so we want to be sure it's the best thing, both money wise and for Kerchak, before we go ahead.
Is it too late for the op to help solve things, are there down sides to having the op?
I've only had females dogs before. I had them spayed, not because of aggression problems, but to prevent health problems in later life and the inconvenience of seasons.
I'd really like to know the best thing to do for Kerchak


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## LaRen616

My GSD Sinister is 14 months old now, he is not neutered. I was not going to neuter him until he was 2. I take him to the dog park and we have never had a problem there. But on sunday I brought him over to my friends house to play with her Min Pins (he has known her dogs since he was a puppy) he started getting dominant with them and trying to hump them. Then yesterday he was biting at my mom's dog when we were taking them for a walk. He was not hurting her but he was being bossy. Sinister never displayed any of this behavior before these last 3 days. He is now going to be neutered hopefully this week.


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## JKlatsky

I know that neutering is often seen as a way to reduce aggression, however, aggression is also behavioral. Much of how you solve aggression depends on why the aggression is occuring. If your dog is starting to have trouble with all other dogs I would try to figure out what the triggers are, because aggression to females is not what I would consider typical of an intact male. Personally I feel that personality and habit are important factors in aggression and that neutering does not necessarily affect those things. Plenty of neutered dogs have dog aggression and there are intact males that do not. 

I have 3 intact males over a year old in my house. The 2 I raised from puppies get along great with each other. My youngest is only slightly younger than yours and he is super with other dogs. The old male that I have does not care for other intact males, but is great with puppies and females. 

It might help, but it might not.


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## trish07

We neutered Phenix @ 1 year because we've been told he will grow until 1 and half year and neutered him could "affect" his growing (he would have been less large). Don't know if it true or not....

We don't know if this has also (with the fact he had been attacjed before) something to do with Phenix agression toward other dogs, but obviously, it kinda hard for a male, with other males, to socialize if they aren't neutered, especially if there are females around. This is nature. You can't go against nature. You can "control" your dog, you can prevent and manage situations, but you can't control pulsions.

For sure, it will help, but like your vet said, it will not stop the entire agression thing toward other dogs. He behave like this because he thinks its the way to be. You will have to work with him on that point.

They only thing neutering will do is to help your dog feels better, not always under pression . If you keep your dog "unneutered" please, made him have some fun once a time to evacuate the pression lol.

Ask your men if he would love to live like this: a lot of testosterone, but no one to share with


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## RubyTuesday

Sheila, if the aggression is testosterone mediated neutering might help. IF it's not, then neutering won't solve the problem. It seems atypical that he's aggressing towards females as well as males. Are his lines generally dog tolerant or not? My guy, ~2.5yrs, does well with other dogs but his lines are generally equable with other dogs. 

Whether or not you decide to neuter, additional training s/b pursued.


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## trish07

RubyTuesday said:


> Sheila, if the aggression is testosterone mediated neutering might help. IF it's not, then neutering won't solve the problem. It seems atypical that he's aggressing towards females as well as males. Are his lines generally dog tolerant or not? My guy, ~2.5yrs, does well with other dogs but his lines are generally equable with other dogs.
> 
> Whether or not you decide to neuter, additional training s/b pursued.


Dont want to hijack the discussion but, the line of the breed/dog can influence the way a dog acts towrd other one? Didn't know that! Could be very interesting for me as Phenix is coming from a line which isn't very dog friendly.... At first, when I told my breeder we were bringing Phenix to the dog park and he was loving other dogs, she didn't beleive me. Now, it a all different situation


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## debbiebrown

it might help and it might not, usually nuetering only helps 10% of aggression cases and thats with training to reverse the learned behavior.......it wouldn't be a bad idea to nueter and work on his dog skills and your handling skills........i think you would see a huge difference doing both......


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## Sheila

Thanks for the replies.
It just seemed so strange that he had been really good at the park until he turned a year.
He is really well trained at his other skills. Hubby does most of the training and Kerchak is very obedient.
It's just so sad to think we might not be able to return to the dog park.
The aggression is mostly towards males, but there have been a couple of females.
It's almost like he gets aggressive before he even meets the other dogs and want to get in being "top dog" first.
Not sure whether neutering will really help then


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## debbiebrown

he's becoming an adult and testing the waters........with some conditioning and nuetering you can work on it. i would definitely seek methods to help detour him from this behavior before it gets worse....and it probably will if you let it slide........

maybe get some private guidence from a trainer to help get you started.........


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## Sheila

Okay, well we'll definitely work with him.
He's such a softie with people....A real goof ball and loves children.
He's like 2 different personalities


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## debbiebrown

most of them usually are teddy bears at home....................

as long as you get working on it now, before it escalates any further you should be ok.........

maybe get into an OB class etc, and learning how to handle aggressive situations with other dogs before they escalate....using desensatizing methods, distraction, etc.....


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## selzer

He is a teenager. Whether you neuter him or not, with proper guidance and training he will improve. Without proper guidance and training, if you neuter him, he MAY improve a little bit. Without proper guidance and training, if you do NOT neuter him he MAY improve. 

There is NO way to tell for sure whether a dog improves quicker with a neuter or without because EVERY dog is different, and the only way to measure it is by neutering that dog. If you do it at 15 months, and he improves at sixteen months, then you can point to the neuter and say it worked. But there is nothing to say he would not have improved at sixteen months without being neutered, becuase he already is. See, there is no way to guarantee that it was the neuter and not just working through the stupid teenager phase. 

Personally, I think if you want to go to dog parks, leaving the nads in the vet's office might be your best bet. I am not a fan of dog parks, I do not like my dogs sniffing other dogs, sharing sticks, licking each other's pee spots, and the whole nine yards. Mostly, I worry about other dogs attacking mine, because I can only be relatively sure about my own dog's behavior. 

But if you must, leaving that aspect behind MIGHT make it easier for the dogs to run about in a pack.


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## brodie

We had the same problem with our GSD. Got him at 8 weeks, took him to training lessons and dog park. He got along well with all people and dogs, everybody at the dog park knew him and loved him. At 18 months he started to get aggressive and pin down the other dogs. Everyone said neuter him, so we did. It did NOT help at all. He is five years old now. He is very protective of the family and very aggressive towards any outsider, dog or human. We have three dogs, two siberian huskies, and he is very protective of them. His father was a show dog that was very well trained. His father also became aggressive and had to be removed from the show ring. My dog is from the German lines and I think aggression is in their genes. I love him very much but I would not let him near anyone outside the family. Last week he bit our neighbour who wanted to pet him. It was not serious and I hope that's the end of the situation. 
As for neutering your dog to prevent aggression: don't waste your money.


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