tez
Newbie
Posts: 2
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Post by tez on Aug 25, 2015 15:51:55 GMT
Hello there
I have two entire males - although the youngest is being castrated this week. My question is regarding the timing of castrating the eldest (2 yrs old).
I did contemplate whether to have them castrated at the same time - or is it better to wait and let the youngest settle? If so, how long?
We are having issues with the eldest regarding aggression towards us - we think as a result of introducing the youngest dog (been with us since he was 8 weeks old - now 13 months). The eldest won't let us groom him, and will snap at us - we have both been bitten.
We tried him on Tardak - which did improve his temprament - so want to go ahead with the castration (the youngest needs it for medical reasons).
Any experiences or advise would be greatly appreciated.
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Post by zahada on Aug 25, 2015 18:04:45 GMT
Hello there I have two entire males - although the youngest is being castrated this week. My question is regarding the timing of castrating the eldest (2 yrs old). I did contemplate whether to have them castrated at the same time - or is it better to wait and let the youngest settle? If so, how long? We are having issues with the eldest regarding aggression towards us - we think as a result of introducing the youngest dog (been with us since he was 8 weeks old - now 13 months). The eldest won't let us groom him, and will snap at us - we have both been bitten. We tried him on Tardak - which did improve his temprament - so want to go ahead with the castration (the youngest needs it for medical reasons). Any experiences or advise would be greatly appreciated. Has your older dog ever let you groom him? Testosterone gets blamed for so many things, yet many problems are caused by lack of training, or pain.
I would get the eldest checked out by a vet and if he gets the all clear I would ask the vet for a referral to a reputable behaviourist who has experience with dogs who have shown aggression towards humans. I certainly would not castrate him at this point. If you remove the testosterone at the inappropriate moment you could finish up with a fearful dog, who will even more readily resort to aggression.
So vet check first, then a behaviourist, and then, if still needed or wanted, the castration.
Good luck.
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Post by gypsy on Aug 25, 2015 21:49:37 GMT
Hi there I think it very sensible of you trying the Tardak before neutering and if it made a positive difference, maybe the next best step is to neuter. You mention that your eldest dog has been aggressive to you but you haven't mentioned what the relationship is between your two dogs. Are they aggressive with eachother? From my own experience I've always found neutered males live together easier than entire males, but thats just my experience. I have to agree with zahada that it might be wise to contact a reputable canine behaviourist (if you haven't already) to work with you and both your dogs, to establish what the cause of the aggression is and solutions on how to solve it. Ideally this should be done alongside the neutering, rather than just expecting neutering alone to resolve the problem. Personally I don't agree that neutering automatically creates a more fearful dog, yes it can in some cases, but in others neutering can have a very positive effect too. It really depends on that individual dog. In answer to your question - if you have to neuter your youngest dog for health reasons anyway....I would probably wait a little while out of curiosity to see if neutering the youngest has any effect positive or negative on the older dog. BUT if your mind is made up I can't see why you can't neuter them close together.
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tez
Newbie
Posts: 2
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Post by tez on Aug 26, 2015 7:27:11 GMT
Thanks zahada and gypsy for your posts and advice. I have been working with a canine behaviourist since January with both dogs, and we have seen some improvement - but just lately our eldest dog has seemed to take a step backwards. Regards the grooming, the eldest dog has never particularly liked it - but has "put up with it" - until very recently. Will wait and see how things are with the youngest dog being castrated. Many thanks for your posts.
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Post by gypsy on Aug 26, 2015 15:05:13 GMT
Thanks zahada and gypsy for your posts and advice. I have been working with a canine behaviourist since January with both dogs, and we have seen some improvement - but just lately our eldest dog has seemed to take a step backwards. Regards the grooming, the eldest dog has never particularly liked it - but has "put up with it" - until very recently. Will wait and see how things are with the youngest dog being castrated. Many thanks for your posts. I had a feeling you were working with a canine behaviourist when you mentioned the Tardak. Good luck and let us know how you get on.
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