Question

nasty_crash

Hi Guys

I have a pug - who will be 1 in december - he's full of energy - running around all the time - and when he gets the chance just eats everything - from shoes to cushions to towels to anything. I know that this is associated with a dog and being energetic but just one question - if i was to get him neutered would he calm down a bit? would he be a quieter dog? im not too keen on givin him the snip but my fiance says that it will quieten him a lot!

Any advise would be deadly!

Thanks

sionnaic

I'm not sure about the old adage that neutering makes dogs calmer

we have two 10 month old male pups that we got neutered in August at about 8 months old. One is sheepdog type who was always very energetic and remains that way. He seems to have gotten more nervous though. The other is a basset hound who slept constantly and never really ran around much - he's taken on a whole new lease of life since the op!! Much more energetic and playful and mischievous...

suziwalsh

have a look here http://savets.org/neuteryourdog.aspx

I would highly recommend neutering....if not just for the health reasons. It will more than likely calm your dog however he would have had the most benefit if it had been done earlier at about 5 - 6 months of age. It will definately help settle him.

I would also look at the food you are feeding. Diet is very important so you want to make sure youre feeding a good quality diet that wont have him bouncing off the walls.

portgirl123

i know a few people that owns pugs and they are all hyper. One family have tried everything to quieten it down, food, walks mental activity and spaying. they were hoping with age it would quieten, this i think was the thing that was keepin them sane till out walking they met someone else with 2 elderly pugs who told them that there pugs, at the ages of 6 and 8, are as hyper now as they were when pups

Cherry Blossom

Neutering might or might not help, I'd recommend having it done anyway, make sure you are feeding a good quality, low protein food and be aware of the protein levels in any treats you are giving as well. An obedience class might help also.

Bubs99

I agree, get him neutered. Its a fact that it calms them down as their male hormones are'nt shooting through them like lightening 24/7. My dog was a psychotic puppy, ate everything in sight, constantly barked etc.
When he turned 6months, we got him neutered straight away, he gradually calmed down and he is now a well trained, active yorkie X.
Loves his walks and playing fetch then mellows out for the evening until his next walk.
It'll be well worth it. Trust me.
Unless you are a registered breeder, in my opinion, all dogs, male and female should be neutered. Neutering also prevents future illnesses and cancer in bitches.

mymo

I'm not sure about the effect of neutering but it could help, worth a try.
You need to find something that will keep him busy while you're out, have you tried Kongs? I have a ball one that you fill with nuts, the dogs roll around and the odd nut falls out. I also have the ones you stuff, I stuff and freeze them so it takes ages to get the food out.
What are you feeding him? sometimes the food can make them more hyper.
Oh, and he really is still a pup so time should help.

tk123

mymo wrote: »

What are you feeding him? sometimes the food can make them more hyper.
Oh, and he really is still a pup so time should help.

+ 1 on this. Our guy (a retriever) has calmed down a lot since switching from RC to Burns. Also in the last few months he's settled down a lot too - he's 15 months old now. Getting them to use their head will wear them out too - kongs, training etc will help.

toadfly

Ya the food could be a factor. Our two have calmed so so much since taking then off RC.

sionnaic

oh I meant to say in my post yesterday - and I agree with the other posters here - unless you definitely intend to responsibly breed your dog, and put in all the work and dedication that entails, you definitely should get him neutered. Too many unwanted and neglected puppies are born in this country. Also if there's a bitch in heat around the area it'll drive him bonkers.

Also I would also absolutely agree with the other posters re. food. Review what you're feeding him it can make a big difference. Get a food with <25% protein and which is made from as natural ingredients as possible - no chemicals, "derivatives" of any kind or artificial additives. Switching our sheepdog to the food he's on now improved his digestive system, his coat and evened out his bouts of hyperness (he's still really energetic though!!).

DBCyc

portgirl123 wrote: »

i know a few people that owns pugs and they are all hyper. One family have tried everything to quieten it down, food, walks mental activity and spaying. they were hoping with age it would quieten, this i think was the thing that was keepin them sane till out walking they met someone else with 2 elderly pugs who told them that there pugs, at the ages of 6 and 8, are as hyper now as they were when pups

Our pug quietened down a good bit once he turned two. They do stay very puppy like for the two years. When he was younger, Buster was either asleep or mental even though he was walked loads and fed good quality food. Now he is much more calm, although he still has his crazy moments which are gas!

OP I would get him neutered for health reasons alone. It is a very simple procedure and he will be as good as new after a day or two - you have no reason to worry.

Also, when we were researching the breed, a lot of books/articles described pugs as very low energy dogs which require very little exercise. This is not true at all in Buster's case and he would climb the walls if he wasn't taken on his daily walk. I think that most of these articles may be American, where the climate is much warmer. Pugs struggle in the heat and when it gets above 20 degrees, Buster would be fairly tired after a very short walk. So maybe if you increase the length of your walks/exercise he may calm down also - good luck

Sigma Force

Our youngest is a year and 5 months now and he still will nick stuff and chew on it, pretty normal. He will grow out of it, in the mean time because he's small we put everything on a high, I can't even have a basket of bog roll on the ground and he's sock mad so you can't put a sock on the floor for two seconds and it's gone.
He has plenty of toys and gets tons of excercise and play time but he's just at that age. I wouldn't worry too much.

Neutering on the other hand is a good idea anyway, but just be wary that pugs can have trouble breathing so this needs to be taken into account when they go under anesthetic, saying that neutering is a quick enough op just pick a really good vet.

We had our guy done and he didn't quieten a bit, his personality was exactly the same but the benifit was he isn't humping everything in site and he's not marking his territory any more ie not peeing all over the house.

nasty_crash

thanks a million for all the replies guys - its actually loads and loads of info - im gonna get him neutered just for his health - and to stop the humping and territory marking! Actually gonna check out his food to make sure that its not hyping him up too much either.

I understand he is a puppy and im glad that he is not the only one that seems to be hyper haha