Dog is being neutered, will I see any difference?

W.Shakes-Beer

My Parson Jack Russel is being neutered this morning, I'm in work so won't see him til this evening.

He's 10 months old, extremely strong/muscular, very intelligent and very loyal. Has a very strong personality but is a livewire!

I like the way he is (maybe bar the crazy hyper part) but have heard people saying "oh he won't be the same dog afterwards" which I think is rubbish but there's part of me that wonders if there is any truth in it.

My last dog was never neutered as he wasn't as hyper as this fella but had to be put to sleep because of a brain tumor(cancer) which I heard can be reduced by neutering.

Not sure

Has anyone else's male dog's personality changed (for good or bad) after neutering?


And a pic of Ozzy

catch me if you can

I have a samoyed husky - male. he is nuetered and i have noticed no difference in his personality he is still hyper! and loveable and playful and stubborn. so i wouldnt worry. you are doing the right thing.

DBB

OP, your dog is GORGEOUS!
His temperament and personality are in his head, not his testicles, so no, he'll be no different!
In male dogs, you can expect to see an improvement in the behaviour of 90% of neutered dogs within 6 months. The other 10% there's no effect. Stress is reduced, so dog is healthier, and dog lives longer.
It's all good!
Hope the op goes well for him!

westies4ever

he'll be fine - my westie is 16 mothns old and neutered - he's a nutter, didnt change the personality at all. he'll be less likely to 'mark' indoors and less likely to 'hump' things.

Gulliver

I have a collie/lab cross and he is aggressive (barking, hackles raised, running at them) with strangers until he gets up close to them and then he calms down a bit. I know DBB says the temperament is in his head, but would neutering him calm him down a bit? It's embarrassing going to the beach for a walk with him when he goes mental at everything that moves.

westies4ever

Gulliver wrote: »

I have a collie/lab cross and he is aggressive (barking, hackles raised, running at them) with strangers until he gets up close to them and then he calms down a bit. I know DBB says the temperament is in his head, but would neutering him calm him down a bit? It's embarrassing going to the beach for a walk with him when he goes mental at everything that moves.

http://www.ispca.ie/Spaying-and-Neutering.aspx

andreac

Gulliver wrote: »

I have a collie/lab cross and he is aggressive (barking, hackles raised, running at them) with strangers until he gets up close to them and then he calms down a bit. I know DBB says the temperament is in his head, but would neutering him calm him down a bit? It's embarrassing going to the beach for a walk with him when he goes mental at everything that moves.

It might help a little but sounds like your dog needs a lot training and socialisation asap.
This behaviour has nothing to do with him being entire or neutered. What your dog is doing isnt safe and you shouldnt have this dog off the lead in public at all while hes behaving like this as hes a danger to people.

As your dog is a cross breed he really should be neutered sooner rather than later as you have no need to keep him entire as he wont be sued at stud. Plus its much healthier for them to be neutered.

I really would urge you to get him neutered.
The only dogs that should be kept entire are dogs that are going to be used for breeding.

January

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Ozzy is a beauty and just reminds me of my little Star all the time (he was two on the 12th of July!). He's going to get neutered on Monday...

Toulouse

Gulliver you should defintely have your boy neutered, as well as being better for him you are also being a responsible owner.

However neutering will be unlikely to solve your walk problems as it sounds like your dog is leash reactive.

Have a look here http://petcentral.yolasite.com/printables.php at the printable about leash reactivity and try putting the training into practice so that walk times are more enjoyable for you both.

DBB

Gulliver wrote: »

I have a collie/lab cross and he is aggressive (barking, hackles raised, running at them) with strangers until he gets up close to them and then he calms down a bit. I know DBB says the temperament is in his head, but would neutering him calm him down a bit? It's embarrassing going to the beach for a walk with him when he goes mental at everything that moves.

Hi Gulliver,
Testosterone tends to fuel aggression, but your dog sounds like he has an emotional problem, he's fearful around strangers perhaps due to lack of socialisation as a young pup?
So, if you have an emotional behavioural issue with your dog, testosterone can make it worse, but neutering him does not remove the underlying cause for his behaviour. It may very well help, but it's unlikely to cure it.
Would you be prepared to get a behaviourist in to help you? If he was neutered, and you got professional help, you should get this problem under much better control.

Winston79

Our two lads didn't change one bit. There was a few hours groggyness and taking it easy but it was straight back to normal after a day or so.

I was worried that they would lose some of their energy or personality from people telling me that could happen. Turned out not to be true in our case.

toadfly

OP I have an Ozzie too he was neutered when he was about 5 and didn't change his personality just stopped him humping & marking. He is a wanderer as well so I think it has helped control that as he isn't interested in trying to get out to females in heat. He will be fine

Gulliver

Thanks all for the replies. I'll get him neutered so.

He's not off lead in public, just within the fences on our own land. If he's off the chain (which he usually is if the gate's closed) and someone calls in, he runs right at them barking and all puffed up, then just stands there. If they ignore him or pet him, he goes back to normal. If they freak out, he'll start barking again. I'm in the process of building a run for him as I don't like to keep him on the chain all the time.

I have tried socialising him in public places since he was a pup and he was always nervous. He is friendly to people when he gets close, but it's when they're in the distance that he goes mad. My wife jokingly said he must be a bit short sighted, but now I'm actually wondering. He's usually quite good on the lead until he sees someone but the closer the person gets, the easier he is to control, as if he realises it's a person. It's not excitement to see people though, it comes across as aggressive.

Definitely going to look into training as he is quite embarrassing.

Lombardo86

westies4ever wrote: »

he'll be fine - my westie is 16 mothns old and neutered - he's a nutter, didnt change the personality at all. he'll be less likely to 'mark' indoors and less likely to 'hump' things.

This was about the extent of it with our dog when he was neutered. Personality doesn't change but i definitely noticed a dip in energy levels.. Not intended to be as bad as it sounds but they would an extra hour or two 'lazy time' per day.

Everything else is as usual so you have nothing to worry about. Not the thread for it but i would neuter any dogs i get in future too

Master and commander

my neighbour got his border collie neutered a while back and since then he's become a noisey, vicious like sh!tebag constantly barking and rasping and running out in front of my car when i'm driving off.
<modsnip>

Shanao

Master and commander wrote: »

my neighbour got his border collie neutered a while back and since then he's become a noisey, vicious like sh!tebag constantly barking and rasping and running out in front of my car when i'm driving off.

One day i was leaving and i gave a right good slap or the car's bumper thinking that will teach him and stop him chasing me. Alas with in a week he was back at it. Next time i get an opportunity i'll run the little bastard over.

Yeah, that would have nothing to do with neutering and more to do with the fact that there's clearly no training going on there. Border collies need a lot of mental and physical stimulation to keep them from going crazy so I imagine that's what's wrong with him.

You on the other hand, hitting the dog with the car bumper to stop him from chasing a car? Well, I can honestly say that the words I want to use aren't fit for this forum.

star-pants

Master and commander I think you might want to familiarise yourself with the forum charter and check what forum you're in.
We do not advocate violence like that against animals, I suggest you do not post again boasting about it.

If you have an issue with someone's dog on the road you talk to your neighbour firstly and ask them to keep their dog on their property. If they still do not do this after you have spoken calmly to them, then you can contact your local SPCA and ask them to have a word.

Master and commander

Ok i'm sorry. It's just there are two things in life i cannot stand - babies and dogs. I'm more of a cat person. I much prefer my little ginger kitty cat whos cute and quite.

I don't really ahve the time or desire to be sweet talking my neighbour into keeping the dog in - he's a bit of a bolix.

i'll say no more.
Bye

westies4ever

Master and commander wrote: »

Ok i'm sorry. It's just there are two things in life i cannot stand - babies and dogs. I'm more of a cat person. I much prefer my little ginger kitty cat whos cute and quite.

I don't really ahve the time or desire to be sweet talking my neighbour into keeping the dog in - he's a bit of a bolix.

i'll say no more.
Bye

hmm - just looking at other posts of yours and it appears you just troll around various forums upsetting and offending everyone!!!

Master and commander

well i'm not a member of the PC brigade tbh. Not my fault if my views are controvertial.

Bye

westies4ever

Master and commander wrote: »

well i'm not a member of the PC brigade tbh. Not my fault if my views are controvertial.

Bye

i think the word you are looking for is 'irrelevant' rather than controversial.

star-pants

westies4ever wrote: »

hmm - just looking at other posts of yours and it appears you just troll around various forums upsetting and offending everyone!!!

If you feel a post requires action use the report post function rather than just responding saying you think they're a troll

W.Shakes-Beer

Just an update, his op is gonna be a little longer as only 1 teste is down. He's 10 months old.

Hopefully this is common!

Toulouse

In that case it's great that you're getting it done. Yes it's a little more invasive but not uncommon.

W.Shakes-Beer

Toulouse wrote: »

In that case it's great that you're getting it done. Yes it's a little more invasive but not uncommon.

Grand stuff, I just read that any chance of cancer will be removed, so thats a relief.

Zapperzy

W.Shakes-Beer wrote: »

Just an update, his op is gonna be a little longer as only 1 teste is down. He's 10 months old.

Hopefully this is common!

Good thing you got it removed then as they as far as I know can turn cancerous if not descended. Just to warn you he'l now have 2 sets of stitches though, one on his midline and another on his, well, where his testicle was.

DBB

Oooh! Just as well you had him done OP, as retained testicles very regularly become cancerous. Dogs can also suffer from odd behavioural patterns with retained testcles. And, you're certainly not adevised to breed from a cryptorchid (undescended testicles) dog.
I think too, depending on where the retained testicle is, the ligaments attached to the testicle can be stretched or pinched as the testicle is in the wrong place, and this can cause real discomfort for a dog.
So, whilst he will be sorer now as he's going to have internal surgery to remove the stray ball, it's very good all round that he's been done.
Plenty of TLC for him when he gets home!

W.Shakes-Beer

Zapperzy wrote: »

Good thing you got it removed then as they as far as I know can turn cancerous if not descended. Just to warn you he'l now have 2 sets of stitches though, one on his midline and another on his, well, where his testicle was.

Phew! Good to know. Extra scarring doesn't bother me, once he's fine.

DBB wrote: »

Oooh! Just as well you had him done OP, as retained testicles very regularly become cancerous. Dogs can also suffer from odd behavioural patterns with retained testcles. And, you're certainly not adevised to breed from a cryptorchid (undescended testicles) dog.
I think too, depending on where the retained testicle is, the ligaments attached to the testicle can be stretched or pinched as the testicle is in the wrong place, and this can cause real discomfort for a dog.
So, whilst he will be sorer now as he's going to have internal surgery to remove the stray ball, it's very good all round that he's been done.
Plenty of TLC for him when he gets home!

I'll have a hot water bottle waiting in his bed for him

W.Shakes-Beer

Just an update.

Ozzy's op was a success and he seems happy enough. He was groggy for the first hour but sure enough was walking around with a tennis ball in his mouth afterwards. Me trying to get him not to be jumping around and let himself heal.

He's in his bed now with a nice lamp shade on his head

boodlesdoodles

W.Shakes-Beer wrote: »

Just an update.

Ozzy's op was a success and he seems happy enough. He was groggy for the first hour but sure enough was walking around with a tennis ball in his mouth afterwards. Me trying to get him not to be jumping around and let himself heal.

He's in his bed now with a nice lamp shade on his head

Great to hear he sailed through it and like others have said it made no impact on my fella personality wise. He is still a mad and hilarious Westie! I didn't use the lampshade on him at all, just kept a close eye on him and stopped any excessive licking. My vet doesn't like the cones, thinks they only stress dogs out. If you have the time to watch him closely, which I had, I understand not everyone does. Sounds like you really love him, can't blame you he is the most gorgeous guy. After Westies, JRTs are my favourite dogs.

W.Shakes-Beer

boodlesdoodles wrote: »

Great to hear he sailed through it and like others have said it made no impact on my fella personality wise. He is still a mad and hilarious Westie! I didn't use the lampshade on him at all, just kept a close eye on him and stopped any excessive licking. My vet doesn't like the cones, thinks they only stress dogs out. If you have the time to watch him closely, which I had, I understand not everyone does. Sounds like you really love him, can't blame you he is the most gorgeous guy. After Westies, JRTs are my favourite dogs.

Thank you I was unsure of the cone at first but he doesn't seem to mind it too much, its only on him just for night time as I can't keep an eye on him all night. He's asleep with his head in the cone currently so happy enough.

DBB

Ah, I'm delighted he's back on his feet already!
There was a thread about these recently, but I'll tell you about them here anyway. You can get an inflatable collar instead of using those damn Buster Collars. They allow the dog to act reasonably normally, and tend not to cause them to panic and hit off things. They even use them as a pillow! Equipet do them, and you can get them online. Not cheap but I think well worth the extra comfort. A small one will suit a Parson.
http://www.petco.com/product/100555/ProCollar-Premium-Inflatable-Protective-Collar.aspx

Boodlesdoodles' vet is right, Buster collars are awful things, and whilst I personally would try taking it off my dog altogether after neutering, the fact that your lad has had a deeper, more painful surgery may make him more likely to root at his scars.

Zapperzy

W.Shakes-Beer wrote: »

Just an update.

Ozzy's op was a success and he seems happy enough. He was groggy for the first hour but sure enough was walking around with a tennis ball in his mouth afterwards. Me trying to get him not to be jumping around and let himself heal.

He's in his bed now with a nice lamp shade on his head

Glad to hear it! Did they find the retained testicle?

W.Shakes-Beer

Zapperzy wrote: »

Glad to hear it! Did they find the retained testicle?

Yep, wasn't too far from where it should have been so didn't take much extra to be done.

SOOO glad I got this neutering done, now mainly because of that retained testicle.

HungryFish

I have a parsons cross. He has all the personality that is typical of that breed. He's neutered. He's 13 years old and still completely bonkers and eating shoes and all that stuff....being neutered didn't change him a bit and he's definitely better for it now because of the health risks that go with his age.