Neutering and Marking in dogs

thunderbolt

Hi everyone,

My dog is 8 months old and is going to be neutered next week. He started marking quite a lot outside in the last week but in the last day or two he has attempted to do it indoors in the house and successfully did it in the pet store!

I didn't realise neutering them early can prevent this behaviour altogether but I'm wondering if neutering him now will cut it out, considering he's just started doing it?

Thanks!

Knine

He is quite young imo to be getting neutered. A firm No worked very well & no marking in my house even when bitches are in heat. My dogs are kept entire.

Neutering should help but make sure you research the pro's & con's.

em_cat

thunderbolt wrote: »

Hi everyone,

My dog is 8 months old and is going to be neutered next week. He started marking quite a lot outside in the last week but in the last day or two he has attempted to do it indoors in the house and successfully did it in the pet store!

I didn't realise neutering them early can prevent this behaviour altogether but I'm wondering if neutering him now will cut it out, considering he's just started doing it?

Thanks!

Neutering alone will not address marking indoors, that will take training, do you have a multi pet / species home?

cocker5

Marking indoors is a training issue.. neutrino won’t address this.

Have you done some proper research into neutering so young? It can lead to joint issues etc.. personally I’d wait until your dog is fully grown and then neuter

thunderbolt

Hi everyone, thanks for the feedback.

I've done a lot of research and the recommendation is actually to get them neutered been 5 and 7 months! I was quite surprised but it seems very common.

em_cat

thunderbolt wrote: »

Hi everyone, thanks for the feedback.

I've done a lot of research and the recommendation is actually to get them neutered been 5 and 7 months! I was quite surprised but it seems very common.

Sorry I meant that neutering won’t stop or prevent marking, it really is a training issue.

We’ve a neutered rescue that is incredibly well trained in terms of toileting. He doesn’t mark in pet shops either because he’s been taught not to by training, however outdoors is his oyster as after all he’s a dog.

cocker5

OP please do proper research about the risks .. I neutered my dog at 6months and he developed hip dysplasia later in life

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/health-risks-of-early-spay-neuter/

While there are many causes .. i would never neuter again until a dog has reached adult age.

Don’t research what age to neuter.. research the dangers that’s all

VonVix

Marking varies from dog to dog.

I've one dog who got neutered just shy of 6 months (too early), only marks when he sees our other dog do it. He copies him. He wouldn't mark anywhere if he's out alone.

My other dog, also neutered at the same age, marks everywhere, all the time, but only outside.

My other dog, 3 year old intact male, rarely marks when he is out. He marked one time in the house, I interrupted with an "ah-ah!" and shoo'd him outside. Cleaned the area thoroughly. He never marked in the house again. Keeping in mind this is only my dog we are talking about, some dogs might need to be interrupted a few times. But you also need the foundation that your dog knows it's okay to pee in front of you when he is outside, it's just a no-no in the home.

Most dogs who are "house trained" are actually only trained to not go in their own house, it doesn't mean they won't pee in someone else's house or a pet store.

em_cat

We used the eh eh or an emphatic excuse me as the interrupter, on our walks if I really need him not to wee/Mark I say around he carries on walking around to the next. Mind you though our walks are usually guided by bin to bin or corner to corner.

Cherry Blossom

What breed or size is your dog OP?

thunderbolt

Thanks for all the feedback everyone.

He's a cockapoo and he's medium-sized. He's fully house trained and never relieves himself in the house so it was unusual for him to attempt to mark indoors.

DBB

Sounds to me like sexual maturity is kicking in with your teenage pooch op
Territory marking is absolutely normal for adults and almost-adults... Male dogs do it by cocking their leg to elevate their manly scent up to nose height (for other dogs)
A pet shop would provide many irresistible spots that smell strongly of other dogs (who've also peed there), that your pup feels compelled to overmark.
So, it's a little different to "true" house training, because now you've hormones clouding your dog's judgement. As others have said, a gentle verbal warning if he does it, but make sure to acknowledge when he pees appropriately outside. Better still, now that you know he *may* do it, try to pre-empt him and divert him away from a likely leg-cock before he actually raises the leg!
I'm going to differ from others here... Neutering does, in fact, moderate hormone-mediated behaviours, and therefore it generally does significantly reduce territory marking indoors... Success here is probably higher in dogs who've already learned the concept of peeing indoors vs outdoors. So, whilst training is important, it's not the only factor that affects whether young dogs will mark territory or not. Also, the truth is that some dogs are more likely to give it a go, just because that's the kinda guy they are
If there are spots in your house he's more inclined to mark (usually corners and edges), clean it up with a proprietary urine-cleaning detergent, or biological washing powder dissolved in warm water... Do not use any products containing bleach (it smells of pee to other dogs).
On the neutering... I'm all for leaving neutering until the dog has physically matured, but the research to date only supports it being risky for joint health in large breeds. For smaller breeds and crosses, earlier neutering (under 1 yr) isn't such a big problem.
Once there are no great significant risks to the dog's present or future health, to me it's very much a personal choice as to when to do the deed. If hormone-mediated behaviours are a genuine problem, and they are for some owners of some dogs, then I think it's fair enough to neuter a younger dog. Within reason... In my head, 8+ months for smaller dogs is fair enough.

Cherry Blossom

I'd be inclined to leave him be until he's over the one year mark, that's assuming he's miniature poodle not standard poodle. He should have a good portion of his growing done by then.

boomerang

cocker5 wrote: »

OP please do proper research about the risks .. I neutered my dog at 6months and he developed hip dysplasia later in life

I thought hip dysplasia was congenital and the resultant osteo-arthritis is from wear and tear on the abnormal joint?

tk123

boomerang wrote: »

I thought hip dysplasia was congenital and the resultant osteo-arthritis is from wear and tear on the abnormal joint?

Environmental factors can play a role in it too. But in the first few months so would be before the dog was spayed/neutered.
My friend used to tell EVERYONE that Bailey had 'his hips done' because it was easier to remember than saying it was his hocks!!!

Thankfully both of mine don't have HD(!)

For me personally after all of Bailey's issues I would be very very reluctant to neuter a male dog again or would leave it as long as possible after they were fully grown. Lucy was 17-18 months when she was spayed and fully grown and it made a big difference imo - just comparing to friend's retrievers who act like they drink coffee not water :pac:

cocker5

boomerang wrote: »

I thought hip dysplasia was congenital and the resultant osteo-arthritis is from wear and tear on the abnormal joint?

To be honest im not 100% sure it depends on where you Google

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/new-study-neuter-risk-hip-dysplasia-dogs/

but from experience and trying to help Cody best I can now ... seeing his daily struggles and If I thought there was a slight % chance of reducing the risk I would.

I wouldn't neuter at 6 months again -I would wait until the dog was mature that's all.