Karen Davison's Blog, page 2
March 8, 2013
Neutering Male Dogs - Timing
There are so many different schools of thought about neutering, it can be confusing for owners to make an informed decision as to the right age to get their dog neutered, or indeed whether they should get them neutered at all.
In general terms I would be an advocate of neutering. Unless you are considering responsible breeding practices or are serious about showing your dog professionally, there is no good reason not to neuter your dog. It has many health and behavioural benefits, as well as helping to reduce the amount of unwanted dogs that are destroyed every year. However, it is important to consider the timing of such procedures in order to reap the maximum benefit, and reduce the risk of detrimental health problems, which can occur if neutering is carried out too early.
Benefits of Neutering Male Dogs
Castrated males are less likely to be aggressive or be aggressed upon by other male dogs, and will be less likely to exhibit escape behaviour and roaming. It also removes the risk of testicular cancer.
Unneutered mature male dogs will scent mark, which can contribute to house training problems. This behaviour is not connected to the need to empty their bladder; rather they will leave small splashes of urine in strategic areas to mark territory. That is why males ‘cock’ their leg, so that the urine they leave is at nose level for other dogs, and will not be missed. This behaviour begins when they reach sexual maturity which will vary from dog to dog. Puppies and juvenile males squat until such time as their testosterone levels begin to rise.
Optimal Time to Neuter Male Dogs
Large breeds mature slower than small dogs, and even within the same breed development times will vary between individuals. This is why it is inadvisable to specify that males should be neutered at a specific age. The optimum time for neutering of males is when they first begin to tentatively lift their leg when urinating. This shows that the particular dog is beginning to sexually mature. If neutering occurs at this time it will reap the maximum benefits, prevent the development of scent marking behaviour, and other testosterone related issues, such as inter dog aggression and roaming.
Implications of Neutering Too Early
Physical –
Males that are castrated before reaching maturity often grow taller than they should, as the lack of dihydrotestosterone fails to signal the cessation of bone growth at the normal time. This can result in dogs that are too long in the leg and occasionally can cause disproportionate growth between the fore and hind legs, putting pressure on the skeletal structure, in particular the hips and spine.
There also seems to be some evidence of a link between osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and prepubescent castration in male dogs.
Behavioural –
From a behavioural perspective, my own observations over the course of many years suggest that neutering males before they mature has the effect of ‘locking’ dogs into a juvenile psychological state. This can result in dogs that do not develop emotional maturity, remain ‘giddy’ and retain a shorter attention span.
Neutering Older Dogs
Behavioural benefits of neutering, reduce if castration is carried out when dogs are well in to maturity. In the case of scent marking and inter-dog aggression for example - although testosterone was the driving force behind the original behaviour, it will soon become normal and established behaviour for the individual dog. Removal of testosterone due to castration may have little or no effect. Although there may be other benefits of later neutering, well established behaviours may not necessarily improve following the procedure.
Neutering and weight gain
This is one concern that many people have in connections to neutering their dogs. It is true to say that some dogs may experience changes in their metabolism following neutering. This is not a problem in itself. Weight gain will occur however if the feeding levels remain the same. It is important to monitor dogs post neutering as it may be necessary to adjust food intake to balance out metabolic changes. Often it is just a case of a slight reduction of the amount of daily food given. I always neuter my dogs, and have never had an overweight dog!
Neutering is a very personal choice. My best advice to owners is to read as much on the subject as possible, talk to your vet, and make the decision that you feel is right for your own dog.
I will cover spaying Bitches in my next blog post. If you have any questions on this subject, please feel free to post a comment.
Karen
http//www.dogtrainingkerry.net
http://www.amazon.com/karen-Davison/e...
In general terms I would be an advocate of neutering. Unless you are considering responsible breeding practices or are serious about showing your dog professionally, there is no good reason not to neuter your dog. It has many health and behavioural benefits, as well as helping to reduce the amount of unwanted dogs that are destroyed every year. However, it is important to consider the timing of such procedures in order to reap the maximum benefit, and reduce the risk of detrimental health problems, which can occur if neutering is carried out too early.
Benefits of Neutering Male Dogs
Castrated males are less likely to be aggressive or be aggressed upon by other male dogs, and will be less likely to exhibit escape behaviour and roaming. It also removes the risk of testicular cancer.
Unneutered mature male dogs will scent mark, which can contribute to house training problems. This behaviour is not connected to the need to empty their bladder; rather they will leave small splashes of urine in strategic areas to mark territory. That is why males ‘cock’ their leg, so that the urine they leave is at nose level for other dogs, and will not be missed. This behaviour begins when they reach sexual maturity which will vary from dog to dog. Puppies and juvenile males squat until such time as their testosterone levels begin to rise.
Optimal Time to Neuter Male Dogs
Large breeds mature slower than small dogs, and even within the same breed development times will vary between individuals. This is why it is inadvisable to specify that males should be neutered at a specific age. The optimum time for neutering of males is when they first begin to tentatively lift their leg when urinating. This shows that the particular dog is beginning to sexually mature. If neutering occurs at this time it will reap the maximum benefits, prevent the development of scent marking behaviour, and other testosterone related issues, such as inter dog aggression and roaming.
Implications of Neutering Too Early
Physical –
Males that are castrated before reaching maturity often grow taller than they should, as the lack of dihydrotestosterone fails to signal the cessation of bone growth at the normal time. This can result in dogs that are too long in the leg and occasionally can cause disproportionate growth between the fore and hind legs, putting pressure on the skeletal structure, in particular the hips and spine.
There also seems to be some evidence of a link between osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and prepubescent castration in male dogs.
Behavioural –
From a behavioural perspective, my own observations over the course of many years suggest that neutering males before they mature has the effect of ‘locking’ dogs into a juvenile psychological state. This can result in dogs that do not develop emotional maturity, remain ‘giddy’ and retain a shorter attention span.
Neutering Older Dogs
Behavioural benefits of neutering, reduce if castration is carried out when dogs are well in to maturity. In the case of scent marking and inter-dog aggression for example - although testosterone was the driving force behind the original behaviour, it will soon become normal and established behaviour for the individual dog. Removal of testosterone due to castration may have little or no effect. Although there may be other benefits of later neutering, well established behaviours may not necessarily improve following the procedure.
Neutering and weight gain
This is one concern that many people have in connections to neutering their dogs. It is true to say that some dogs may experience changes in their metabolism following neutering. This is not a problem in itself. Weight gain will occur however if the feeding levels remain the same. It is important to monitor dogs post neutering as it may be necessary to adjust food intake to balance out metabolic changes. Often it is just a case of a slight reduction of the amount of daily food given. I always neuter my dogs, and have never had an overweight dog!
Neutering is a very personal choice. My best advice to owners is to read as much on the subject as possible, talk to your vet, and make the decision that you feel is right for your own dog.
I will cover spaying Bitches in my next blog post. If you have any questions on this subject, please feel free to post a comment.
Karen
http//www.dogtrainingkerry.net
http://www.amazon.com/karen-Davison/e...
Husband Training Anyone?
It is quite surprising how many times I have been invited to move into peoples homes to help 'train' the men folk and indeed the small folk. You might think that my profession involves marriage guidance, family counselling or indeed human psychology, and in many ways these areas do come into my daily work, probably more than your would think considering that I am a professional dog trainer and canine behaviourist.
A large part of my work is educatiing the owners, the dog actually is the easy bit. Visits usually break down to 10 mins teaching the dog to sit, lay down and come when called, the next hour and a half are spent teaching the owners how to get the dog to sit, lay down and come when called.
In order to become a dog trainer you have firstly to have a passion and deep understanding of dog behaviour and the way dogs think, but also you need to be a people person. Just as you have to have a unique approach to teaching each dog, you also have to adjust your approach to individual owners.
In my work I only use positive reward based methods, which is very effective for dogs, and also works very well with children. At the end of the day bringing up a dog to be a good canine citizen is not indifferent from teaching children good behaviour and nice manners.
Husbands however, can be a little more difficult as they tend to be set in their ways. The old adage 'You can't teach an old dog new tricks' is not actually true where dogs are concerned. Men folk on the other hand - not so much. My own long suffering partner is a good example of this. He has been under training for some 24 years, and I feel I am getting there by increments. Unfortunately no matter how much positive reinforcement I use, I still cannot get him to put the toilet seat down with any consistency! Perseverance and patience, of which fortunately I have in spades, may pay off in the end in this regard.
For those of you that are interested in the best methods for teaching your dogs, your children and even with a little effort your men folk (or indeed your women folk) My newly launched dog training and behaviour book
The Perfect Companion - Understanding, Training and Bonding with your Dog!
http//www.dogtrainingkerry.net
http://www.amazon.com/karen-Davison/e...
A large part of my work is educatiing the owners, the dog actually is the easy bit. Visits usually break down to 10 mins teaching the dog to sit, lay down and come when called, the next hour and a half are spent teaching the owners how to get the dog to sit, lay down and come when called.
In order to become a dog trainer you have firstly to have a passion and deep understanding of dog behaviour and the way dogs think, but also you need to be a people person. Just as you have to have a unique approach to teaching each dog, you also have to adjust your approach to individual owners.
In my work I only use positive reward based methods, which is very effective for dogs, and also works very well with children. At the end of the day bringing up a dog to be a good canine citizen is not indifferent from teaching children good behaviour and nice manners.
Husbands however, can be a little more difficult as they tend to be set in their ways. The old adage 'You can't teach an old dog new tricks' is not actually true where dogs are concerned. Men folk on the other hand - not so much. My own long suffering partner is a good example of this. He has been under training for some 24 years, and I feel I am getting there by increments. Unfortunately no matter how much positive reinforcement I use, I still cannot get him to put the toilet seat down with any consistency! Perseverance and patience, of which fortunately I have in spades, may pay off in the end in this regard.
For those of you that are interested in the best methods for teaching your dogs, your children and even with a little effort your men folk (or indeed your women folk) My newly launched dog training and behaviour book
The Perfect Companion - Understanding, Training and Bonding with your Dog!
http//www.dogtrainingkerry.net
http://www.amazon.com/karen-Davison/e...
