Will Neutering stop aggression?
@CinderInMySoul (4717)
United States
November 14, 2008 3:46am CST
We have a brat of a doxie/chia mix. he is the youngest dog by a couple of years, but very dominant. whenever there is something to bark at, he will attack the other dog first BEFORE he even see's what he is barking at. if he gets scolded he growls and has snarled and bared teeth, but hasnt actually bitten anybody.
the little boy next door is deaf and only like 4yrs old-so he doesnt realize that Joey isnt wanting to play, and he sometimes tries to pet Joey..as soon as Joey even sees the little boy he starts barking and growling with hackles raised and ive seen him almost get the boys hand thru the fence. he does that even if the boy is nowhere near the fence. everytime he is told No and sent into the house..we've even tried introducing joey and the boy...no difference. its hard to take him for a walk, because as soon as he sees or hears another dog, hackles go up and he's pulling and barking/growling for a fight.
he will even come over ON HIS OWN, and lay down on top of your feet or put his nose into your hand for pets..then immediatly start growling when you touch him! then of course thats when he will get a swat and NO!..to which he replies by running away and attacking the older dog..even if he has to go into a far room to FIND the other dog!
it is getting out of hand, nothing we do seems to make any difference..the shelter wont ever adopt him out because if this problem (ive asked if they thought they could find him a home) we dont know anybody who wants a dog that insists on being the CENTER of attention no matter what (even when they are both being petted at the same time he will sometimes try to start a fight over it)
i honestly feel that it is just a matter of time before either one of us gets bit or the little boy next door gets bit! and when that happens he will get a bullet...we dont want it to go that far!!
has anybody had a problem like this and had the dog neutered? did it make a difference?
2 people like this
7 responses
@goodkat (63)
• Romania
14 Nov 08
It's a matter of education. A member of the family must have done SOMETHING to prove the dog that he is the alpha. What you need to do, before you get to calling a dog trainer, is:
- feed the other dog FIRST, and let the younger one SEE it. Then feed him too, out of the same bowl.
- NEVER pet him when he comes begging for it. You are the master and you are the one who initiates play or petting.
- when walking him on a leash, hold the leash short and ALWAYS try to walk one step in front of the dog
- if he is on a leash and you are entering a room or passing through any form of entrance (gate, etc), YOU be the one who walks in first.
- do not simply feed him, but tell your dog to do something when you have the food bowl in your hand and he can see it. Like "SIT", for example. You don't put the bowl down until he does what you required.
His aggressiveness is not sexually-related, I think, because you didn't mention having a female dog around, in whose presence he behaves as he does. It's a matter of territoriality and education. He tends to dominate the ground that he is occupying, on the street or inside the yard.
Don't use force on him, don't be aggressive to him. The worst "punishment" when he does something bad is a rough voice saying "NO" (preferably, a male voice) and ignoring him for at least 30 or even 45 minutes after. You shouldn't talk to him, pet him or, if possible, not even look at him after he does what he shouldn't.
If that doesn't show results in less than a month, call a dog trainer to evaluate the dog. A simple evaluation is not expensive, he should tell you what else to do in order to establish a good hierarchy with your dog.
Good luck and keep us posted about the evolution!
2 people like this
@thedogshrink (1266)
• United States
15 Nov 08
Good points. But one thing. Do NOT feed the other dog first; don't do anything to make it look like you are raising the other dog in status. You need to raise your own status, but if you upset the status of the two dogs between themselves, you can cause an increase in aggression because the dog will feel forced to put the truly submissive dog into submission.
Once you establish yourself and other family members as the leaders, then you will be able to control this dog.
The habit of attacking the other dog when they hear something outside is called displacement aggression. He can't reach whatever is causing the disturbance, so he lashes out at whoever is near. It can sometimes be that a dog will turn this displacement aggression onto a person.
1 person likes this
@CinderInMySoul (4717)
• United States
15 Nov 08
oh i know who and how his little "im mister #1" attitude came from..she babied him like there was no tomorrow and now he knows he is the ruler of the roost, little brat.
we have tried all those things, thats actually why we've started considering the neutering. he does basic commands just fine, goes out gates/doors second in line behind us without a problem. they get fed in two different rooms but in truth he isnt aggressive at all when it comes to food, which ive always found kind of odd considering how he acts at other times.
and while he was only giving a low growl we did only say NO..its when he started whipping his head around and snarling at us, very much like he was going to bite, that he started getting the swat.
the only thing you mentioned that we havent tried has been the dog trainer, someone below mentioned that Petsmart has training classes im gonna look into that or at least ask for some ideas lol!
thanks!
@kianta0708 (2)
• United States
14 Nov 08
I have worked for veterinarians for several years. Not neccessarily will this calm him down. you mentioned he is the youngest dog by a couple of years...how many other dogs do you have? what breeds and ages are they? the problem is you have a mix that both sides are known to have aggression problems. you need to work on him one on one. always correct him as soon as he is showing signs. the minute you let him get by once. its all over he will continue to rule you and anyone who comes near. I know it sounds crazy but i suggest you read the dog whisper books or watch the movies. it will make a whole big of a differece if you follow the exact steps to get him to quit. good luck.
2 people like this
@CinderInMySoul (4717)
• United States
15 Nov 08
1 other dog who is about 5 i think..mix little guy. Joey is about 1 1/2yrs now.
consistency with other family members is a huge problem..and im sure has done nothing but make this whole thing much worse. sometimes they correct him, sometimes they let him get away with it..its VERY frustrating!
i should check out the dog whisper books!
thanks!
@underdogtoo (9579)
• Philippines
14 Nov 08
I know nothing about dogs. Who knows why they are aggressive and why they are man's best friend. I don't like cats. I hope you solve your problem very soon. Neutering might help, this is not a professional opinion. Cheers!!
1 person likes this
@dookie03 (578)
• United States
14 Nov 08
I have a boxer and we didn't neuter him till after he was a year or more old and i don't think it made a difference. Supposedly if you neuter a dog you should do it the first six months because that's when they're mostly growing up.
Yea that's a problem if your dog is a mean one. I think truthfully it's up to you to step up to the plate and put your dog in it's place. I would check out Petsmart or Petco they usually have some training classes there that could totally help with the aggression in the dog. It's either that or a shock collar, he'll learn pretty quick who's boss.
Good luck.
@CinderInMySoul (4717)
• United States
15 Nov 08
yeah is is about 1 1/2yrs old now i believe..even the vet i called said it probably should have been done sooner.
oh..shoot i forgot all about Petsmart having training classes! thanks for reminding me!
lol! the shock collar was the first thing my dad suggested..especially after he saw Joey snarl at his granddaughter..well ok it was the second thing he suggested after she yelled "NO PA NO!" lol!
@jamesgrub (673)
• United States
14 Nov 08
i have never had a really aggressive dog but i have had dogs and cats that ive had fixed. most of the time when an animal gets fixed they do calm down alot. my cats especially get very lazy after they get fixed and the dogs seem to calm down too. i have seen aggressive dogs on animal planet and other shows where they do get them fixed to help with the training. i think if your dog is really that aggressive you should at least try it and see if it helps. either way its a good idea to get your dog fixed.
1 person likes this
@jeoestreich (95)
• United States
15 Nov 08
I would start with NILF (nothing in life for free) right away. This will help to let your dog know that you are the boss. Neutering sometimes help and sometimes does not. What it sounds like that your dog is not train. I would also suggest going to training class and maybe looking into a behaviorist.
1 person likes this
@jayyerex (224)
• Canada
14 Nov 08
Thelastwolf113 is right on this one. I had over 20 different breeds of dog growing up in Vancouver and I have seen many different situations. Once a dog has learned a behaviour it is tough to unlearn. That is not to say it is impossible. I must say though that you should not hit your dog. Whether it be a swat on the nose or the bum. You're really just pissing him off. We used to use a rolled up newspaper and swat a table to make a loud noise. It gets the point across without making you the bad guy by hitting him. If you find that he is growling when you go to pet him, stop. Just let him put his head in your hands or on your feet or whatever he wants. I know it is a tough situation. You want to do the best for your frriend but you know that if it gets out of control he is going to hurt someone and probably get hurt himself. Some dogs are just like that. You need patience, lots and lots of patience. Neutering may work, but then again it may not. Have you asked any trainers about it? I would explore all my avenues before spending the money on surgery and putting your dog through a traumatic event.
I hope this helps, Jay
