Neutering/ training / instinct /help

[steven7]

Hi All
Our 13 month old boy Seamus has a tendancy to run too every dog he sees when were out on our walks , no recall/food seems to work anymore when he sees a four legged friend. When he encounters a female he really starts salivating and ive noticed him shaking also . he used to pretty good at staying but now hes off in a flash and i'm worried he encounters an unfriendly dog . what am i doing wrong ? should he be on a leash more ,should i really ramp up his training ,or is this to do with him maturing and possibly neutering might help calm him ? unsure

[zeta1454]

Hi Steven - at 13 months Séamus is at the height of his adolescence with his hormones surging especially if he meets a bitch (who may be in or approaching her season). Not all owners of female dogs are vigilant about keeping them at home or walking far from other dogs at the time they are in season and this can be very difficult for those who have a male dog whether neutered or not.

As well as the hormonal effect, adolescent dogs of both sexes can be more flighty, less responsive to training and more of a challenge when out and about. It really is best to just keep going with the training and, if there are situations where you feel Séamus is going to run off, keep him on the lead and/ or, if it is safe to do so, have a long lead trailing so you can grab this if you need to. He should improve as he matures with consistent training although the problem of owners walking their female dogs out when they are in season is frustrating for anyone with a male dog and unfortunately happens too often. However the latter is not a reason to have your own dog castrated.

Neutering a dog is something which needs a great deal of thought especially with a male dog as health benefits are minimal and there is some evidence that certain health issues are greater in castrated male dogs than those left entire. It can also have negative effects on behaviour long term. The only certainty is that a castrated male dog cannot father puppies; it may reduce roaming behaviour after females and may reduce inter-dog aggression when around a bitch in heat but this is not 100% certain and neutered dogs can still chase after female dogs and even mount or ‘tie’ with a bitch who is ready for mating.

This link is to a leaflet on neutering male dogs from the Association of Pet Behaviourists which summarises some of the benefits / risks:

https://www.apbc.org.uk/wp-content/uplo ... e-Dogs.pdf

Personally, I would be just keeping Séamus on a lead more and increase his recall training while he is still maturing

[Dawnspell]

My previous bot was exactly like this. He didnt run off, always came when called etc up until around a year old . Then he was exactly like Seamus I kept him on a long line on the beach or if we were in a place where there would be lots of dogs. I also practiced the "This way" command a lot. They are on the long line but you just keep changing direction so they have to keep a certain amount of attention on you rather than the environment. He also loved a squeaky ball which worked well as an interrupter noise to get his attention back on me if I thought his mind was drifting.

If he was already doing the behaviours you liked before adolescence kicked in, then provided you dont allow him to rehearse behaviours you dont want while he is going through adolescence, eg ignoring you and running off, then the desired behaviour will return with training and preventing the undesirable behaviour.

The only guaranteed thing about neutering is they wont be able to father puppies. it may change behaviour but it cane easily get worse rather than better or not change at all. There lots of info in this ebook you can download
viewtopic.php?t=25752

[steven7]

Thank you so much for your insight guys ,I'll continue with the banging my head off a wall for now I've been considering getting Seamus a little brother but slightly concerned he'll teach the little guy some bad traights right now . I wonder if I'd be better waiting a while
Much appreciated
Steven

[zeta1454]

I would definitely wait before introducing another puppy until Seamus is through his adolescence and more settled. As you say, you don’t want him teaching bad habits and you will have your work cut out trying to manage a puppy as well as reinforcing Seamus’ training as well! Once he is settled and more mature he can be a good role model for a new brother