entire male aggression

[laney]

Hi all well Ive googled this to no avail so thought I know I will ask my friends advice !! As u may recall Mowgli is now 2 years old and is entire , since losing my beautiful Bair this problem has got worse , I believe she was his pack leader and without her around to keep him in check I now have to step up to the plate more ! I will try to be brief , everyone told me not to get a boy , he will run off , he will hump everything , cock his leg everywhere etc etc my thoughts were he is a gsd first and a boy second ?! He is not ur typical male in so many ways , he has never tried to hump anything , he doesnt leave my side and he doesnt cock his leg everywhere , his best friends are an entire JR , and an entire ridgeback and he is fine with them , he does play dominantly with the ridgeback ( he will stand over him and put his arm over his shoulder etc ) when he does this I just distract him with ' lets go ' and he imm comes to me , his aggression is not all the time , not with all male dogs , is worse on the lead and when Ive been at shows I have been surprised and dissappointed by his behaviour , its a lot of shouting basically and i nip it in the bud with a snap of my fingers in front of his face and this shuts him up but if I didnt do this it def would escalate into a full fight , he surprised me the other day when someone had a chocolate lab at the yard who he had never met , they played for 5 mins before I even realised the lab had his plums ! on reflection he did do his dominant stance over the lab but he was such a submissive dog it just wasnt a problem , he is fine with bitches and neuterd dogs and 2yr children ( running around the yard throwing sticks for him ) but he was very growly when a friend brought down a 12 week old male lab pup ( who had been done ) sorry for long post its just that its quite unpredictable when he will snap or not and that obv is un nerving , any ideas ?? Lx

[zetstaff]

Hi Laney x

I think he's just about reached maturity + is at that 'I can take on the world' age We all famously have different opinions on neutering, but if it were me I'd have him neutered. It won't be a 'cure' but in my experience some of this behaviour comes from frustration, and if you remove the source of the frustration, it has to help.

I also think dogs are like us in that there are bound to be personality clashes, not all of us get on + it's the same for dogs. My last dog was fine with some + not with others. Also we don't know what conversation they're having between themselves, dog language is fascinating but very complex, it may not be Mowgli who starts something if the other dog is approaching with a high tail for example.

What to do? Maybe a bit of training will help in a group environment, back to basics for a while, or get another xxx

[sami]

Hi Laney glad to see you back again.

Well for what its worth my opinion would be to neuter him. I feel it takes the need for them to assert their dominance away if you know what I mean. I dont know that its necessarily agression it takes away but I feel that they no longer have anything to prove because they are no longer biologically capable of being dominant.

Dont know if that makes sense and feel free to ignore my opion!!!

[Caryll]

It's nothing to do with frustration. If a dog's never had a bitch he doesn't know what he's missing! Yes, the testosterone is there, but that just makes him a bit more assertive, not aggressive.

It's everything to do with dominance, and that may not be cured by castration. By all means get him done if you want to, after looking at all the pros & cons, but don't assume that the behaviour will necessarily stop afterwards. Dominance is a genetic thing, and will often show strongly in castrated males as well as entire ones.

Whatever you decide to do, training is the key. He must learn from you what is or is not suitable behaviour - and if he doesn't behave properly he goes on the lead, end of fun!

My Dempsey is super-dominant but I've learned to watch him carefully & step in with correction if I think he's misbehaving or even getting close to it!

[zetstaff]

Sexually Frustrated Dog

*quote*


The sexually frustrated dog is a common problem in the city and suburbs, especially in areas where the dog population is predominantly male. This sexual segregation leads to abnormal behavior, such as aggressiveness and homosexuality (or its canine equivalent). Also, dogs reared from puppyhood, with close attachment to human beings, will often respond to human attachment with sexual overtures. Housedogs are the group most affected by this behavior.

Most of the time it is the male dog that is sexually frustrated, although females are affected (but for shorter periods of time on account of their regulated heat periods). Males that are sexually frustrated will mount the leg of a child or adult and go through the sexual-act motions. Such behavior may be embarrassing and dangerous. An overly aggressive and sexually frustrated male can cause both physical and mental harm to a child. A sexual attack by an otherwise friendly dog may leave a child emotionally shocked and bewildered.

There are those who say that dogs don't have to be mated to be content. Nonsense! The world is full of sexually frustrated dogs and people. And it is the rare housedog that hasn't at one time or other grabbed hold of someone's leg and simulated the sex act. The sexual urge is a powerful drive in man and beast.

Discourage your dog from mounting. This will not eliminate the sexual urge, of course, but it will save some embarrassment and avoid possible injury. A sexually frustrated Great Dane, for example, could inflict some harm just from his weight alone. Mate the dog if possible. Plenty of exercise will help to release some of the energy, and will at least reduce some of the aggressiveness. Hormones and surgery help many cases, but are not 100% sure.

[zetstaff]

Why neutering Male dogs is important

*quote*


Why neutering Male dogs is important

Just as we can prevent serious disease in our female dogs by spaying. we can prevent serious disease in our male dogs by neutering. Male dogs are very prone to develop tumors around the anus, certain hernias. and prostate enlargement. Intact males are also at risk for prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

Perianal adenomas are small growths in the muscle around the anus. If not removed when small, they grow until they break through the skin, get infected, smell bad and cause a great deal of discomfort to the dog. While perianal adenomas initially are benign, some progress into highly malignant cancers.

Perianal adenomas can be treated by surgical excision or cryosurgery (frozen with liquid nitrogen). If the dog is neutered at the time of surgery, the tumors almost never return. If not neutered, the tumors almost always return. It is extremely rare for a female or a neutered male to have a Perianal adenoma.
A perineal hernia is caused by the muscle on either side of the anus weakening. Then fat protrudes through the muscle under the skin producing a bulge to the side of the anus. If the urinary bladder or a loop of intestine protrudes through the hernia, a serious emergency develops. Perineal hernias are difficult to surgically repair. Even when repaired properly there is a low to moderate chance of recurrence in the dog that is neutered at the time of hernia repair. There is a high probability the hernia will recur in the intact dog. Neutered dogs almost never have perineal hernias.

Prostate enlargement is as common in older male dogs as it is in older men. The enlarged prostate can cause difficult urination or constipation. The enlarged prostate often causes vague signs - you know there is something wrong with your dog but you and your veterinarian cannot figure out what it is. Enlarged prostates often become infected or cancerous. Prostate infection is difficult to treat. Prostate cancer has often extended to other organs by the time it is diagnosed. It has a very bad prognosis.

Castration is the best treatment for an enlarged prostate. If the prostate has not already become cancerous, it will shrink in size after neutering.
Tumors in the testes are not as common as the above problems and not as dangerous as a tumor in the prostate. Signs of testicular cancer are not always easily associated with the tumor. Certain testicular cancers can cause skin disease. The skin is often unsuccessfully treated for years before the testicular tumor is diagnosed. When the dog is finally castrated. the skin problem resolves and the dog is comfortable for the first time in years. Some testicular tumors have a feminizing effect on the dog, causing enlarged mammary glands and nipples and a pendulous abdomen. Castration is both the prevention and cure for testicular cancer.

There is another big advantage to neutering. Neutered males live calmer less frustrated lives. Intact males are frustrated every time they smell a female dog in season. Even males in single dog households can detect the odor a female in season any where in the neighborhood. Dogs exhibit this frustration in any number of ways - a poor appetite for a few days, spells of breaking house training, riding other dogs in the family or riding people's legs. This frustration can be prevented by neutering.
Of course some dogs find a way to get out of their yard when they smell a female in season. They go looking for a mate. They come home with dog bites, broken legs and gun shot wounds. Or they do not come home at all. For these dogs, neutering can prevent broken legs, gun shot wounds and worse.

Males should be neutered at about seven months of age in order to give their genitalia time to mature before neutering.
Inform anyone who has a male dog of the risks of not neutering. Tell them about the advantages of having a pet that is not sexually frustrated. Encourage the owner of a male pup to neuter him just as soon as he is old enough.

[laney]

Thanks guys good to be back with people talking sense !! I had a long chat with my vet about it and he was of the opinion not to rush into castration as it may even may him worse , ie he could become withdrawn and fearful which is just as bad as dominant in his opinion , we joke at the yard that he is gay as even when we had a bitch in season there he wasnt interested so I tend to disagree with the frustration part ( sorry not meaning to offend ) its a lot to do with protection and jealousy of me as well I think , as when we were at a show I was talking to a lady with her entire male , Mowgli spent the whole time grumbling away , I gave his lead to this lady and walked away and watched them sit down together fine !! after a long discussion with my vet we gave him the tardac injection which mimics castration , will see how it goes , my main concern is that I need him to accept into ' our little' pack another dog ....I desperately miss my baby girl and miss having two , but at the same time I dont want another girl if u can understand that ? people have told me two males will never get on but I dont believe that to be true , there must be a way , Ive arranged for an assessment at a local dog trainers so will keep u posted , thankyou very much tho and good to be back !! Lxx

[zetstaff]

2 dogs can get on fine Laney, Gloria had 2 GSD dogs for years. I think it's just important to pick the right one for Mowgli xxx

[laney]

thanks Tracy , I would dearly love to rescue an adult male which is why Im so keen to sort this out , or do u think he would accept a pup more easily ? thanks for all ur help xx

[zetstaff]

Originally Posted by laney

thanks Tracy , I would dearly love to rescue an adult male which is why Im so keen to sort this out , or do u think he would accept a pup more easily ? thanks for all ur help xx

I don't see why you can't have an adult male, but I think you'd have to choose very carefully. Maybe you'd be better off with a dog that's a bit older than a pup?

I'm not sure mate, Gloria got Zak at about 10 weeks + Saber must have been about 4ish, it's a while ago so can't remember She did have a few probs at first, for a couple of weeks or so, but once they settled down they were truly inseparable. I think whatever you go for there'll be a few teething problems, but you can sort them out.

Good luck with whatever you decide + don't keep us in suspense xxx