Desexing And Aggression In Male Dogs

[Guest Steph & Bam]

Is it common for dogs to get more aggressive after desexing? I thought desexing helped reduce aggressive tendencies?

Bam was desexed recently and in the last 2-3 months has been showing more and more aggression towards people, males in particular. It's all noise and threats at the moment, but I am concerned that it may escalate. I tell him 'That's enough, friend' and it stops, he comes to heel and wags his tail and says hi really nicely. I'm concerned about it getting worse and him ending up biting someone. He goes everywhere with me, and I don't want him to bite someone. I'm contacting behaviorists at the moment, but I'm curious as to whether this could be something relating to the desexing as he wasn't like this before that. Are there others who have experienced anything similar?

Oh, I practice NILIF and TOT, and he has two half hour training sessions a day (on toy and one food based) and a one hour walk a day.

Edit to add Update

Edited June 6, 2008 by Steph & Bam

[Miranda]

How old is he? It's more likely to be connected with adolescence than desexing. Desexing only makes him infertile, it's not a cure all for behavioural problems. I highly doubt that it has anything to do with his aggressive behaviour which may be dominance or fear related.

[Guest Steph & Bam]

How old is he? It's more likely to be connected with adolescence than desexing. Desexing only makes him infertile, it's not a cure all for behavioural problems. I highly doubt that it has anything to do with his aggressive behaviour which may be dominance or fear related.

He's a bit older than two at a rough guess he was born between Jan and March 2006

EFS

Edited June 2, 2008 by Steph & Bam

[persephone]

I would be surprised if it related to castration.

Are you doing more with him now that he IS "done" ?

How long have you had him? Maybe he is just now feeling very secure, and is being the 'boss"

Everything ok medically? hearing, sight... ?

Anything else changed? have you been ill or anything?

[Guest Steph & Bam]

I would be surprised if it related to castration.

Are you doing more with him now that he IS "done" ?

How long have you had him? Maybe he is just now feeling very secure, and is being the 'boss"

Everything ok medically? hearing, sight... ?

Anything else changed? have you been ill or anything?

No illness on his part, I had a miscarriage again, my third since I got him. I've always done the same things with him, I'm taking him to a vet in sydney when i go down there shortly. He's definately fine though. He has always come nearly everywhere with me, with the exception of me going on the motorbike, no sidecar for him yet lol!

[Jigsaw]

Sorry to hear of your miscarriage. It is possible that Bam may have picked up on your emotional stress associated with this even though you may not realise it or feel that you are any different. He may have decided to try and push himself up the pack order if he thinks you are not strong enough. It's tough, we want to use our dogs as an emotional crutch sometimes and they throw it in our face! But perhaps that is a good thing too, keeps us on track. I don't know if this is what is happening or not with you and Bam but another thing you could try is to break up his training sessions through the day (if you can do this that is). Keep them short, three to five minutes. Maybe try some training when you are on a walk too, just put him through the sit, drop, stand stuff every so often, but not under too much distraction. Vet check is also a good idea.

[cowanbree]

Around 2 years most dogs are mature and start to test authority. I find around this age they start to challenge for top dog spot and are not the lovely easy going puppy there were up until then. Fortunately it is easily solved with a bit of training and a bit more firmness than you have used previously.

[Kelpie-i]

Ask your vet if he handled him a little rough? He (or she) may not tell you but this could be a case of fear due to a bad experience, ie. avoidance motivated aggression. This happened to a very good friend/trainer with her dog. She ended up finding out that the vet handled her dog with a noose which caused the dog to have some severe reactions to male humans. However, please do not automatically think that something like this may have happened to your dog. Merely a possibility, given the aggression started just after desexing.

It is almost difficult to give a true diagnosis of the problem without actually seeing the dog and/or doing further investigation. Best you get onto a reputable behaviourist soon.

Edited June 2, 2008 by Kelpie-i

[lovemesideways]

I would see a behaviorist soon. I would say that its not due to him being desexed but is related to your behaviour towards Bam. I can give you my more indepth opinion if you would like. Or send you the name of a behaviourist, depending on where you live

[Guest Steph & Bam]

Ask your vet if he handled him a little rough? He (or she) may not tell you but this could be a case of fear due to a bad experience, ie. avoidance motivated aggression. This happened to a very good friend/trainer with her dog. She ended up finding out that the vet handled her dog with a noose which caused the dog to have some severe reactions to male humans. However, please do not automatically think that something like this may have happened to your dog. Merely a possibility, given the aggression started just after desexing.

It is almost difficult to give a true diagnosis of the problem without actually seeing the dog and/or doing further investigation. Best you get onto a reputable behaviourist soon.

The vet definitely didn't do anything wrong with Bam. She is fully aware of all of his issues and there were only women in the room. Bam was a rescue and had minor issues with men when I first got him. He had been beaten badly and was half starved when I first got him. After months of working with him, I thought I had finally gotten it as good as possible.

Behaviorist visit is coming up soon.

I would see a behaviorist soon. I would say that its not due to him being desexed but is related to your behaviour towards Bam. I can give you my more indepth opinion if you would like. Or send you the name of a behaviourist, depending on where you live

Come on Jen, spill! I'm worried that by saying 'That's Enough, Friend' ('That's Enough' is said in a growl, which I only do when I'm no happy, and 'Friend' is said in my happy voice.) The weird bit is, it's only strangers, as soon as I've said Friend about someone, he doesn't do it to them anymore.

EFS

Edited June 2, 2008 by Steph & Bam

[Guest Steph & Bam]

UPDATE:

Behaviourist visit went well. It is simply a learnt behaviour and we now have a plan that we are working on. So far all is going well ;)

Thanks for the advice everyone.

[persephone]

;))

Good news, and here's to a speedy 'fix'!

[Guest Steph & Bam]

;))

Good news, and here's to a speedy 'fix'!

I'm ecstatic at the moment, and am currently awaiting people to start arriving (tradies from the ppl next door, neighbours that Bam hasn't met yet etc) so we can get down to business again today.