TL;DR - those of you with reactive males that were previously intact. Did you notice any differences (positive or negative) post-neuter?
Hey all - I have a 20 month old cattle dog. He has had some dog reactivity that we’ve been managing with a trainer really well.
The good stuff: He actually has his CGC, and does super well when he’s in structure (e.g. in a heel to give him a “job”), and can easily perform well in stores and when walking on busy streets. He does really well at our agility classes (dogs kenneled when not working). He’s off leash trained on an ecollar and goes to day training with our trainer. He does really well with her and the other dogs being neutral and occasionally playing when appropriate time. He passes does off leash with her no issue.
The struggles: He’s not trustworthy off leash with my husband and I if there is a possibility of a dog or bike coming by. We think he has some resource guarding issues with us. He’s much more reactive walking in our neighborhood vs literally anywhere else. He struggles more when he has to make a decision (e.g. Long line on hikes with a muzzle on). Hiking he seems to still struggle even when I try to put him in structure. We’re obviously working on this continually with our trainer as I have hopes for him to one day be my trail running dog once we can safely pass people/dogs on trails with no drama.
We’ve consulted his breeder (she’s also a vet and will be doing the surgery) and have him scheduled for his neuter in the next 3 weeks. I had a lot of anxiety about getting him neutered because it’s irreversible and I worried it would make his reactivity worse without the “confidence” from the testosterone. I trust my breeder’s judgement as she’s had cattle dogs forever and has a strong program. I’d just like to hear any stories from others if they noticed the neuter helped their pups as I’m hoping between that and the training it helps our boy relax a bit.
Hey all - I have a 20 month old cattle dog. He has had some dog reactivity that we’ve been managing with a trainer really well.
The good stuff: He actually has his CGC, and does super well when he’s in structure (e.g. in a heel to give him a “job”), and can easily perform well in stores and when walking on busy streets. He does really well at our agility classes (dogs kenneled when not working). He’s off leash trained on an ecollar and goes to day training with our trainer. He does really well with her and the other dogs being neutral and occasionally playing when appropriate time. He passes does off leash with her no issue.
The struggles: He’s not trustworthy off leash with my husband and I if there is a possibility of a dog or bike coming by. We think he has some resource guarding issues with us. He’s much more reactive walking in our neighborhood vs literally anywhere else. He struggles more when he has to make a decision (e.g. Long line on hikes with a muzzle on). Hiking he seems to still struggle even when I try to put him in structure. We’re obviously working on this continually with our trainer as I have hopes for him to one day be my trail running dog once we can safely pass people/dogs on trails with no drama.
We’ve consulted his breeder (she’s also a vet and will be doing the surgery) and have him scheduled for his neuter in the next 3 weeks. I had a lot of anxiety about getting him neutered because it’s irreversible and I worried it would make his reactivity worse without the “confidence” from the testosterone. I trust my breeder’s judgement as she’s had cattle dogs forever and has a strong program. I’d just like to hear any stories from others if they noticed the neuter helped their pups as I’m hoping between that and the training it helps our boy relax a bit.