Castration may make him slightly lazier, but don't expect it to have any effect on adolescent enthusiasm or rowdy behaviour either! If your dog has a behavioural issue, don't rely on castration as a “quick fix”. While it can help in some situations, it can make other problems much worse.
Various other disease risk changes show considerable variability between breeds and sexes. Behavioral Effects: Desexed males show reduced libido, roaming, conspecific mounting, and urinary marking frequency, as well as reduced male dog-directed aggression in a majority of males desexed for behavioral reasons.
In the end, your dog will still be the same dog that you love, even after it has been neutered. Your dog's personality and energy level are determined by its environment and genetic makeup, not its reproductive hormones. Most often the only changes that you recognize in your pet will be a decrease in negative habits.
Neutering does not instantly eliminate hormonal behavioral patterns in dogs. In these situations, patience is required. It usually takes around six weeks for a male dog's hormones to leave his system.
If your dog's hyperactive behaviour is also down to hormones, then neutering should help. A lot of owners find their dog chills out more after being neutered whether they're male or female. While neutering your dog might help to calm them down a bit, sometimes that's not the only cause of a dog being a bit much.
A: Yes, it's quite common for male dogs to experience an increase in aggression after being neutered. Neutering your male dog can also cause behavioral symptoms such as increases in fearful behavior, hyperarousal, and more.
Training is easier. Neutered males are less likely to mark in the house, mount or fight other dogs, or run away. In addition, spayed females won't attract a crowd of would-be suitors and will not risk having a litter of unplanned puppies.
A few male dogs will suffer from separation anxiety after the neutering process and may find it harder to relax if you're not nearby. It can make things more difficult in your everyday life, but these side effects should simmer down quickly. Dog nervousness can also show itself with excessive barking.
Behavioral Changes in a Dog After Being Neutered
Removing the testicles removes the largest source of testosterone in the body. This results in a decrease in sexually driven behaviors in your dog: urine marking, escaping to seek female dogs, and aggression toward other male dogs.
How old should I desex my male dog? Similarly to female dogs, we recommend that male dogs who will have an adult body weight of up to 20kg be desexed at 6 months old, but that larger breeds are left a little later.
The recommended age to neuter a male dog is between six and nine months. However, some pet owners have this procedure done at four months. Smaller dogs reach puberty sooner and can often have the procedure done sooner. Larger breeds may need to wait longer in order to properly develop before being neutered.
Benefits of Neutering (males):
Reduces or eliminates risk of spraying and marking. Less desire to roam, therefore less likely to be injured in fights or auto accidents. Risk of testicular cancer is eliminated, and decreases incidence of prostate disease.
So, in summary, desexed male dogs will be easier to keep home, more loyal, less prone to prostate problems, and less likely to be involved in fights. The only real reason not to desex a female dog is that she will be unable to have puppies. A common fallacy is that desexed dogs get fat and lazy.
Behavioural problems in most cases are reduced or have even disappeared after neutering (male dogs 74%, female dogs 59%). At best, hypersexuality and connected problems are changed as expected. 49 of 80 aggressive male dogs and 25 of 47 female dogs are more gentle after neutering.
Links between neutering and anxious behaviour appear more conclusive and consistent than aggression, with published evidence suggesting neutering is not an appropriate strategy for reducing anxious responses and may magnify anxious and fearful tendencies.
The results demonstrated no reduction in aggressive behavior after surgical castration and a significant increase in dog-directed aggressive behavior after chemical castration. By contrast, other studies seem to suggest that gonadectomy prevents or improves the aggressive behavior of dogs.
When should I neuter my male dog? Small dogs do not have as many orthopedic issues, therefore it is fine to neuter them on the younger side at 6-12 months of age. For large dogs that are very prone to orthopedic injury/diseases we now recommend waiting to neuter until 9-18 months of age.
Another study, conducted by Banfield Pet Hospitals on a database of 2.2 million dogs and 460,000 cats reflected similar findings, concluding that neutered male dogs lived 18% longer and spayed female dogs lived 23% longer. Spayed female cats in the study lived 39% longer and neutered male cats lived 62% longer.
But if your dog is healthy, there is no specific age limit to having the procedure done.
Neutered males tend to roam less and typically are not involved in as many fights with other animals. Neutering keeps your dog healthier. A final positive aspect of neutering your dog is that neutered pets tend to have fewer health problems. Neutering is the removal of the testicles.
Health advantages associated with NOT desexing
A reduced risk of prostatic adenocarcinoma in intact male dogs compared to desexed male dogs. A reduced risk of obesity in intact male and female dogs and cats, which may be due at least partly to increased metabolic rate.
Desexing is important to consider for both male and female dogs as it can improve their overall health and behaviour. It also prevents unplanned litters of puppies that if not rehomed could add to the thousands of dogs who are waiting for homes in shelters or with rescue groups.