deciding to neuter and marking

**cdavies** · 01-30-2012, 02:28 PM

my boy is now almost 15 months and i am on the fence on whether to wait neutering as well as a husband that is battling me with the decision. i knew i wanted to wait 15-18 months for various reasons. all and all he is very good and my main reason is marking and maybe improved attention span, he seems to be testing me more. he will not mark in our house but i am unable to take him to anywhere that has had other dogs. i take him every where so you can see how frustrating this is. will neutering fix this? and if not what can i do to correct it. how can i convince my husband that neutering is not all together bad. this is my first dog and i have had cats where neutering is a must or you live with cat spray forever in your house. i could use feedback from pro lab do owners.

**Dani** · 01-30-2012, 03:46 PM

No, neutering won't fix it. Training and redirecting him will. Neutering will fix his attention span though.

**nicole** · 01-30-2012, 03:56 PM

I feel that neutering will curb the need to mark to a degree, but the rest is training. As far as your husband, just sit him down and explain to him that the dogs testicles actually have nothing to do with his own.

**BigBrownDog** · 01-30-2012, 04:25 PM

By marking do you mean indoors (at locations where dogs have been) or simply peeing frequently on walks? Marking indoors is a behavioral/training issue plain and simple. The other situation where you have a dog who leaves a lot of pee mail on walks (both male and female) - I don't really consider that an issue. And neutered dogs will still mark - you need to train to correct it.

**cdavies** · 01-30-2012, 05:18 PM

thank you. the marking is indoors at homes/locations where another dog has been. he does not mark in our house. outdoors everywhere of course.
do you have a training suggestion for curbing this? is it a simple NO? i realize this may be an ignorant question to some.
yes, i know my husband needs to realize it is not his testicles! i keep telling him about cancer risk but my lord he is being stubborn. i hate to just do it behind his back but it may come down to that.

**BigBrownDog** · 01-30-2012, 05:27 PM

Marking indoors anywhere is time for a physical correction, IMO. Stop him from doing it and verbally correct. If he does it again, collar correct with the verbal correction.

Might also be a good occasion to use a squirt gun (poetic too) when he indicates he's about to mark, squirt him good right in the face.

**blackandyellow** · 01-30-2012, 06:34 PM

Originally Posted by Dani

No, neutering won't fix it. Training and redirecting him will. Neutering will fix his attention span though.

What she said. Marking is a way for dogs to comunicate, it has nothing to do with hormones (Females also mark as well neutered males). How do you fix it, simple: do not let him sniff all over when you take him for walks, then you decide where to stop for him to sniff and mark. Neutered dogs will mark also.

By neutering your dog, what you will do is prevent him from reproducing, that´s it. Even neutered dogs hump other dogs and they also get excited with females in heat and will try to hump them.

**deidra** · 01-30-2012, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by BigBrownDog

By marking do you mean indoors (at locations where dogs have been) or simply peeing frequently on walks? Marking indoors is a behavioral/training issue plain and simple. The other situation where you have a dog who leaves a lot of pee mail on walks (both male and female) - I don't really consider that an issue. And neutered dogs will still mark - you need to train to correct it.

That. Tank doesn't mark in the house anymore but outside every 5 minutes he is lifting his leg. I also agree with the verbal correcting.

**SharonaZamboni** · 01-30-2012, 07:48 PM

I recently listened to a dog podcast, the advice was to tell them "leave it", and not allow marking on walks. Reasons: 1) They will always want to check their marks, so will be more likely to leave their yard when they get the chance. 2) Potential problems with other dogs who have also marked in the same place, if they happen to meet up. 3) You're the boss, and you say no

They said that females also mark.

**patm** · 01-30-2012, 09:08 PM

All of my dogs "mark" on walks (mostly in our own woods), male and female alike - I do not consider outside a problem, but I highly discourage marking on "people things" like car tires etc, and they do not do it. I've never had a problem with inside anywhere, but it was to happen, there would be rather severe verbal correction and collar shake. As for the neutering in general, I'll tell you my story. I had Baxter neutered in December at 15 months. I was holding out for 18 months to 2 years to get full growth on him (originally started showing him in conformation a little bit, but decided it wasn't for me. I do plan on showing him in obedience), but he was such a handful, and at 15 months just started to become interested in "sex" and I decided to do it sooner than later. I am very glad that I did. It immediately calmed him down, especially around other dogs. He was never aggressive towards other dogs, just couldn't leave them alone (not so good for show dogs) My hubbie was a little whiney about it (was holding out for breeding him and also that "identification thing), but it was never his decision to make. The dogs are my territory.Even I felt a little whiney about though- it was a harder decision to make than I thought it would be, and I was always planning on doing it anyways. But in a few weeks you won't miss them at all (your dogs balls that is