Inky is nearly 16 months old and has suddenly become so interested in bitches I feel something needs to be done. I would never breed from him and so considered castration but because of his Ehlers Danlos syndrome the vet is understandably reluctant to do any sort of surgery. She has suggested an injection. I'm assuming this is some sort of chemical castration and of course I'll discuss it more when I see the vet but I'm sure it's been mentioned on a thread somewhere so wondered if anybody had any experience of this as an alternative to castration?
Hi, Your vet may mean Suprelorin, a chemical implant which usually lasts for about 6 months. When I posted on the forum for advice about using this with our dog, I was directed to @Beanwood's log which was really useful. https://thelabradorforum.com/threads/suprelorin-and-benson-a-log.10782/ In the end we didn’t use Suprelorin. Instead we opted for an injection called Tardak, but this only lasts 6 weeks so may not be suitable for your dog. We decided not to have our dog castrated as he is far calmer around other dogs since he has matured and his hormone levels have settled (he is now just over 2 and a half). A beautiful and very flirty Lurcher managed to coax him into a chase and play the other day, but he usually isn’t that interested in other dogs unless he knows them.
My boy is 6 yo and intact. He was a very keen mounter in his younger years. It was manageable, but sometimes he was impossible if he got a scent from a just-spayed bitch. Thankfully he’s mellowed and might try to mount a dog once a week, which I think is very manageable. Now it seems he’ll try to mount a frisky male, seems reasons for mounting not only change for the circumstance, but also over time. We didn’t use the chemical implant. Just took management. And the development of strong arms! (Treats never worked when he was focused on mounting, just had to leash him up and walk away.)
As @ziggy mentioned, Kate (@Beanwood ) has had a lot of experience with this issue with her Benson. She's really busy right now so may not be able to have a look at the Forum and see your post until this weekend, but she may have some further good advice.
I have used superlorin with my lab at 2 1/2 and have been very pleased with the effects. He was quite scared when around other dogs and so I hesitated as I wondered if the drop in testosterone would make his confidence worse but in fact it’s improved things. I considered the implant for over a year before I finally went ahead. I tried the 6 month implant but am so pleased that I will renew with the 12 month when the effects wear off. Very happy to answer any questions you have.
I used a dose of Suprelorin with Shadow, simply because it looked at one point as if we had no choice but to keep him in the same house as Luna when she was due her first season, while my sister got married in Portugal. I wouldn't have used it otherwise, as he doesn't have any sexualised behaviours. I felt very guilty for using it, as I have no intention of having him castrated and I hated messing with his hormones, but in the end, it's been a bit of a non-event. He's not shown any increased anxiety, which was my biggest fear. In fact, similar to @Peartree's experience, it seems to have actually decreased his reactivity towards other male dogs. When you say Inky is interested in bitches, do you mean bitches who are in season, or all bitches? If they're not in season, it's unlikely to be sexualised behaviour, so chemical castration is unlikely to change it. If they are in season, well, that's perfectly natural and the bitches' owners should be more thoughtful in keeping their girls away from anywhere that entire males could be walked. A lot of this can often still be addressed through training, but it depends how badly it affects your boy, and how difficult the situation is to avoid. Some boys are so distressed that they are simply unable to function, but if it's manageable and the sexualised behaviour disappears as soon as the bitch does, then you're probably perfectly capable of fixing it without any type of castration, chemical or otherwise. Again, if it's just indiscriminate humping/sniffing of all girls whether or not they're in season, it's probably just a case of redirecting him as he's being a geeky teenager. I don't intend to give Shadow the Suprelorin again, but I am unaware about its suitability to be used as a long-term solution. What it may offer you, if his behaviour is sexualised, is the opportunity to try to train around those situations, which may "stick" once the implant wears off, so he could only need a dose or two. This wouldn't be the case if he's seriously distressed, though.
Thank you all for your replies. I've read the threads from @Beanwood with interest and that and the above have all given me more food for thought! Inky has only recently shown interest in bitches in season. A few days ago we met one walking on the prom. Inky didn't come to the whistle - very unusual when recalling from dogs and I had to fetch him and put him on the lead. He was not happy. Then yesterday with the dog walker he encountered another bitch in season and same thing happened. I can't help feeling this is the start of things to come. I could maybe manage but the dog walker usually takes him with 2-3 other dogs so it's harder for her. He enjoys his walks with her so need to try to sort something. I'm always worrying about something with Inky, don't know if other people find this!
This is a lot more common than you would expect. The amount of times Stanleys been plodding around and we've come across an off lead dog and an owner screaming SHES IN HEAT is appalling!
I wouldn't be considering castration (either chemical or surgical) for this, unless he was still seriously struggling after the encounter. Why should you mess with your dog's hormones because of someone else's stupidity and thoughtlessness? I would be having strong words with the owners of the bitches that they should keep their girls away from public dog walking areas when they're in season. An example of when I would consider castration would be if my dog was distressed for hours or days afterwards, panting, drooling, crying, unable to concentrate, attempting to escape etc. Signs of actual distress. Not recalling from a bitch in season when he's not been proofed against that? Nah. That's just a training issue. I'm not saying it's an easy one, but it wouldn't be enough for me to castrate my dog.
It's perfectly natural for your dog to be interested in a bitch in season. Most dogs male or female neutered or not will be interested in her. You just have to train them to leave and walk away. I come across a lot of in season and just out of season bitches in this area and Rory has his own stalker so I have to be prepared. i have not neutered Rory for health reasons and he is ok he might want to play with the ladies but I encourage him away and hes fine and Im glad I did not neuter him. My old castrated male reacted just the same and his testicles were long gone, he did however develop lupus which I don't think he would have if I had left him entire. He knew what to do castration did not stop his interest but training did. I've had both and think the benefits of leaving them entire out way the odd mooning over in season bitches, except for our stalker but that's a different story
Oh yes, but much less as my dog is getting older We have met several bitches in season and off lead. Luckily, our dog has never shown any interest in them. The owners always seem surprised when I tell them our dog is entire. One owner actually questioned whether I should be walking an entire male off lead . I have a friend who is far more outspoken in such situations. They have two entire males and will advise the owner of the bitch that they will charge stud fees if anything happens
