Just as I thought I was getting somewhere with Bruno we take 1000 steps back. Well today he has wee'd in the house, only done twice now, after being housetrained. Walks are terrible, he is weeing every few steps, I carry on walking him to not allow him, but again he does it, when off lead, he will now run off to a nearby bush to wee, several time in one walk. Dogs he is out of control, wants to see everyone but I think that's him being a young dog, and something else, he is crying a lot lately, for no reason? He is now 1 year and 2 months, is this something that will pass? Or should I get him neutered? The running off is an issue but the weeing in the house more so.
Came back home today to be told that Bruno had urinated in the house. Which he has only ever done on one other occasion. Which made me think about other things that are going wrong and wondering if linked... On walks he marks every few steps, when off lead he runs away to mark all perimitres of the local field we go to. And has been crying for no apparant reason lately, mainly when at home watching TV. Just wondering if neutering will help? Are all linked? This thread has been merged with another thread started by the OP on the same topic. This may mean that there is a bit of repetition in the merged thread
Hi How old is Bruno? If the urination is just an isolated incident I think considering neutering is a disproportionate response. Can you identify anything that may have prompted this? Could something have stressed or frightened him?
With an entire male dog, you do have to watch that they don't start marking in the house - if they do, treat it like a house training issue (which is exactly what it is). You do have to take prompt action though. Just as you would with any dog that started to wee in the house. Out on walks, entire male dogs will want to mark every few steps. It's easy to teach them not to do this by training them to walk at heel. I personally don't mind my dog marking, but I did train a "walk close" cue which I use when I don't want him to sniff or mark. Bruno running to the edges of the field (presumably when you don't want him to do so) is a training issue - lots of dogs, including bitches, will wander further away than you'd like unless you train them not to do so. The crying is very unlikely to be linked to your dog being intact.
My two Cavaliers started marking indoors at 6 years old, I have no idea what triggered it. I had them both neutered and they never looked back. They both lived to a very happy and healthy 15 years.
Could he have a urine infection? That may explain going in the house and going so much outside. If he's just marking when on walks, then it should pass with a bit more maturity. He's in full teenage mode now. It's not unusual for a boy to mark several times in one walk - mine will do it about five times in an hour's walks, I suppose. Maybe a bit more. He's only nine and a half months. Him being "out of control" wanting to see other dogs is something you have to train for. Work on his impulse control by not letting him run off to them. He can walk up nicely when you say so. You may need to keep him on a long line for this in the short term so you can stand on it if he starts to bolt. Weeing in the house is obviously not great, but if he's toilet trained, I really think that he needs looking at to see if there's an infection. Once they see the house as their "den", their instinct will be to not go inside unless they absolutely have to. The crying, I can't help with, I'm afraid. I can only say it's not for "no reason". You just haven't worked out what the reason is yet! Could it be from boredom, frustration, just wanting attention? Or could it be linked to, again, a urine infection, which is making him uncomfortable? I really do advise you to go and have him checked up by the vet.
I agree, it could well be an infection . Any change in behaviour should always be referred to a Vet first and foremost , just in case it is caused by a medical issue . If your Vet gives him a clean bill of health, then please pop back and we`ll see what we can do to help . By the way , neutering will not fix any behavioural problems, it can sometimes calm a dog down a little, but the running to other dogs etc . is a training issue and wont be altered by neutering , good luck with him
I agree - a vet check. A urinary tract infection was also my first thought. I don't think that neutering helps much with weeing... Both the boys I have had were neutered at 6/7 months and both have peed on anything and everything that wasn't moving, and that has included both boys marking in other people's houses (on pot plants and Christmas trees*....). *Edit to add that no Christmas presents were harmed during these incidents.
My two year old boy will mark billions of time on an off lead walk. He'll mark and mark and mark - and keep going even when he has run out of wee and the tank is empty. A fake wee is better than no wee and all that.....I'm not sure that it reduces after the teenage months. With Charlie I think he is just ever expanding his ambition to wee on everything in the entire world, several times.
My old Bones (not overly blessed with brains, bless his heart) was also a great wee'er. I couldn't take him into shops, goodness no, no rack of clothes was safe. He weed in the vets, and on one embarrassing occasion on a lady in the park. Hey, maybe that's another tick for girl dogs! They don't do that!!!
Old Scooby is neutered and will mark every few steps on a walk, with drags to nearby bushes - so please don't think neutering will stop this. He's like Charlie - fake wee is better than no wee, everything on a walk needs to be marked.
That’s very good advice to get a vet check first of all. If possible it’s good to leave neutering till after your dog is mature. Early neutering can have repercussions especially in an adolescent dog and make them fearful and reactive.
I've not seen any convincing evidence of this, even though people often cite it as a reason not to desex male dogs. If a dog has a fear/anxiety problem my guess is that it'd have the problem with or without balls. There's more to emotional states than testosterone. Female dogs don't produce nearly as much testosterone as male dogs but are they any more fearful? No, they are not. Also...welcome to the forum, Beverley
Welcome to the forum, Beverley. I buy the theory that castrating male dogs may make them (more) fearful and/or reactive. I haven't seen compelling evidence in terms of studies - either way. Although there are some studies claiming to show both against and for this theory. I think it is logical that removing testosterone in male dogs reduces confidence, and may result in fearfulness. And quite a few professional trainers that I have been advised by think the same. A a number of owners I have spoken to (I walk in an areas where I meet hundreds of dogs and owners) report this - although of course my bias to believe the theory will come into play here in that I'll remember more the people who report what I think anyway. Plus, and of course this is skewed by the number of castrated dogs vs intact dogs I meet, I do regularly see unpleasant, reactive, castrated dogs and can't remember having a problem with an intact dog (although of course intact reactive dogs exist). On the whole, I find bitches less objectionable than castrated male dogs, but of course I meet some problematic bitches. Not that many though, compared to problematic male dogs.
Like Julie, I also buy it, although I've not seen any evidence. It just feels right to me as a theory, and is one of the reasons I won't have Shadow castrated unless absolutely necessary.
I'm always interested in this subject because of my dogs being nervous and reactive. I agree with Rachael. My dogs are intact and yet are very nervous, fearful and reactive. That unfortunately is their temperament. Castrating them won't fix it but I do agree with the theory it could make them worse. Scout even with testosterone pumping through his system is still scared walking down the lane where they got attacked which must easily be two months ago. Testosterone does not make my dogs brave it doesn't over ride whatever it is in their make up that makes them nervous. From experience with other dogs in my family that are castrated and my old lab who was castrated at 9 I don't believe castrating a confident 'normal' dog will increase nervousness or affect their behaviour much in any way apart from behaviour connected with a bitch in season. Castrating didn't affect how they behaved when meeting other dogs intact or neutered or bitches. Maybe too much is put on castrating or not being a major factor in behaviour.
People used to say the same kind of thing about the Earth being flat, but thinking it didn't make it so I did some looking around at journal articles this morning (ie peer reviewed vet journals etc) and quickly found several studies that provided evidence against (or else equivocal evidence about) the 'castration makes male dogs more nervous' argument. Nothing to clearly support the argument. Happy to put up the refs at some point but I didn't have time this morning.
All working male Guide Dogs are castrated at about 12 months old - they are the exact opposite of nervous and are able to work in the busiest of cities, stations - you name it They are trained never to wee on working walks, of course.
Buster always wee'd up everything , until he was neutered 2 months ago, now he can actually walk past many things and nice smells before weeing, he does sometimes cocks his leg then must think oh i don't need a wee and walks on. That is the only thing different i have seen in him, he still absolutely loves people and other dogs and thinks that everyone comes out just to see him and he isn't that impresed when people don't want a quick cuddle with him
