please help...little time left

[ruhken]

hi everyone

I have a 14 month old male boxer named Ruhk( Rooook) and I fear that I will have to get rid of him soon. He has been overly aggressive towards a few other dogs in my neighborhood recently and goes to their yards to attack them. He is very affectionate towards my family and our other dogs(female boxer and male pom) He is intact because we were planning on breeding the 2 boxers eventually. My question is....we were told if we neutered him now it would not make a difference because his hormones are already in place. is this true? I now have neighbours breathing down my neck to do something about him. I DO NOT want to get rid of him.

Please help


ryan

 

[gmacleod]

True or not, an aggressive dog is NOT breeding material. Leaving this dog intact with any possibility of breeding (including "accidents") would be extremely irresponsible. Imagine 6-8 more unsuspecting people having to deal with the same issues you are, or worse. Get him neutered. You shouldn't even think of keeping this dog intact, you cannot ever responsibly breed a dog with aggression problems.

As for whether neutering may decrease his aggression, the answer is possibly. Dog aggression does tend to occur more frequently in intact males. But it's rarely a hormonal problem only (or at least, neutering isn't a magic bullet solution all on its own). It may help a bit, but you need to work on desensitising and socialising the dog. I would suggest that you get a behaviourist to help you (not just a trainer, a behavioural specialist). This post (from the sticky thread at the top of this forum) has a links that can help you to locate someone to help: http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/showpost.php?p=378065&postcount=1
Some of the articles in this post (same thread) may also be useful: http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/showpost.php?p=378078&postcount=3

And lastly, a short veterinary article on the behavioural and health benefits of neutering (aggression issues included): http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1625&articleid=911

 

[ELubas]

hi everyone

I have a 14 month old male boxer named Ruhk( Rooook) and I fear that I will have to get rid of him soon. He has been overly aggressive towards a few other dogs in my neighborhood recently and goes to their yards to attack them. He is very affectionate towards my family and our other dogs(female boxer and male pom) He is intact because we were planning on breeding the 2 boxers eventually. My question is....we were told if we neutered him now it would not make a difference because his hormones are already in place. is this true? I now have neighbours breathing down my neck to do something about him. I DO NOT want to get rid of him.

Please help


ryan

I have an aggressive girl so i sympathize but it could just be his temperment, you know. My girl gets along with dogs she knows, my other boxer, and those she meets properly but will go after any strange dog, always has. As gmacleod said, our dogs are not breeding material but that does not mwean they canmnot be good, reliable dogs. Nysa is a great dog and obedience training has made her very reliable but it takes work and consistency. May I ask how is your dog getting out of the yard? That is the first thing you need to address to calm down the neighbors. I also think that no one or anything has taught me the importance of taking responsiblity like my Nysa. I was spoiled with very easy going dogs until she came along but i made a committment to her and she has come a long way. I wish you well and hope you can work with this pup-he may trun out to be the best dog you ever own

 

[ruhken]

Ruhk

Thanks for the info you guys. I need to clear the air on something. He IS getting neutered, I was looking for a little reassurance that it will help. I wasn't debating whether or not I should neuter him. I agree he is not breeding material....I am not blind. I just want to do everything possible to keep my beloved Ruhk right where he is....with us.


thanx again


Ryan

 

[ELubas]

Thanks for the info you guys. I need to clear the air on something. He IS getting neutered, I was looking for a little reassurance that it will help. I wasn't debating whether or not I should neuter him. I agree he is not breeding material....I am not blind. I just want to do everything possible to keep my beloved Ruhk right where he is....with us.


thanx again


Ryan

I am not of the mind that it will, especially if this is a temperment issue. But I guess my point was manangement is the key with this type of dog and they can be great companions-I hope that is how it turns out for you

 

[SherylM]

Ryan, have you had his thyroid tested? Sometimes a thyroid problem can present itself with agression issues...just a thought.

 

[Murp.mm]

I was just wondering how he gets out of his yard. As you are planning on having him neutered that certainly will cut back on his desire to roam and possibly get into fights. Personally I wouldn't let him off lead anytime apart from your enclosed area. People can't complain if he's in his own territory. Good Luck.

 

[LucNesbitt]

After you address the issue of how he's getting out of the yard, I'd seek a behavorist for some help. I've used one for assistance with some problems Moab's had, both at home and with other dogs. Her advice and the exercises she gave us to do with him were very helpful.

As for the neighbors, this might also help ease their minds. If they know you're actively doing something about the issue and you ask them to give you some time to work with your dog, I'd hope they'd be understanding. Information is the key ... if they think you're not doing anything, they're going to be more apprehensive and frightened. But, if you admit there's an issue and let them know what steps you're taking to correct it, that should help ease their minds at least.

 

[Najo]

Your story reminded me of a Dog Whisperer episode with a Boxer with similar issues. My question would be whether your dog is acting dominate behavior as pack leader, and how much exercise he gets.

 

[LucNesbitt]

Any updates? I'm curious to hear if you've made progress ...