I have just been advised by my vet to have Oscar my 20 month black lab neutered. He says it will calm him down (Oscar behaved like a hooligan when he got in the vets, as he loves to go there), he can be a handful. He rarely sits or lies still for very long, even in the night you can hear him walking about. He can't be left alone for very long as he destroys things (usually within 10 minutes of being unsupervised), so far kitchen cupboards, doors, plaster off walls, floor, cushions off chairs, coffee table, carpet, pulls fencing and trellising down in garden, digs up trees and moves them. Our bitch sits and watches him do this. I can't walk near people anymore has he tries to cock his leg up them whilst we are walking past, he is even worse if they have a bitch with them.. He has 2 to 3 walks a day, goes swimming twice a week and I do obedience and agility with him.

He has the most wonderful character and I don't want that to change if he is neutered, my last male lab did calm down when he was about 3 so I wanted to wait a bit longer. Does anybody have any advice on whether neutering is the answer to his behaviour or to wait and see if he calms down with age.

Tracy, I'm not sure that having him done will cure all his ills. Most look to be down to basic training, learning what is acceptable and what isn't. I know you go to training twice a week, and he probably behaves when he's there, but do you carry this on when you get home? Absolutely & to the letter, everytime? Plus, of course, some of these are just natural traits for dogs, so you may have to consider a combination of all three.

Don't forget also, that some labs come from working lines, in which case they have been bred to use their brains and energy all day long. They can then get bored quickly if they are not trained and worked, becoming destructive. I, personally, have mixed thoughts about working breeds not being worked, (I'm not saying this about you, just in general) as I often see the resultant unwanted working breeds when they get a bit too hot to handle.

Take a little time to work out why some of these problems are occuring, and I'm sure you'll get lots of helpful replies, and see if they can be addressed by any or all of the suggestions you will also get. Just as an example of what can be achieved, I have seen labs on a shoot sit still for hours on end, waiting for a retrieve, sometimes not even next to their owner, so it can be done!!

Instead of putting him under the knife ask you vet to chemically castrate him first to see whether it actually will resolve all or any of his problems. If you find it does work then by all means go for the op but better to see the affects first rather than just whip em off!
Bec

Hi Tracey, I think he sounds like at least 80% normal lab. But I agree with Dave, have you thought of trying gundog training classes. This way he will get to be with some immaculately behaved labs and some more like himself. He'll be using his brain which is really important for working dogs. What area are you in, are there any gundog clubs you could try. I'm not saying it would be a cure but I think it would certainly be a start in the right direction.
Lorna

Thanks for all the advice, Oscar is from working stock and loves to retrieve especially from water, which is why he goes swimming alot. I was worried about taking him gun dog training as he can be a handful, he just wants to act the fool all the time and at our obedience class everyone loves him as he is a real clown, I can manage him really well and he will listen and behave with me but he totally ignores my husband which is part of the problem, I think I will have to spend time training hubby how to handle Oscar. I will speak to a friend who works their dogs for any classes local who will take on a complete beginner. I don't want him to change as he is so eager to please and when he concentrates he works really well. His destructivness has been causing problems especially when our two bitches are so good, I have been speaking to our obedience trainer and he thinks it might be because Oscar is very attached to me, when I leave the room he cries, we are going back to basics with him and trying short periods of seperation and putting up baby gates so that he can still see me but be in a different room, I am also getting other family members to walk and play with him. My last male lab was neutered for health reasons and his character totally changed so I am really reluctant to go that route with Oscar.

Tracy, don't worry about disrupting anyone at a gundog class, there will be plenty livelier than yours. The worse they behave, the more attention and help you'll get! The good thing is they have seen it all before and can point you in the right direction really quickly. It's worth bearing in mind that they are usually pretty firm, but it certainly works. You will also feel good when you see what can be done with labs. You can take your hubby and they'll help you out with that dominance/respect issue also.

Just recently, down here, the police and drugs enforcement people were advertising for unwanted working breeds (mainly labs and ESS) that were too hot for their owners. They know that this is exactly the type of animal that works best, and it's also proof that they can be trained. So chin up.