The more I read on the other thread about castration, the more I feel angry about not having been given all the facts by the professionals last time round, and the more inclined I am to leave Busby entire when the time comes to make a choice. Is it likely to cause problems leaving a younger dog entire when the older one is castrated, (ie are they more likely to fight?) or does it make no difference whatsoever?
Thanks
Tracy

http://www.dogtraining.co.uk/moreinfo.html

That's a great article Tohme. There are more articles on different subjects that were also very interesting. That rage syndrome is a horrible, sad thing.

Anyhow, the information on neutering reiterates my own views about neutering. It is NOT an operation of convenience as someone wrote on the other thread, at least not in my mind. Those behavioral effects which have to do with hormones and are alieviated to one degree or another are not just inconvenient. Some are very frusterating to a dog, that being so distracted when training and trying to connect, hungering to breed and not being allowed to.

No, I'm all the more convinced that neutering is the way to go unless you have a dog fit to be bred. I've always neutered my male dogs and have had none of the problems or side effects that are sometimes mentioned and I've had a lot of dogs. That thing about their bones not becomming as dense or whatever.....never had any bone problems. My male dogs have always been the epitome of health and vigor, going on terrific hikes and with me and my horse for long distance rides....very strong and fit. The difference in size or that filled out look is so minute. They are very connected to me and able to concentrate on their training and on me. They're disinterested in running off to find a female in heat. They're not worried about other male dogs moving in on their territory, not as much anyhow. It's more than convenient. I think the dog has less stressful life. 

Neutering is unnatural, like the article said. But it also said that it is unnatural to expect an intact dog to live in a human's world or way of life and not get to exercise his NATURAL ways and instincts....the way he would when he would live in the wild.

So, the difference in opinion or preferrence continues. Anyway....thank you for the link....very interesting and informative.

Carrie

Thanks tohme - that's a really useful page and has given me lots to think about :)

Theoretically castrated dogs are considered to be lower ranking than entire ones.  In practice though I would beg to question this.

My freind has a mixture of GSD and collies, most came as rescues at pubert6y or later.  Now one of her dogs was a castrated Terv who arived and had number two spot to a GSD now departed.  They have a very macho male aggresive rescue male GSD who always accepted Brook as above him in the family pack.  When the heqad dog died they were very surprised that the castrated male became the highest ranking despite failing sight and frail body. 

Sadly the old Terv died at the begginning of the year, and sadly the macho boy has taken top spot,a nd a benevolent leader he is not!  They have to seperate him from their youngest male GSD as they started fighting.

What age gap is there between the pup and your older dog?  This may have more bearing than their entirety or lack thereof.

I find it depends on the dog, and his standing before he was castrated - a dog who naturally has presence to other dogs, will still have that presence even after castration, possibly still to a sufficient degree to out rank lower entire dogs.

Think it depends on the personality of the dog anyway, I had a castrated dog that suffered all sorts of health problems but none of the other dogs ever attacked or bothered him until he started to smell like an in season bitch at which stage they started treating him like he was an in season bitch and we had to step in and sort the problem, but they did not hurt him at all but made a nuisance of themselves and the castrated dog had to be put onto HRT and the intact males had to have Tarkac (sp) until the HRT kicked in, then things returned to normal and the intact males were respectful of him till the day he died.

Hi Brainless,
The gap between them is only 13 months. We were told to feed Sparky first, etc, and are following this advice. The pup is only 8 and a half weeks yet, so is completely fearless, - I expect it will be a while before we can see who is more likely to be dominant, once Busby's character develops. He's a bossy little thing at the moment, but then aren't most pups of that age until they learn their canine manners? Sparky does keep trying to hump the pup at the moment, if that means anything, and over the past week is just starting to tell him off if he oversteps the mark, though nowhere near as forcefully as I would have expected him to do, just a low warning growl. I suppose that is to come as Busby gets older?
Tracy

Why do you not just put the food down together and make sure they do not interfere with one another. I have 4 dogs and they are all fed together in close proximity with no problem at all. It is not up to you to decide who is top dog but to make sure that they do not break your house rules. As puppies have to have at least 2 more meals than an adult dog the adult dog must learn that if you are not feeding him then that is the way it is and hard cheese.

Good point Jackie - when they are old enough they will work out between them which of the two has the upper position - but you call the shots ;-)  All my dogs are fed together and there's never been a problem, who gets there's first is more down to how well I'm doing a balancing act with all the bowls <LOL>

Don't be too worried Tracey about problems in advance - you may never have any real problems with them - contrary to popular belief, males often get on really well and when there is an issue it's usually all noise and nothing more :-)

Teri

Thanks for that Teri. I'm such a worrier - perhaps I should just try to be a bit more laid back about it all! It was the breeder who told me to do that with the bowls, Jackie H, but I think what you're saying probably makes more sense, think we'll start that instead. Always learning - and always open to ideas!
Tracy

Hi Tracey,

re: <Always learning - and always open to ideas!> - we all are :-)  (or should be LOL)

:-D

Okay, I will NOT be castrating Tamino.  One reason is that he will be a show dog (and in Europe under FCI rules castrated dogs are not allowed to compete), the other reason is that we hope to use him at stud one day, as long as he is good enough. 

But here in Switzerland if I want to breed with the approval of the SKG (Kennel Club) my dog has to be evaluated, to the standard, by a special person, one-on-one with the dog.  So Tamino will take this evaluation, and if he fails, I will then castrate him, and only work in obedience and agility.  As I have 2 entire bitches in my house at the moment and hope to get another Vallhund ( a bitch), and my sister is planning to get her first dog in a year or so (a Sheltie) and she wants a bitch.  :)

I think that if you leave a male dog uncastrated, it is harder in the teenage months, but in the long run it makes no difference. :)