Dog Aggression After Neutering

Having your puppy neutered is one of the best ways to reduce aggression. Having your dog neutered may have no impact at all. Dog aggression comes from three areas - nature, nurture and medical problems. On the biological front, the dog's hormones (androgens, of which testosterone is the most important) spark dominant and aggressive behaviors. This may be expressed by humping, growling or challenging others.

It's perfectly natural and an advantage in nature but it goes over poorly in the suburbs. If the puppy is neutered before the hormones kick in, then he will be less likely to develop behavior problems. But if the hormones have already kicked in and he's started the behaviors, you are likely to see dog aggression after neutering. If your dog is acting aggressively after being neutered, these tips can help you change his ways.

SPAYING YOUR DOG

Nothing in Life is Free

Start a Nothing in Life is Free plan with your dog. Require him to do something you want for the treats and attention he receives. The requirements can be as simple as sitting on command or lying around peacefully, or they can be complicated, such as making him follow 4 straight obedience commands or wait 5 minutes for a savory treat.

The key is that he learns to follow your orders and earn everything he gets.

Daily Walks

Make sure he's getting plenty of exercise. Pent up energy contributes to aggression - the more time he spends walking, the better behaved he'll be. Plus it improves your bond with him and solidifies your position as the pack leader.

Counter-Conditioning

Pairing an item your dog dislikes with something he likes can help him form positive associations with it. If he acts aggressively toward the rabbit (family pet or the one that wandered up from the basement...) you can reduce that aggression by giving him treats when the rabbit is around.

To effectively counter-condition him, you have to first identify the behavior threshold. This is the distance at which he reacts to the rabbit and becomes aggressive. So if he is calm at 25 feet but snarls at 20 feet, the threshold is in between. When counter-conditioning you provide him with rewards when he's outside that line (still calm) while gradually moving closer. Over time the rewards he's received for being calm while in the rabbit's presence help him form new impressions about it. 1- The calm mindset has been reinforced and 2- Every time he sees the rabbit something good happens.

Local Trainer

If your dog has severe aggression issues, call in a local trainer that specializes in aggression to help.

Obedience Training

Dog obedience training helps reduce aggression because it increases your dog's vocabulary (so he'll know sit, stay, come here, etc. in addition to counter-conditioning, which is a big word for a dog) while also getting him accustomed to following your orders.

Unfortunately dog aggression can continue after neutering. Because aggression is as much a learned behavior as it is an instinct, dogs that have already had the hormones turned up will have developed the behavior problem. Taking away the impact of the hormones may reduce the incidence and severity of the aggression, but additional training is often needed.

Dog Aggression After Neutering

I'm Jon Dakins, Director of Training Education at Dog Academy, http://www.dogacademy.com. We provide online dog training programs featuring basic obedience, tricks and more. Got a dog with a behavior problem or two? Please check us out at http://students.dogacademy.com/assessment.aspx to register for your free online course.

SPAYING YOUR DOG