Will Getting My Dog Neutered Calm Him???

Hey everyone,

We have a 4 year old Male Labrador Retriever and was given to us when he was 3, with his previous owner they kept him out the back yard in a kennel rather than an in house pet, anyway he came to live with us and settled in really well, only problem was and still he is very very insecure and constantly wants to be by our side and is a very hyper labrador and when ppl come in to our house hes is just constantly sniffy and jumping and licking we tell him to calm down after ppl have greeted him but he just wont leave them alone, its that annoying to ppl that we have to eventually put him in the kitchen which we really hate doing. Hes not like any ordinary dog who greets ppl and gets attention then calms down, he is just constantly wanting attention.

We are getting him neutered on 31st october as we have been told this may calm him down. And because we are expecting a baby in April of next year we really need him to be alot calmer and a more relaxed dog he is ok with our 4 year son who just adores him but when my son is playing or getting attention from his dad (who our dog sees as his master) he tries to butt his way in like in a jeasouly way that he wants the attention more and im worried about the new baby on that note.

I do love my dog but would love for him to be a bit more calmer.

Sorry to ramble but any advice etc would be appreciated

THanks in advance

Some dogs calm down afterwards and some don't.
He is a lab though and most labs don't seem to start leaving the mad puppy stage till they are about 8.
What exercise does he have each day and do you do any training with him?

He gets 3 walks in a day and we have trained him now to lie down, sit and stay which is an improvement because when we first got him he wasnt so good at this but thats has only just began to work with him.

He loves his works and gets to run around the park loads and is good with other dogs.

Be VERY aware that if a dog shows any nervous tendancies (like insecurity) castration can make them MUCH worse. testosterone gives him confidence, take it away and you could have serious issues!

As Madmare says, some calm down as a result, and some don`t.
What food does he have incidentally as for many dogs it can be as simple as a food change needed depending on what additives are in their food, [ for basic hyperness I mean ]. He sounds like he is desperate to please and to interact, not surprising given his lack of apparent social opportunities and normal day to day companionship before you adopted him, so I would look at confidence building activities for him, ie Agility, [ for a good bonding, fun, and energy usage activity ], and games involving using his brain power like find the toy, retrieve named items, that sort of thing.

The snip is the right thing to do in terms of him being a rescue/rehome anyway so well done for that, and I would think if you can implement activities to boost his own confidence, [ brain games also wear a dog out far better than just walks ], some basic positively reinforced training for when people visit - that means training the visitors too - and check his food content, you could help this dog be much calmer and happier in himself on the whole, that`s my instinctive thoughts for him anyway

What sort of walks does he have? Are they walks that exhaust him mentally and physically? Is he let off lead at all?
First I would look at the type of exercise he has. Next, look at the food you feed, some are like giving your dogs smarties. Next i would train him NOT to jump up at guests..that's a whole other thread, especially at this time in the morning... basically you need to teach him to sit for a tickle, which will also help with your son and his dad.

Castration will only work with a lot of training tied in too...then sometimes it can. As Dawn said though, if your dog is nervous, it can be worse and your dog will certainly get worse initially anyway as their hormones can fluctuate wildly in the first 3 months post op. The first month casn be particualrly bad...but he will become more aware of sounds etc, so if he is at all worried about bonfire night and halloween type stuff, I would consider postponing the op for a ocuple of weeks.

Do you have any dog training classes near you. He just sounds a bit bouncy to me.

In addition to the other's advice, I would ask what you are feeding him on? If it is a food with artificial additives (e.g. colouring & preservatives), I would look to change to one that hasn't. These artificial additives can have the same effect on a dog as E numbers can have on children - i.e. making them hyper.

(sorry, just realised that Ramble already mentioned the food!)

But.....it can also make them better.

I have known a couple of nervous dogs it has really helped. It seems to take the pressure off.

I would maybe suggest you get a trainer round to have a look at him and advise you on the best way to go forwards and give you some chill out and self control exercises.

Good luck

Hi

I'd look at food, exercise, stimulation and training too. I'd work on getting him to stop 'bothering' people and getting him to sit for attention etc. as Ailsa said.

TBH, I think there are only two reasons for castrating a dog, the first is for an immediate health problem the second is if you own an intact bitch and can't deal with the dog when she is in season.

To use castration as an aid to training or a fix for a temperament problem is fraught with problems, it may help but it could lead to the original problem becoming worse or adding problems to those you have already.

Castration, to some extent, seems to return the dog to puppy hood making him more playful and less sensible. Mind you it sometimes makes no difference at all and at others it may improve matters. A normal intact dog will mature into a sensible calm dog with confidence and an ability to deal with things as they occur, if yours does not it has a problem that castration is unlikely to cure - but may help - or could make worse. Suppose what I am trying to say the choice is yours, no one can say if it will help in your paticular case or not.