You might want to contact your breeder for some help or insight into this behavior. I would definately suggest neutering him especially since you have intact females in the house. I would also suggest getting him into some kind of training program. He is definately reaching maturity especially since he has bred 4 times. Having an untrained male that you are allowing to breed in the house can cause problems, especially with the intact male yorkie running around.

 Quote: Diana Pohn

.... I would definately suggest neutering him especially since you have intact females in the house. .... He is definately reaching maturity especially since he has bred 4 times. Having an untrained male that you are allowing to breed in the house can cause problems ....

What?

What did I miss?

The dog is intact and Karla asked if neutering might help.

I think Jonah and Maggie are Delilah's Sire & Dam (see sig pic).

Thanks Diana,I did email his breeder and she was not really sure what to do and recommended I get help from a trainer.

I am going to call the vet tomorrow and set up an appointment for a neuter...I only have one intact female in the house (Maggie)...well, and Delilah, but she is only 14 weeks...but still, even with one intact female, that may be enough to trigger this type of behavior. Maggie is probably getting ready to come into heat again too, so this will be perfect timing as I wont have to separate them.

He was much better yesterday...and it just so happens the yorkie was kept away from him...the yorkie now has his own yard! YAY!

Wait, what does neutering have to do with anything? I'm so confused.

 Quote: mike j schoonbrood

Wait, what does neutering have to do with anything? I'm so confused.

There are A LOT of people out there who do firmly believe that neutering will vanquish all aggression..."you know, just neuter them!" Not true of course, but...when I was dealing with some aggression issues, there were some very "convincing" people telling me that was the solution.

I cannot help but think this is related to shifts in the pack and he's testing...serious none the less.

To OP:

have you kept pups from previous litters? Is Deliliah allowed to interact with him and Maggie too???

I am not a professional by any means (which I'm glad you are planning on working with one...wait, is this your professional-- the one who said to neuter? or where did the notion to neuter him come in?), just brainstorming other angles.





Edited by Michele McAtee (04/27/2008 10:57 AM)
Edit reason: neuter?

This is the first puppy we kept. She gets to interact, but only a couple of times a day, supervised, and not for more then 10-15 minutes...otherwise she is with me or kenneled.

I have not found a trainer yet (not as easy as it sounds here)...the advice to neuter is from Diana (above), my sister in law (who breeds), and his breeder suggested the fact he is still intact may be adding to the problem.

We were already thinking of spaying Maggie, so I'm thinking we should just neuter Jonah as well...unless you all give me a good reason not to...or why it wouldn't help at all.

I know it wont "solve" the problem...I need to work on pack structure and more obedience training too...however, he certainly is not untrained...just need to work on some issues with him.

Neutering is only effective if done before behaviors have developed. Since this aggression issue is already an issue, neutering will have zero impact on it.

As for reasons not to, someone just posted a very nice study on this forum:
http://www.leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=192516

Neutering, to me, is a medical thing, and therefore should only be done for medical reasons. Behavioral issues should never be addressed with surgery, and if the behavior is already there it won't just disappear when the nuts are plucked from the tree. If you have to train the dog anyway after neutering, then what is the point of the neutering!?

I'm not sure why Diana Pohn advised you neuter Jonah, but I believe you should do a lot more reading before you choose to do it. There are lots of threads here talking about "to neuter or not to neuter". Those should be read. I seriously doubt that overnight, after a neuter, that Jonah will stop this behavior. That doesn't even make sense. Not at his age.

Ask yourself these questions: Is he suddenly showing a bit of aggression because he has 2 testicles? How and why would that be? How would that work exactly? I believe they're questions you need to ask yourself before taking someone's short phrase of "neuter him" to be the conclusive authority. No offense to Diana, but is she an authority on the issue?

Before you do ANYTHING to your dog based on the advice of someone you may not even know or who doesn't list authoritative qualifications, read Ed Frawley's article, whom I do trust to know what he's talking about: http://www.leerburg.com/neuter.htm

With my dog, I do what Jim Nash does, I pick my battles and don't provoke, even unintentionally, any battles that I'm not prepared to handle. Some flaws my dog has I'm completely willing to deal with. It's not a break or make situation.

You don't even KNOW what is setting Jonah off. In that case, I wouldn't make any decision about removing his parts immediately. Anything done in haste is usually the wrong move. It sounds extreme to me that you're making this decision so quickly. Slow down and think about it and read first. Meanwhile, more pack structure effort and more training.

 Quote: Sandy Moore

Before you do ANYTHING to your dog based on the advice of someone you may not even know or who doesn't list authoritative qualifications, read Ed Frawley's article, whom I do trust to know what he's talking about: http://www.leerburg.com/neuter.htm
... Anything done in haste is usually the wrong move. It sounds extreme to me that you're making this decision so quickly. Slow down and think about it and read first. Meanwhile, more pack structure effort and more training.

I have to say that this post and Mike's make sense, and that surgery based on anything besides your own thorough research is a pretty hasty move.

If you had planned on neutering or have other reasons for neutering, that's your own business; I do not think, however, that you are going to find authoritative advice about neutering to change behavior at age 3.