# Dog Gone Crazy After Neuter... ?



## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

I'm sorry to hear this happening to your friend's dog. I noticed no change at all in Brooks (he was 21 mo when neutered)-he never wrecked stuff in the house before or after neutering. 

So this dog never chewed anything up before the neutering?


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

It's so hard to know what can cause behaviours out of the blue like that. It took awhile for me to notice a difference in Ranger's behaviour post-neuter since it takes a few months for the testosterone to "drain away" and fade from the system. It didn't make Ranger any calmer but the biggest difference I noticed in him was how he stopped trying to get out of the yard. Before he'd scale fences, bolt out doors from between people's legs, slither through broken fences, CHEW broken fence posts to get out...anything he could. Eventually his need to roam lessened and he became trustworthy in yards that had escape routes. His previous need to roam was so bad that he'd walk around the perimeter of every yard he was in to look for an escape route. It was the first thing he did when in a new yard.

I know you said Jasper's getting the same amount of physical exercise, but what about mental? Has training classes or training sessions stopped? Is it possible that Jasper's gotten more fit so what was previously enough exercise now isn't enough? That happened to Ranger when I started running with him. A 2 mile run stopped tiring him out and he actually became MORE hyper the more I ran with him as he just got fitter and fitter. I stopped running, started walking more, and upped his training sessions throughout the day until he eventually calmed down.

Is Jasper getting normal "chew times"? I know if Ranger doesn't get a kong or a nylabone to chew on at night, he'll be okay for a few days then go into crazy, nippy mode. After I moved, I didn't unpack his nylabones or kongs for 2 weeks...poor guy was going nuts until I realized what was going on. (I'm a little slow).

Finally, sometimes these behaviours happen for god-knows-what reasons. Maybe his owners are stressed for the holidays/money/who knows what and he's picking up on it. Maybe it's just "one of those things". 3 weeks after moving back in with my parents, Ranger started carrying people's shoes around the house and taking them into his bed. Up til then, he'd never shown any inclination towards shoes and now he doesn't go a day without picking up at least one and carrying it around. He's not chewing on them, but it's definitely a new habit and I have no idea where or why he's picked up on it.

I'd say in the meantime crating when unsupervised is a good idea. Suggest a stuffed frozen kong so he has something to do in there. An increase in walks (which is a mentally calming physical exercise compared to playing with other dogs, etc) would probably help as would an increase in training sessions. Your friend could always get him a doggie backpack if she doesn't already have one for some extra mental stimulation on walks and maybe a treat dispenser for meals. Anything to tire him out mentally would probably help out until he settles down to his usual self.


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

14 months is the start of the 'teens' for some dogs, could just be that. Or if he's been kept quiet for recovering from surgery.....


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## esSJay (Apr 13, 2009)

Thanks for the tips, I've passed them all on to her and she liked the idea about putting him back in classes to keep him mentally stimulated. He did really well in puppy school a few months ago so she thinks she will give the Advanced class a try. In addition to bumping up the exercise even more than he was already getting.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Two senior (9-10yo) littermate labs at our shelter were recently neutered.... one is VERY much GO GO GO now and the other is in a lot of pain (hips, elbows). It seems like since the neuter, the enthusiasm/pain has been emphasized.

They shoudl think about
- Changing exercise (distance, duration, intensity, type of exercise)
- Increase management (so that he doesn't have opportunities to chew)
- Set up a camera when they leave him, even crated, for a short period of time, to be sure that he is not distressed.
-


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