Intact males?
- Thread starter bkzoo
- Start date
corbinam
Moderator
This probably sounds snobby, but if you're training correctly the dog should never stop on course--esp. mid weave.
Teach focus, drive, etc from the start and this shouldn't even cross his mind.
There could be a raw turkey in the middle of the ring and I don't think my dogs would notice it.
EDIT: I don't have an intact dog, but these are my observations.
Calliesmom
Moderator
somebody else probably already peed on the weave poles....
Jocu has peed or tried to pee on stuff at the practice field but mostly only if somebody else had already done it.
when he was going there regularly for class, I took cleaner up so I could clean if he did do something like that but honestly, most people don't bother (if they even notice) when it's just pee and they don't seem to get that it will trigger other dogs to do the same thing.
2GoodDogs
Forums Enthusiast
I sweep the floors at the agilty building, I can't believe all the pee stains, by the tunnels, in the tunnels, on the stanchions! Geesh, do these people not know what it looks like when the dog lifts a leg??? Oh wait... they have to watch their dog to see it, there's the problem... :/
I didn't take that as snobby at all. I'm just worried about the novice stages. And, sad to say, the instructors are sort of limited in my area, so I might not be trained in my handling skills good enough to teach "focus, drive etc" from the start, enough that the young pup would ignore a raw turkey, or pee droplets.
The video I saw was obviously a novice dog, and it didn't stop mid-weave, it stopped when it got there. My Toby is fast as lightening, and flies through the weave poles. His only problem was he was racing to get to the tunnel he spotted from a mile away...
But I do not have an issue with aggression or marking. Its all how they are trained and learn what is acceptable and not..
Caro
Moderator
I've had intact males in the past, and am around a lot of intact males with the dog club, various sports and my local dog group. With my males in the past I haven't had a problem with them peeing inside. But, where I do have a problem is their interaction with other dogs.
Because I and my dogs spend a lot of time around other dogs, I have found that intact males do not interact well once they reach adolescence. Intact males are much more likely to pee on other people and dogs. There's probably 2 in the group of dogs in the local group (out of maybe 50) that are desexed and have on occasion peed on people, but without fail the intact males have all peed on people and other dogs. Invariably the intact dogs stop coming to the group because of this. They also become bossy and obnoxious as adolescents, so no other dogs want to be around them. At competitions, if any dogs get into a fight it's usually the intact ones. At the club, the intact males can do okay in a small group, but they don't do well when the group gets beyond a few dogs. We don't allow intact males in the clubhouse uncrated because invariably they pee, and with the smell they create it's darn hard to stop other dogs doing it.
So there are problems with keeping a dog intact. You will have to work out whether keeping the dog intact will impact on your lifestyle and what you plan on doing with your dog. That's the first priority. But you have time to work that out - what until he's hit adolescence and if it becomes too much don't put it off because of the breeder's whim.
I do have issues with breeders asking people to keep their dog intact so the breeder can have a litter from it if they feel the whim. Esp if the person has no intention on showing the dog. I know a few breeders that do this with people who are planning on competing with their dogs - just in case that person does title the dog they want to ride on the coat tails of that person's success.
Because I and my dogs spend a lot of time around other dogs, I have found that intact males do not interact well once they reach adolescence. Intact males are much more likely to pee on other people and dogs. There's probably 2 in the group of dogs in the local group (out of maybe 50) that are desexed and have on occasion peed on people, but without fail the intact males have all peed on people and other dogs. Invariably the intact dogs stop coming to the group because of this. They also become bossy and obnoxious as adolescents, so no other dogs want to be around them. At competitions, if any dogs get into a fight it's usually the intact ones. At the club, the intact males can do okay in a small group, but they don't do well when the group gets beyond a few dogs. We don't allow intact males in the clubhouse uncrated because invariably they pee, and with the smell they create it's darn hard to stop other dogs doing it.
So there are problems with keeping a dog intact. You will have to work out whether keeping the dog intact will impact on your lifestyle and what you plan on doing with your dog. That's the first priority. But you have time to work that out - what until he's hit adolescence and if it becomes too much don't put it off because of the breeder's whim.
I do have issues with breeders asking people to keep their dog intact so the breeder can have a litter from it if they feel the whim. Esp if the person has no intention on showing the dog. I know a few breeders that do this with people who are planning on competing with their dogs - just in case that person does title the dog they want to ride on the coat tails of that person's success.
My parents have always left their males intact, with no issues. Ironically the one that marks in their house is the male yorkie who's neutered. My male boy (16 months) started to mark at like 3-4 months old. He doesn't lift his leg at all though. He did mark while at dog classes but never homes. I fixed the marking at dog classes by making him wear a belly band and taking him outside more often. We actually just competed in his first Agility trial this past weekend with no marking issues and it was outside.
Dogs do silly things though. As stated, if you're a good handler you can handle a dog that even marks. Ruutu knows I'm okay with him marking IF it's outdoors and IF he's not working. I'll tell him hurry up and let him sniff around and mark before we go in the ring. Once we're in the ring, it's game face. That being said, at the show this weekend one dog pooped in the middle of weaving. No joke.
Edited to add: Ruutu no longer needs to wear the belly band. He only needed it for 4 weeks and he got the hang that he's not allowed to pee in class. I also kept his mind busy during the time he wasn't running.
Dogs do silly things though. As stated, if you're a good handler you can handle a dog that even marks. Ruutu knows I'm okay with him marking IF it's outdoors and IF he's not working. I'll tell him hurry up and let him sniff around and mark before we go in the ring. Once we're in the ring, it's game face. That being said, at the show this weekend one dog pooped in the middle of weaving. No joke.
Edited to add: Ruutu no longer needs to wear the belly band. He only needed it for 4 weeks and he got the hang that he's not allowed to pee in class. I also kept his mind busy during the time he wasn't running.