ALL ABOUT CASTRATION
Often, male dogs are neutered, expecting that it will calm them down or prevent behavioural problems such as aggression or humping; however, it is not as simple. And there is a lot more to this subject than many may think.
How testosterone influences behaviour:
Dogs reach the highest levels of testosterone aged approximately 6-12 months, after which levels plateau. During this time, they are most likely to become a target of competitive aggression from other male dogs.
Testosterone can increase sexual behaviours (humping, mating, marking, roaming - looking for a mate).
Testosterone can increase confidence. It is beneficial for timid dogs but may not be helpful with overconfident dogs.
Testosterone can be responsible for increased "persistence".
Testosterone can increase the risk of competitive aggression between males.
Testosterone can increase risk-taking behaviours.
Testosterone can increase scent-marking behaviours.
Testosterone helps to strengthen ligaments and bone growth as well as support cardiovascular health.
Health benefits of castration:
Castration eradicates the risks of testicular cancer.
Testosterone levels can increase the risks of age-related prostate issues in later life.
What you should know about the effects of castration:
Sometimes, very shortly after castration, some dogs become temporarily frantic/reactive. As soon as the dog has been castrated, testosterone production stops due to the removal of testicles. However, the pituitary gland appears unaware of this fact and continues to send signals to trigger the testes to produce more testosterone. As the testes are no longer there to do the job, of course, no testosterone gets produced. Still, the pituitary gland continues to produce Luteinising Hormone-Releasing Hormone and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone, leading to increased reactivity in the newly castrated dog. It is crucial to be aware of this to understand and lessen these behaviours with careful management.
How castration CAN help?
Castration is usually effective at modifying the following behaviours (as long as the behaviour has not become habitual and as long as the behaviour occurred because of testosterone in the first place)
• Territory marking
• Wandering (if caused by mate-seeking behaviour; however, if not, then castration won't make any difference)
• Competitive aggression with other uncastrated male dogs
• Humping behaviours
• It can help prevent your uncastrated male dog from being attacked competitively by other male dogs. Also, reducing the risk that your dog could become fear-aggressive towards other male dogs resulted from being attacked.
However, these behaviours are not always modified by castration as they are not CAUSED by testosterone.
The following behaviours are unlikely to be modified by castration:
Any form of fear aggression (castration could make this WORSE by reducing confidence)
Timidity (castration could lead to the onset of fear aggression by reducing confidence)
Unpredictable behaviour (often, this is a simple lack of training or the result of heavy-handed one that leads to frustration and irritability).
Wandering due to opportunity/boredom (in other words, not related to mate-seeking)
Humping due to overexcitement or displacement (frustration/stress related)
Predatory chase behaviours.
Some dogs mark their area because they are fearful. In this case, castration may not prevent marking behaviours.
The following behaviours can worsen by castration:
Fear-aggression
Timidity
Fear of strangers or strange situations
Chemical Castration
You can assess whether castration could have a detrimental effect on your dog by using a form of chemical castration such as a Suprelorin implant, which mimics castration and is not permanent. However, immediately after implantation, testosterone levels will rise for a few weeks before dropping. If testosterone is responsible for undesirable behaviour, this increase could see an increase in problem behaviour. You should discuss with your vet how they can offset this testosterone increase for a few weeks. By four weeks after implantation, the chemical castration mimics complete castration. From this time, you can monitor the behaviours to determine if castration would be helpful or detrimental. It is advisable to work with a behaviourist during this time in case difficulties are encountered. The Suprelorin implant should wear off after approximately six months.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, castration can modify some behaviours, but it is not the answer to all behaviour problems. Without adequately assessing a dog, castration could make some behaviour problems worse. If you consider castrating your dog for behavioural reasons, it is best to get evaluated by a qualified dog behaviourist. There are health benefits for dogs to be castrated, and castration prevents unwanted litters, so it is the responsible thing to do. However, if your dog has already mated, castration may not prevent him from mating and tying with a bitch. Castration can reduce persistence, helping modify some unwanted behaviours but is not a cure-all for all behaviour problems.