How can I reduce my dog's reactivity towards other entire males?

W
Willko Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone, Neels is an Australian Shepherd who is now 10 months old. Everything was going really well from the moment we got him (at 8 weeks old from a breeder); Neels saw quite a few dogs, but unfortunately mostly young ones (who weren't necessarily well-socialised), so I think he picked up some slightly rough habits. He’s never been mean, though—just a real bundle of energy.

This carried on until he was about 7 or 8 months old, when an unneutered male Boxer who wasn't part of his usual playgroup tried to mount him and a scrap broke out. The fight wasn't anything major; we stepped in pretty quickly and I thought that was the end of it. However, it seems that since that day, Neels picks fights with entire males (except for one, his childhood friend). I've sought advice here and there and we decided to bring forward the date for him to be neutered (we’d already decided to have him "done" eventually). So, Neels was neutered 10 days ago.

I'm not pinning all my hopes on the operation; I'm also seeing a behaviourist at the same time to work on the aggression issues towards other males.

I'm posting today partly to hear from people who have been through something similar (targeted male aggression and the effects of neutering). I've looked everywhere and the subject comes up often, but without any real conclusion on how things turned out. I also wanted to share my own story and try to keep a bit of a diary to help any future owners facing the same problem by showing how mine progresses, if that’s of interest.

In any case, if you have any feedback or experiences to share, I'd love to hear them as this situation is making me quite sad. Off-lead walks are more complicated now, so for the time being, we're 100% on a long line.

Thanks for reading and I hope to get some replies.

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    • Kikaah
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    Yeah, that’s good! If he didn’t come over to you, it’s because he didn’t need any comforting, which is actually quite a good sign – it means nothing serious happened :)

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    W
    Willko Icon representing the flag French
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    Hello, I’m back to continue my story and share more of my experiences. Yesterday, Neels and I met two dogs: a female Staffie cross and a fairly large neutered crossbreed male called Rex. Just to clarify, these two dogs weren't together; it was a completely chance encounter. Neels was in play-mode and being quite pushy with the female. Rex didn't seem to like the way Neels was playing with her, so he started growling and stepped in. This set Neels off, but Rex stood his ground and calmed him down. It’s the first time Neels has been put in his place like that, and he settled down immediately. Is this a good sign? Am I on the right track? One thing, though – after the scuffle, Neels didn’t come to me for comfort or anything... is that normal?
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    Flip-Cockwood
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    Hi Willko, That’s spot on then. By consistently stopping him, he’ll eventually realise that this behaviour isn’t allowed. He’ll gradually learn to ignore any dogs he doesn’t want to interact with. It doesn't sound like a neutering issue then, but more of a communication problem. Some dogs aren't as good at reading social cues and their intentions can seem a bit unclear; young dogs often don't know how to interpret this and end up reacting badly. I think that’s partly what’s happening with Neels. But if it’s managed well by his owner, he’ll grow out of it in the end.
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    W
    Willko Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi everyone, Just a quick update: Neels had another incident on Monday with a British Bulldog he already disliked even before he was neutered. The dog had tried to mount him back then, and Neels has had it in for him ever since! Here’s how it went down. Neels was playing with an adult, entire Cocker Spaniel without any problems when the British Bulldog arrived. Neels tensed up; they sniffed each other (so Neels didn't just charge at him to attack), but after the "introductions", Neels kicked off. Luckily, we were on high alert and stopped it quickly.
    Translated from French
    W
    Willko Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi everyone,

    Thanks for the feedback, I’m definitely going to try giving him a bit more freedom...

    Anyway, a quick update on Neels:

    Yesterday we went for a walk on a long lead and ran into quite a few dogs, including some entire males. And it all went really well; I won’t lie, I was incredibly tense, so I let go of the lead so he wouldn’t pick up on my stress too much. We didn’t hang around either; they just had a quick sniff and that was that. They were only small dogs, so maybe that helped. Neels tends to react more to the big ones.

    I’ll keep you all posted on how things go.

    Feel free to chime in, I’m happy to take any advice or feedback on board. 🙄

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    Flip-Cockwood
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    @Wilko,

    Letting the long line trail on the ground is a start. But it does mean your dog has to stay within 15 metres of you if you're going to be able to step on it. So I imagine you’re having to constantly use your voice to hold him back every couple of minutes... Which isn't exactly ideal for him to properly relax and switch off...

    In terms of how effective it is, to be honest, I’ve often missed the moment mine bolted, or he’s managed to yank the lead out from under my foot — and he doesn't even weigh 31 lbs... So, a trailing lead isn't always a guarantee of safety. That said, I still think it's much better than keeping a tight hold on it all the time.

    Leelee summed up exactly what I was thinking above. You’ll need to allow more off-lead time than long-line time if you want a truly relaxed dog...

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    Leeleebijou
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    @Wilko,

    I think Flip is suggesting that you walk your dog off-lead in secure environments, without ruling out the use of a long line when it's necessary. If his issues are limited to other dogs, try to find a quiet spot in the countryside away from other dogs to give him total freedom. This will help strengthen your bond and allow him to fully relax.

    Dogs have other needs to meet besides social ones: physical exercise, mental stimulation through sniffing, exploring...

    When you head back to your usual environment, which seems to be busier with other dogs, he’ll be much better equipped to listen to you and work on his sensitivity.

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    W
    Willko Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks for your feedback, I hadn't taken his heightened sensitivity into account during our training sessions.

    Just a quick clarification for @Leeleebijou and @Flip-Cockwood regarding my use of the long lead. It’s 15m long and is only there as a safety measure in case of an emergency or danger. 98% of the time it’s just trailing on the ground within reach of my hand or foot, and Neels doesn't feel any tension; I hardly touch it except when we're crossing a road. When he’s on the lead, it's my voice and the commands doing the work, and I reckon he has plenty of freedom. @Flip-Cockwood, with these extra details, would you still advise against using a long lead?

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    Leeleebijou
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    I’m echoing what the others have said about working on managing his emotions and frustration levels. As for the activity itself, it might just be too much for Flip right now—too many other dogs, and far too much excitement and stimulation. You could try some different activities while being mindful of how sensitive he is (be careful of overstimulation), or perhaps try to keep him in a quieter spot away from the main action during his agility sessions.
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    Leeleebijou
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    During a training session, all dogs are properly raring to go. Work is everything, especially for the breed of dog you’ve chosen. It’s best to avoid any socialising with other dogs during training sessions; that’s what walks are for.

    Translated from French

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