# 1yr Old- Excessive humping! Time to neuter?



## lord brush (Oct 22, 2015)

As the title suggests I suppose.

Our soon to be one year old Wirehaired V', has become a bit of an handful now when out off the lead, and also at home to the point my wife wants him gone 

At home, he certainly seems to try exert his alpha male dominance over my wife and daughter with his frisky humping. It's certainly more an issue when I'm not there, as he seems to behave whenever I come home from work to hear my wife's complaints. 

I know neutering him might not solve the problem anyway, and I'd rather put it off as long as possible to aid his development, but at what cost? If it's becoming such an issue for my wife to control him, I feel it's worth considering. 

I've noticed his recall is getting worse also. For the most part, he's good, but occasionally he will run out of sight down the path if I'm guessing he gets scent of a bitch. 

I guess I'm just after reassurance that having him "fixed", is the right thing to do?


----------



## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

It's probably not what your wife wants to hear, but she needs to be a bit more assertive with her commands. 
When he gets frisky, she should be able to send him to go lay down.


----------



## Spy Car (Sep 3, 2014)

Castrating a Vizsla to "cure" a humping problem is a pretty extreme reaction IMO.

This is a training issue, not a medical one. And not one of "pack dominance," which is a thoroughly discredited understanding of canine behaviors.

Castration has many dire side-effects. I'd suggest reading the Vizsla study, the Golden Retriever study, and the Rottweiler study to see the science-based evidence against neutering.

In terms of efficacy, neutering sometimes reduces humping, but many times does not. it is a crap shoot. I've personally know dogs that were castrated due to humping that carried on just the same as before the snip.

The cost to health and vitality is high.

Bill


----------



## Rbka (Apr 21, 2014)

Your dog is a teenager! Do you remember how raging hormones and rebelliousness clouded your life at 14 years old? Hmmm!
I had this article posted on my fridge for my husband's and my sanity from the time when Nico was 11 months til about 14 months: http://www.trader.co.nz/versatiledogs/articles/awkward.htm

Go back to obedience training classes all together and all practice commanding, have your wife and daughter command the dogs to do tricks before feeding or being let through the door, or even film them with the dog so they can see how they interact and maybe identify why they are being dominated rather than dominant!

And remember, like the title of the article says, "this too shall pass"!

(Ps- I have seen hundreds of neutered dogs and females who hump -- the lack of testes has nothing to do with the behaviour!)


----------



## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Rbka said:


> Your dog is a teenager! Do you remember how raging hormones and rebelliousness clouded your life at 14 years old? Hmmm!
> I had this article posted on my fridge for my husband's and my sanity from the time when Nico was 11 months til about 14 months: http://www.trader.co.nz/versatiledogs/articles/awkward.htm
> 
> Go back to obedience training classes all together and all practice commanding, have your wife and daughter command the dogs to do tricks before feeding or being let through the door, or even film them with the dog so they can see how they interact and maybe identify why they are being dominated rather than dominant!
> ...


This^. Really well said.

Puberty. Vizslas have very good noses, and your human females have good smells, he's doing what comes naturally. Have them feed him and walk him and interact with him in ways that demonstrate that they're more than just girls with good smells.

Neutering is something I wouldn't consider..ever....but especially for behavioral issues, b/c once they "learn" something, you have to re train them regardless of any medical intervention, they remember their response, even in the absence of hormones.


----------

