# Do all V's change when they hit 2?????????????



## scooby (Mar 23, 2009)

Scooby turned 2 in December and when he's out he's like a different dog, still VERY friendly but he was always close by, never a roamer ( a true Velcro dog)& he would come back 99.5% of the time, now he's off on the scent of everything and is often just spotted in the distance changing direction at full speed (he's come back with cuts on his ear £65 vet bill, grazes on his chest and belly from who knows what) and if he smells a bitch its like he's regressed to 6month old again! recall what recall 
Its so hard to be cross with him cause when he's playing with the bitches he's so funny with the splayed legs and daft whimper, I think he's caught the 'love bug' ;D
has anyone else had similar experiences or is it just my testosterone filled softy!


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## Shed (Jan 31, 2011)

This is like reading about our Vizsla Diesel but he's just turning 18 months! We've been gundog training him since he was 9 months and progressing VERY slowly, he's too intelligent for his own good and always trying to get one over on us  He's off to the vet next Monday to be castrated, not sure it will help much(always told training was the only answer!! : But we love him to pieces and no matter how frustrated we feel sometimes we won't give up ;D


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

Let us know if it makes a difference in his attitude. Thanks!


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## doglover (Aug 4, 2009)

I too am dying to know if it makes a difference. Clyse is 19 months old and my husband and I still go back and forth on whether or not he should stay intact. Can't wait for an update!


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## Mercutio (Jan 18, 2010)

Hi guys, I started having trouble with Merc when he was 18 months to 2 years even though he was neutered at 6 months. Although by 18 months he was great at home and had started to settle down, he started reacting to things when we were out - cyclists, jobbers, children up trees were all things he barked at and acted aggressively towards. I've posted about it a lot before and that was actually when I found this forum. Anyway, when I started going to a private trainer she said he was reaching social maturity and working out his place in the world and what things he liked, what tgns he was afraid of etc etc. It's a different stage to sexual maturity which happens earlier. I said I thought that this stage was around 12 - 18 months but she said with vizslas and other gun dogs it was often somewhere around 2-3 years.

So to cut the story short, I had to work a lot on his training and more than that on making him realize that I was the most important and most fun thing in the world. And yes this was all done with positive reinforcement methods. For example he wasn't fed out of a bowl for about 6 months, it was either treat balls or by hand - he had to do something for his food (one of the advantages of treat training, his dinner is doled out during training and walking sessions). 

The good news is another 18 months on and he is so much improved. There are a few things I will never trust him with, but I don't have to cross the road if i see a jogger coming towards me anymore. Except the odd day when it's really windy and he is up on his toes and I'm tired.... So hang in there scooby, keep going with the training and everything and i reckon (with all my experience of one V ) that you will get your fabulous Velcro back.

On a side note, the vet told us that if you neutered an adult dog, I'm not sure what she meant by adult, then some of the problem behaviours would have become habit and neutering wouldn't solve the problem. Like a dog that started roaming in search of bitches would continue to roam because it's what he has always done even though you have taken away the hormonal reason for doing so.


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## sarahaf (Aug 17, 2009)

As a side note, one thing I vaguely remember from psychobiology is that when the brain gets exposed to testosterone during critical periods in development, even if the testosterone supply gets cut off later (please forgive the insensitive pun), the adult behavior can be more similar to that of an intact male than a neutered one. I think that's why vets say don't wait if you want the surgery for its behavioral effects.

But at any rate, I sure hope maturation does something. We haven't been as rigorous with Rosie's training as Mercutio, and we're paying for that--she's still kind of a handful.


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## Mercutio (Jan 18, 2010)

Hey sarahaf, I hope it didn't sound like Merc is a little angel these days, he still has his moments! And I really think part of the reason he is better is age although the training has helped.


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