Fixing a male

[Hounder-]

Hey all,

I have a younger male (2.5 yrs now) who has shown some promise, he's no ace but has some good potential, cold tracker and tree dog etc.

However, he has started a couple fights over the winter which I just don't tolerate. One was over a dead carcass, which I know isn't too uncommon, but one was at a caught coyote before I got in there and that is a no go with me.


Since I don't really want to give him up since he is doing decent(will however if I can't fix the problem), I was thinking of getting him fixed? Any experience with that mellowing out hound males? He isn't THAT dominate of a male, just seems to be getting a little more aggressive with age. Will it totally take his drive to go etc.?

He is a red-bone colored thing, but not pure breed by any means.

Thanks

[Rick Anderson]

Not trying to be a hard ass, but at that age, and he is just showing potential, I would just move on. Put the money you would use to fix him towards another prospect. If you were going to fix him yourself, and not hunt him for a few months, that sometimes works. Again, no gaurantee, it would have to be an exceptional dog for me to go through the time and trouble. You never will be able to trust him anyway. Just my opinion, a lot of guys like to take on lost causes. There are to many good dogs out there to waste time on one with a serious fault. Again, you're feeding him, you're decision.
Rick

[TomJr]

You may not notice that much differance after having him nutered, sounds like its a prey drive thats driving the aggresion rather than mating drive. I have never seen a differance with hunting drive after, if thats your worry. But don't expect it to fix the aggresion without some reeducation and work on your part.

You should nip that in the bud as soon as you see it and can work in it at home with meat-scraps ect. Set him up with another dog, feed them together with highly desired food and make sure he gets to where he can sit there and watch another dog eat if he has finished his already.

Some exersizes you can do: Set food down for him and don't let him start eating for several mins 10-15. Another give him a meaty bone and let him chew abit, then take it away and give it to another dog. If he tries to take the bone away from the other dog you give him a correction(correct him if he even glaces aggresivly in the other dogs direction). Another is tossing little meat scraps to each dog, if any dog shows aggresion they are done for that time make him sit off to the side and watch while the others get the scraps. Its still not too late to turn a dog around at that age, but its going to be more work than it would have been if you had been on him at the start of it.

Even after you get to where you think he is safe it could still happen out in the field but hopfully you can be right there to stop him before it escalates.

[Lynxhunter]

I agree guys!
A friend of mine had a spitz dog that was insane. Acted like a g.. d... wolf. He called the vet and asked him if neutering him would fix it, but the vet replied that he couldnt say eather way. - The dog might get better, worse or no change at all.
When I found out about this I told him to show that climber where hes place in the ladder was. Dogs in pens will have a hierarky, even if they are chained up they will find/fight their place when they are together.
My advise is: Show your hound who's boss. Dont tolerate any kind of shit from anyone and make him/them understand that unwanted behavior will be the last thing the'll ever do.
- Remeber is not a bad thing to let the one acting out see when you are working with your other hounds.

Hans

[fallriverwalker1]

:i have had two males nutered not for fighting had other prolbems. this caused other prolbems evedently it changes the smell because it caused males to ride them.

[Hounder-]

Thanks for the tips guys.....

To explain a little bit better; he has gone through a fair amount of "education" whether it be at carcasses or at the case with the caught coyote. My experience with "educating" for fighting generally doesn't work. It almost seems to me the dog blames the dog he fought with or something, seems to make 'em meaner. Also, its been as nipped in the bud as I can get it, he just started really tuning in this winter for some reason. Like something clicked with 'em....

I do like the ideas you had TomJr, thanks for those....

I'm basically at the neutered part because I hit a wall with the hard education part.

Thanks again and ya Rick soon the next step is to move on, but its a little more than potential hes done some good stuff for me, but like I said its looking like not enough!

[Lynxhunter]

Hey man, I'm probaly gettin cocky here, guess its the 'shine kicking in, but in my opinion your red hound believes hes second in line and then its his duty to do the work you dont do.
Put him at the bottom of the ladder! Do as Tom says, let him be the last to eat, after all your other hounds. Let him be the last to greet you when you approach the pen and so forth. Its not enough to put a seize 12 in his rear end at a kill...
Enyone can go to their closet and pick out the .22 and end his days, if you belive in this hound, you'll have to do the work.
I once had a western siberian laika at a trial out. She had two wolverines under her belt and did not bend to anyone....., but she finaly had to eat gruble for me. It was not a pretty sight while it lasted, but she had some amazing runs for me after all that work!
Keep your spirits up!

Hans

[Hounder-]

Thanks Hans, nothing too cocky at all there, just good ol' advice!

Thats the reason I'm on the forums and asking for advice at the moment, I generally don't give up too easy on a dog, I take pride in making a decent pack without doing a whole ton of culling.....

I'll try giving him the hardcore boss treatment, sounds like a good plan to me. I'm pretty new to this mean streak so all this stuff is good info.....

Spirits are always up when I'm doing anything hound related:D

[TomJr]

Well neutering should not take the "hunt" out of him but most times it also will not fix agression either. Can't hurt unless you plan to breed him down the line. Sounds like you are on top of it and willing to put in the time. Everytime he starts a fight or even growls/or acts aggresivly towards another dog, grab him and pin him down on his back until he relaxes and lays there without you having to hold him. Do this in front of the other dogs but don't let them come over and do any biteing, sniffing is ok and a good thing though.

I have delt with some aggresive dogs in the past, worst one was a big 120 lb blacklab mix. My mom caught him as a stray (about a year old) while I was away at colledge. I would come home to visit 1 or 2 times a month and could see that he was starting to become aggresive towards the three older dogs we had at the time, my mom had him neutered, didn't change a thing. But with me away all the time and my mom not able or willing to disapline him properly it escalated so when summer rolled around I had my work cut out for me. He had grown to 120lbs and was lean and fast. Took me all summer to get him back under control but it did take and he would lay in a dog pile with the others on colder nights. Never had an issue at the trees after that summer.

It was a good thing too because he showed me several times how fast he could kill, on Javalina, he would just grab them on thier backs and pick them up and shake, pulling the section of spine that he had ahold of right out.

[Ankle Express]

This would be a long story if completely told but I'll keep it short! I got a dog 2 1/2. Had to be fixed after my Maine trip. Not sure how it happened but for medical reasons the dog had to be cut. He got a hernea (anguinal) tangled w/ a testicle lead. Dog did well and suits me and was raised at my place so I had it fixed assuming the neutering would maybe even help his hunting. However any and every male he has come in contact with goes absolutely crazy over his new smell. Must be stout. They pay him more attention than most females even after being right out of heat. They can't move on. They just try to ride him. His nature won't fend them off either. He just try's to stay away. I have hunted and owned neutered dogs before but they were that way when I got them. No problems with them. This one appears to be ruint. Been five monthes now and no change. Catches his own coon and sometimes bear. Sucks. Anybody explain that one?

Not trying to hijack your thread buddy just contribute.