Castration
Castration: What to Consider
If you are considering castrating your male dog, there are several things you should take into account in order to avoid unnecessary side effects and challenges. When a male dog is castrated, there are often noticeable changes in the dog. These can include:
- Changes in the coat. In particular, some breeds will have their coat damaged because the undercoat will grow wildly. This is seen in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
- Changes in the dog's character: Insecurity, anxiety, fixation on maturity, metabolism
- Nervousness and aggression
- Increased appetite
- Male dogs change their scent after castration, which makes other dogs more curious as they smell like a female dog in heat. This can cause challenges when it comes to socializing. No dog likes it when another dog smells different for a long time. The tolerance threshold is thus shortened for the dog that is no longer intact.
We believe that castration only affects the drive of female dogs in heat, as the male dog will eventually lose interest after castration. In this context, it also helps with the dog's markings - urine marking - as the testosterone disappears. With training, the dog's need for marking can be trained away from the start, so male dogs do not increase their testosterone by constantly marking. You can actually tone down the hormonal drives so that your male dog becomes a good, polite family dog.
If your dog is going to be castrated, it is extremely important that it is fully developed. Small breeds should be at least 2 1/2 years old before castration, while large breeds should be at least 3-4 years old. This can help reduce the side effects described, but not avoid them altogether. With our training, you can avoid a large, strong hormonal bomb that is only controlled by its genetic drives, which are present in all male dogs. We recommend training and a good amount of patience instead of castration. Think twice about whether it is worth performing a "violent" procedure that can have an impact on your dog's well-being in the future.