I know this is off-topic, but I need some advice badly. Over the past 3 weeks, my Jack Russell has been regularly attacking my Cavalier King Charles. Without warning and without even being provoked, he has suddenly taken to grabbing the Cavalier by the throat and shaking him violently, snarling aggressively in the process. I am then forced to separate the dogs, and although the Jack Russell never tries to attack me, he does continue to snarl when I'm dragging him outside. This has only become a problem in the past 3 weeks, and it's scaring me as I'm 37-weeks-pregnant, and I really don't need this ~~. I'm taking him to see the vet this evening to eliminate the possibility that he might be ill or in pain as I know that this can cause aggression in dogs, but I know his vet is going to suggest neutering him. But that bothers me as he doesn't roam, he doesn't try to escape, he doesn't even try to mount other dogs, he's very submissive with humans, and well behaved, hes even won obedience compet*itions with me, and allows our cats to rub up against him, and in other cir%%stances he allows my second dog to cuddle up beside him. Hes also very protective of our house, and will alert us to strangers and protect us from other dogs on walks. Last year he attacked a dog which was going to attack me. I feel quite safe with him. When my beloved late dog Bono was ill, he wouldn't allow strangers to touch him, and he'd growl at other dogs who tried to sniff Bono on walks. He adored Bono, and they were great friends. I'd just hate it if I had to neuter him, and I'm worried it won't make a difference to his aggression towards the other dog, and if anything just make him listless, and take away his personality and zest for life, maybe even make him put on weight. I know what vets are like - they'll bleed you for every penny you've got. Does anyone else have any advice for me? Have any of you got neutered dogs? Does it help?

Hi Gillian, Sorry to hear that your Jack Russlel is being so aggressive. It is so hard to determine why he's behaving that way because there is so many possibilities as to why. I think the only way your going to find out why he's having this problem is through the process of elimination. Your definitely starting in the right direction by having him checked by the vet to see if he's ill or in pain. I never had my dog neutered and he to was a very docile dog but if any other male dogs came around he would get aggressive towards them. You know how dogs are they have to show each other who the dominate one is. You stated how protective he was of Bono. I read a post on this site that someone else had this problem. ( Sorry I forget which post it was.)Their other dog became more aggressive because the dog that passed away kept the other dog in line. They also stated that the dog had fear aggression and they felt as if their deceased dog made the aggresive dog feel safe. Maybe your Jack has fear aggression, or he's missing Bono, or trying to establish a pecking order with your other dog. Like I said and I'm sure that you already know there can be so many reasons why. Good luck and keep us posted. I pray that your Jack is not ill and that you can correct his behavioral problem. Take care k9pal

Hi Gillian,

I understand how you feel about "altering" your friend. I don't think you mentioned in your post whether you had plans of breeding him, did you? I know what you mean about good/bad assertiveness also and agree that the dogs may still be establishing a new pack order.

On one hand, I feel like I don't want to choose how another creature will experience his or her life. Neutering changes them in a number of ways, not always for the better but not always for the worst.

My pets are all neutered. All of them are kept indoors but they do go outside with me, leashed or otherwise contained. One of my cats had a litter of kittens prior to neutering (though not on my watch).

For me it comes down to a cost/benefit &%^ysis. My female cats seemed miserable when in heat. I think my male cat would be even more bossy and assertive but he's still just bossy and assertive enough and I've dealt with rescue dogs for the last twelve (?) years or so and neutering is always a condition of adoption.

If it's any help, last summer I adopted an approximately eighteen month old recently neutered dog. He is still all boy - protective, energetic and assertive yet very loving. He's a real guy's guy. He weighs about seventy two pounds but looks lean and fit. We exercise daily but not even as much as we should. I think the "fat" issue can be maintained through diet and exercise.

Best to you, I know you're decision will be the right one for your family
Sharon

Since your dog is SO protective, and you're about to 'whelp,' I can't help but wonder if he's asserting his territorial dominance, telling the other dog that you're (excuse me, in dog parlance) HIS b*tch. I don't know much about dog psychology -- do male dogs have a paternal role in the welfare of the mama dog or the puppies? Certainly he knows you're pregnant, and since he's watched the slowing of your gait, the greater care in your balance, and drop in your energy, he knows you're becoming a more vulnerable member of the pack. Based on what I've been seeing on the show Dog Whisperer (National Geographic Channel, great show), the key lies in you clarifying with him that YOU'RE the leader of the pack, not him. Pregnant or not, you boss mama. If you have NGC, watching Cesar Milan is so refreshing, he's such an excellent behaviorist. Best of luck. ~Kimberly

First of all, thank you for your replies. They are all interesting, especially the one concerning my condition. I didn't realise that my dog would know I was pregnant ... He's certainly very protective of me these days, follows me about, lays down on my feet, and if I'm honest, this behaviour has been on the increase lately. I took him to the vet yesterday, and I'm glad to say he's 100% healthy, so she suggested neutering him. I agreed and he was booked in for today. But late last night, I became agitated about it, felt as though I'd been rushed into it, and I changed my mind, and cancelled the neutering.

So I contacted the vet again, and asked if she could give him the hormone suppresser injection Bono had once been given. (Bono was never neutered) just to see if neutering would help, without going to extreme lengths as surgery. So he's booked in tomorrow for this injection, and I feel much better about it. It lasts about a month ...

My fiancé told me I was humanising him too much, and to remind myself that he's just a dog, and doesn't think like we do. Am I humanising him too much? I just adore the little guy, and I felt so sorry for him yesterday; he was so afraid at the vets, and cuddled in against me. Hes an otherwise submissive dog, and I feel as though in neutering him, I'd be punishing him rather than trying to correct the problem ... ?

It's hard not to humanize them -- believe me, I know, I have a silky terrier who's absolutely my baby and I always try to be considerate of my little sweetie's feelings -- but he probably wouldn't see this as a punishment, any more than he would see any vet visit as a punishment. Yet, they're necessary, for the pet's well-being. And I, too, think it's interesting that this has been pretty recent as you've been getting more and more pregnant. Has the Jack Russell been with you longer than the Cavalier? He might indeed be feeling a heightened protectiveness as he senses your 'time' approaching.

I know there are arguments for and against neutering, but just to throw in my reply -- I work with someone whose dog was neutered a few months ago, and the only one who had a problem with it was her husband. Let's just say, he sympathized with Kody very very closely (poor little guy -- the husband, not the dog!). Kody is still an extremely active and happy dog, so it did him no harm at all.

Good luck, with whatever you decide. (I'm glad he's healthy, at any rate!!)

-- Michelle K. (Lucy & Josie's mom)

Oh, and Gillian -- I love the picture of the Cavalier by your info. What a sweet, sweet face that breed has!!

-- Michelle K.

Hi Lucy1Josie2,

Yeah my Jack Russell has been with me longer than the Cavalier. He was my late dog Bono's companion (Bono's the gorgeous little Cavalier in the picture you see) and when Bono passed away, we got Nieko (another Cavalier) as a new companion for the Jack Russell, and everything was going so well between them for almost a year (I can't believe it's nearly a year since I lost Bono ... ) but only recently has he been attacking the Cavalier. I'll neuter him if I have to. But I'm giving him one more chance. He deserves one more chance ...

Thanks on the compliment on my lovely Bono. He was precious, and sorely missed, especially now. He kept the Jack Russell in check. Bono was the dominant of the two, but he'd give the Jack warnings, rather than actually attacking him. He was older and wiser, and gave me no bother. ...

I know you are a vet tech, so I'm sure I don't have to tell you that not neutering pets that are not being bred puts them at risk for serious health problems, prostate-cancer , pyometra in females, etc. While you are making up your mind try, dog appeasing pheromone...it comes in plug-infusers and aerosols from the pet store. It is the pheromone released by lactating bitches that calms the pups, increases their sense of well-being etc. I have had fairly good luck using it to take the edge off some latent aggression between my two females who were not raised together.


Best wishes for your new baby and your pups.

Mack's mom,
Dayna

Hi Gillian,

I had a chuckle at the comment about the husband having an "issue" with the neutering. It's funny, on more than one occasion I've heard "it's not the kind of thing a guy wants to do to another guy" from a man, of course!

I have often been accused of anthropomorphizing (humanizing) my animals but for me, it is just how it is. Since they can't speak to me in concrete, empirical ways, I need to go on instinct. My instinct is that they know/understand/react in a way that we simply don't have a clear handle on.

Someone mentioned that you are a vet tech. Do you have reasons/knowledge about detrimental aspects of the neutering process?

As far as I'm concerned, there are some men who should be neutered and others who don't require it. Same with dogs. I'll be interested to see how the treatment works and wish you all the best.

Sharon

(oh, and dogs definitely "get it" when we're pregnant. When i was pregnant with my daugther, my dog was velcroed to my hip. after she was born, he took up duty under or near her crib and took his job very seriously. he wasn't aggressive, just very watchful and present, if you know what I mean)

No I don't have any issues with neutering ... It's certainly not detrimental to their health.

But a dog is run by his hormones. They mark territory, guard property, serve as a member of a pack, whether that be human or dog pack, and this is all down to his hormones. It's not just a need to mate as we wrongly assume, or a need to breed. A dog does not have an inherent NEED to breed as breeding is a privilege for a dog. We should remember that even in the wild, lower ranking males and females do not breed; that is the role of the alpha male and female. And dogs can be very content in this. As long as the lower ranking members are kept in check and reminded who is boss, then there should not be an issue, and in my opinion no need to castrate.

None of my dogs were ever castrated, (I only keep males) It never did them any harm, and I've had happy dogs all my life ... In my opinion if there isn't a problem, then why try to fix it? This customary 'must neuter my dog as soon as he reaches 6 months' is madness in my opinion, unless you allow your dog to roam; I don't. With cats, it's obviously a different story.

I always told myself if my dogs gave me a reason to neuter them I would, and up until recently my Jack Russell hasn't; I now get the feeling the aggression towards the other dog may only be temporary. Indeed, there has only been 2 occasions whereby he actually viciously attacked the Cavalier, and surely this is normal canine behaviour. He's merely trying to establish a pecking order between himself and the coming of age younger dog. The Cavalier has now learned to be submissive of the Jack Russell, and only last night they were cuddling together.

I'm keeping an eye on the situation, but I'm unwilling to put my dog through unneccessary surgery for simply behaving like a normal canine. Do we cut off the testicles of men when they get a bit aggressive? Do we cut off the testicles of men just in case they get postrate cancer? No we do not. So why do it to our dogs? We expect dogs to abide by our rules and regulations certainly; however we must remind ourselves that these are dogs with instincts and establishing pecking order is a crucial part of maintaining a healthy pack, without the need to put any of them through surgery.

I'm not criticising anyone who neuters their dogs; I actually can see why people neuter females, as this is a bigger issue what with having to put up with the dog going on heat, and male dogs hanging around. You don't get that problem with male dogs if they are kept in check. A dog will only try to escape and mate if he believes he's the alpha male of the pack he belongs to. I've seen my Cavalier King Charles (Bono) ignore many females dogs and stick by my side even off the lead ... and this is a dog who was never castrated.

It's up to the owner. I never criticise an owner for the decisions they make regarding the issue, and sometimes it is better to see dogs castrated if their owners aren't responsible enough to keep them in check, or indeed to keep them from roaming. I like to think I am.

1st
This is exactly the sort of behaviour that is at issue, your dogs ha ve a dominance interaction going on...probably precipitated by your pregnancy.
2nd:
The changes in the dogs brain that regulate these behaviours take place in response to the presence of testosterone in utero.

So I guess its good news and bad news---I doubt if castrating yiur dog is going to prove s panacea for you dogs behavioral problems, and since you would prefer not to do that anyway...good news.

Bad news is this is a more complex pack issue that has no simple solutions. My experience has been that if I could find the courage to keep from interfering the dogs worked things .out between themselves . In fact I know there were times when my interference got my small dog hurt.

I also thought i'd mention that I have neve seen a fat or lethargic jack, eveyone I have ever known has been perpetual motion.

Bono's sweet picture never fails to make me smile

Dayna