Will neutering help with aggression??

[bunchoberrys]

Originally Posted by Freestep

The dog should definitely be neutered. It may help with the aggression or it may not; it depends on what is causing the aggression. My friend had an aggressive GSD, he had been extensively socialized and was friendly and confident as a pup, so it wasn't a fear issue. He was just a hot-headed, macho, dominant brat whose owner had been too lenient with early signs of aggression (and in fact encouraged it).

He was MUCH more managable after being neutered. It didn't help his dog-aggression much, but he was a lot more controllable and predictable, and didn't fly off the handle like he used to. I think neutering can take the edge off an aggressive dog and make him more amenable to training, but it isn't a magic bullet. You still need to see a good trainer or behaviorist to address the aggression issues.

If the aggression comes from fear or insecurity, neutering probably won't help, but such a dog should still be neutered.

The surgery should not be terribly traumatic for a young, healthy dog. It is a fairly simple procedure, much less invasive than a spay, and most dogs bounce right back after a couple of days. Remember that it takes around 6 weeks for the hormones to totally leave his system, so any behavioral effects won't be noticed right away.

Well Said !

[Twyla]

Altering a dog isn't always the best first tool to reach for in aggression cases, it may or may not help and in some cases it may increase the aggression.

Locate a good behaviorist to work with and determine what you are dealing with, then you will better know how to proceed. Also, even with the difficulty of him visiting the vet, has he had a good check up to make sure it isn't something physical going on?

Meanwhile, the Mind Games mentioned earlier, practice NILIF and protect your dog from himself by management.

[sparra]

Originally Posted by vom Eisenherz

Try training before removing his entire reproductive system and all the hormones that nature gave him.

Now THAT'S "dramatic".......

[martemchik]

It's really shocking that its both dogs and humans. If it was just dogs, and especially male intact dogs, I would say that if you neuter you will most likely get rid of that aggression. But the fact that he's aggressive towards humans also is what baffles me. DA and HA are not the same thing, and it is a clear sign of poor temperament/socialization. For some reason he now fears everything, or feels the need to take control of every situation because he believes that you aren't up to the task. I don't know enough to say whether or not you should neuter, but I have heard from many people that temperament doesn't change at all with neutering. I would try to find a trainer that can deal with this issue, or maybe bring to light what started all of this, its really hard to believe your dog just woke up one day and decided he was going to act this way.

[Draugr]

It sounds to me more like a case of bad nerves rather than true aggression. He's reacting out of fear. Get him to a dog trainer. It worked wonders for me and my dog. You can still have him neutered if you want to but I suspect it is mostly irrelevant to what is going on here.

[msvette2u]

Nobody has said "neuter only", we've all said neuter but also get him to training. This dog will require a multipronged approach, one in which neuter and it's benefits cannot be ignored, but which will also require the OP to step up her leadership skills and also a solid trainer on board.
The dog, at one year, is in the throes of a rush of testosterone and thinks he's Mr. Big Stuff. He's also probably gotten some nice responses to his menacing, and that's further created his issues, because any dog who snaps and makes people back off, that is reinforcing his behavior.
Get the hormones (yes God gave them to him but that's not necessarily a positive thing in all cases) out of the way and I'm betting you're going to see some improvement. It can hardly get worse.

[Draugr]

On the contrary quite a few people mentioned neuter him and nothing else =/.

It could very well help I suppose but I don't think it's the primary issue where fear-based aggression is coming into play. I would recommend it if appropriate if more direct attempts do not seem to be impacting the issue but not as a first option.

ETA: Er, nevermind, one person did. I should really read all of a two-page thread before replying =/. lol

[msvette2u]

Oh. Well I didn't. I agree training will help above all, but neutering will certainly make a positive difference, mainly because while the dog has shown fearfulness, he's also taken matters into his own paws and made his own solution.
I've seen this type behavior in (most recently) an intact Great Dane of about the same age.
He was fearful but had learned that snapping and a huge show of aggression would make people back off (which was his goal - get the scary things and people away from me!) but what happened is I had to get out my rabies pole/catch pole to deal with him. Once the pole was on his neck and I could control him, he calmed down and showed fear/avoidance.
I haven't seen females act this way, so - and this is my opinion of course, but based on a few past experiences, this dog and others that is, testosterone hitting at puberty makes them slightly more brave, or willing to get on that limb and actually nip/bite/show a big show of aggression.
I'm willing also to bet that if I had to handle the OPs dog as described above, or anyone for that matter, that he'd change his tune in a hurry and you'd see the fear more plainly.

Not that we want to make him fearful, that's the issue they'll need to address through training. The thing is, he's fearful already and this is his response to it (brought on, if you will, by adolescence/sexual maturity).

[martemchik]

I think the people that posted "just neuter" answered in a way that if the OP has two choices, the better one would be to neuter than to just leave it be (assuming no other training would be involved). I'm kind of in the same boat, but don't like to tell people straight out what they should do with their animals. If I were in the OP's shoes, I would be getting this dog neutered ASAP and then getting into classes.

[BowWowMeow]

Have you had his thyroid checked? Is he in any pain? Dogs don't normally suddenly become aggressive.