Help required with 11month Patterdale.

[cambridge 0]

I have just bought a new patterdale terrier, he is 11months old from working lines and is a cracking dog. I have kept and worked patterdales before but have always stuck to Bitches. In my kennels I currently have one black lab bitch and one alsation bitch. now the alsation is not such a problem as she has been speyed and is kenneled separately, the problem comes in with the young black lab and the pat. I have not had her speyed as it is my intention to breed from her this summer, and introducing a male into the equation has not created too much of a problem for her, but my concerns are that when she comes into season there will be trouble. The simplest thing to do is to have him castraighted which brings me on to my big question...Is that going to stop him from reaching his true potential as a working dog. I have asked a number of friends who keep patterdales and the general consensis it that having him "snipped" will completely put him off the job and he will not want to hunt a thing. Does anyone know of any different?? your help will be gladly appreciated!

[Guest ripstop]

I have just bought a new patterdale terrier, he is 11months old from working lines and is a cracking dog. I have kept and worked patterdales before but have always stuck to Bitches. In my kennels I currently have one black lab bitch and one alsation bitch. now the alsation is not such a problem as she has been speyed and is kenneled separately, the problem comes in with the young black lab and the pat. I have not had her speyed as it is my intention to breed from her this summer, and introducing a male into the equation has not created too much of a problem for her, but my concerns are that when she comes into season there will be trouble. The simplest thing to do is to have him castraighted which brings me on to my big question...Is that going to stop him from reaching his true potential as a working dog. I have asked a number of friends who keep patterdales and the general consensis it that having him "snipped" will completely put him off the job and he will not want to hunt a thing. Does anyone know of any different?? your help will be gladly appreciated!

COULDNT YOU JUST KEEP THE LAB AND PATT APART WHEN THE LAB BREAKS DOWN, AND RIGHT THE WAY THROUGH HER SEASON, I PERSONALLY WOULDNT TOUCH THE TERRIER, AS HE MIGHT BE A GOOD WORKER, AND IF HE IS FROM GOOD WORKING LINES AND YOU WANTED TO KEEP THEM LINES GOING, IF IT EVER GOT TO THE STAGE OF CONTINUEING THE FAMILY, AND YOU HAD GOT THE DOG CUT, THEN IT COULD BE A WASTE,

[lurchergrrl 1,441]

That's a load of bullocks Why do people think castration changes anything? Wait till close to your bitch's season so he's a bit older, then have him done. It won't change his hunting drive one bloody bit, anyone who says differently has old fasioned attitudes imho.

[cambridge 0]

Thankyou both for your comments. this is the sort of feed back i am getting a lot of. there is a mix of ideas as to whether or not chopping him will make any difference. i personally have not seen the result of a working terrier which has been castraighted so I am still unable to pass too much comment. Kenneling them separately is not such an easy option as I still have the need to excersize them together and the two just seem to want to fight when out together. in the kennel there is not such a problem as the terrier sleeps in a large cage.

[Andrea 2]

i have never heard of a castrated male being put of hunting, in fact i hear the opposite, a male is less likely to wonder if he’s castrated and stick to the job in hand, because he’s not put off by females, However i have heard that if they are castrated before they properly mature, they may retain some puppy like behaviour.

[Scallywag 78]

I have to say I think it's a shame to mutilate your dog for the sake of a couple of weeks inconvenience. If you castrate him too early you may inhibit his development but at any age, why do it just to make life easy for what's only a very brief time. I agree that castrated dogs can still make good workers/hunters but why do that to a dog if you don't have to? You might want to look at this link, too.

 

http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/index...showtopic=34971

 

 

Just read your post about this in the earth dogs section - want to get you story straight?

[donnyc 1,203]

Cambridge if someone cut your balls off will it affect your feelings towards your missus??? .Get rid of it and get a bitch if it worries you.Castrating it is probably too late anyway as its in the dogs head now

Edited February 1, 2008 by donnyc

[pad 0]

That's a load of bullocks Why do people think castration changes anything? Wait till close to your bitch's season so he's a bit older, then have him done. It won't change his hunting drive one bloody bit, anyone who says differently has old fasioned attitudes imho.

what have u been smoking mate oviosly it changes them the dont produce testostorone just look at a stallion and a gelding they dont geld them for nothing it quiets them down and loose alot of muscel

[skycat 6,174]

We keep dogs and bitches, and yes its a pain when the bitches are in season, but both our male terrier and lurchers just have to put up with it! Even the terrier gets used to the smell of in season bitches around him, though obviously he is separated from them. I can take him out working with them right up until they are ready to stand and he won't take any notice of them: once they're standing he's obviously kept away from them.

In the wild, male subordinate canids (wolves etc) learn to put up with life as it is because the only male who gets to mate is the pack leader; the others wouldn't dare, or they're kicked out of the pack or dealt with severely by the leader of they try anything on.

 

Keep a tight ship and be the boss and you shouldn't have a problem. A lot of people who have problems with their male dogs often have these problems because the dog doesn't know its place in the pack.

[nelson 0]

You've bought in an 11 month old dog and now think you'll have his b*llocks off

 

 

Don't you think that you should have thought about all this before you got him

[Guest pip]

That's a load of bullocks Why do people think castration changes anything? Wait till close to your bitch's season so he's a bit older, then have him done. It won't change his hunting drive one bloody bit, anyone who says differently has old fasioned attitudes imho.

Obviousely someone not concerned with the future of working lines.Ripstops right you might be glad of him if he turns out the right dog.

[dogga 1]

i have a red patterdale bitch who i had to have spayed when she was about 13 monthes old as she was having problems .although there is probably a lot of people who will disagree and have got good working dogs/bitches who have been 'done' it definately took some of the fire from my bitch.she was mad keen marking rat holes and worked hard when me moved up a level but since her op she seems to have lost drive and determination.she still does work fox well but she can be inconsistent at times.this all may be totally coincidental and she may have turned out like that anyway who knows but it gives you somat to think about when deciding whether or not to have it done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dev 227]

sell the dog to someone who will work him and use him properly,dont snip him!!! if your serious about owning a working terrier then you would be willing to put up with the hassle of keeping them apart when in season,if not, then think again mate!! go do something else!!! or buy a bitch