Neutering, and prong collars

[tz1]

Hi all,

I have a 6 month old Akita who is 75 pounds and is going to get a lot bigger. He is my best buddy...a real joy to be around. The only thing is he has a problem with biting once in awhile, and today I was having a real tough time with him. I was wiping off his paws, because we had been in the muddy grass, and he started biting me. I tried telling him, "NO BITE!", and physically shutting his mouth, but he just kept biting and would not listen to me at all. Now I'm no weakling, but this dog is pretty persistent when he wants to be, and those teeth hurt like hell.

So later on, I was talking to a friend who has an 8 month old pitbull, and he told me to meet him at Petco. Long story short...he told me that my choke chain would not cut it (it wasn't), and that I should invest in a prong collar.

I used the prong collar a bit today, and I have to say that it is an amazing device...My dog FINALLY is completely attentive to what I tell him, and is being much more cooperative. Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are about prong collars and choke chains...from what I just experienced, prong collars are the only way to go for a large, dominant dog.

And my other question is whether I should get my dog neutered or not. I would rather not have him neutered, but I have heard that it would be healthier for him, eliminating the chance for testicular cancer.

[AllAmericanPUP]

Definately get him neutered!!
http://www.pawsperouspets.com/tips/spayneuter.shtml

Prong collars are a great training collar when used correctly. I HATE choke collars, they are the worst thing ever invented! Dogs trachea can be severely damaged by a chocke collar even when "used correctly".

[sammy101]

YES,get him neautered. He will be a healthier dog. If you have no plans on showing him, get him neautered please!We dont need any more unwanted pets in shelters.
The prong collar is wonderful! :)
Welcome to PT! :)

[CagneyDog]

Yes, Please get him neutered. :)

Prong collars are great if used properly. I'm glad it is working for you.

Oh, and welcome to PT. Do you have any pictures of your boy?

[Jessika]

PLEASE get him neutered!! It will make both of your lives SO much easier and he won't want to roam as much if there is a nearby female in heat!!

Also please remember that prong and choke collars are to be used for training purposes ONLY and are NOT to be substituted for an everyday normal-wear collar! :)

[tz1]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. :) I have no pictures that are on my computer, except one, when he was around 6 weeks old.

I have a couple concerns about getting Zero neutered. Hope this doesn't sound too silly... Will his energy levels decrease? Will he get fat? Will he be timid and afraid of strangers instead of the confident, attentive, and protective? Will it really decrease the chance of testicular cancer? (I heard from a dog trainer that this was not true)

Basically, I'm afraid that he won't be the same dog after the surgery.

[AllAmericanPUP]

Neutering will not change his personality at all.
All of that stuff are myths.
http://www.snapus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Myths

all 7 of my dogs were/are the same dog they were before they got fixed :)

and yes it WILL greatly reduce the risk of testicular cancer

[finn's mom]

It's for the dog's health that he should be neutered. There are no questions about it. And, as for the prong collar, it should be used as a training device, and, if used properly and in conjuction with persistent, consistent training, will help your dog be more obedient and possibly less dominant. It is a training device, though, and, I don't think it should be used for the entire life of the dog. A lot of people seem to use it because they haven't trained their dog, and, the dog is walked with a prong collar for life. I think that defeats the purpose of the collar to begin with. With such a large dog, I would look into one on one training with a professional as well as using a prong collar for training.

[Vette]

Ive heard many great things about prong collars. i think people steer away from prong collars and wont use them because they look like something out of a med evil torucher chamer.

if you want to do a test to see which collar is more conforable for your dog.. try putting each collar on your upper arms(use one arm for one collar,, and your other arm for the other collar) and give it a jerk. see which one you like better. :D

[Pam]

I vote yes for both the neutering and the prong collar. Our instructor at obedience school was in favor of them for very large dogs that were hard to control. Although they do look like torture devices they pinch rather than choke. I saw some wonderful transformations in dogs at class before and after the prong and it didn't take long at all.

My Ripley had all of his *equipment* when I adopted him. I have no idea how old he was/is so don't know how much he used *it* before I got him. :o Long story short, there was absolutely no change in his personality and his little body is as svelte as always - no added weight.

[pitc9]

As far as when you should have him neutered, at 6 months of age.. so... NOW! ;) :D When I rescued my male GSD, he was a year old and living in the woods. I had him neutered PRAYING that it was going to change him by calming him down and it didn't. :(
As far as weight, I've had him for 3 years and he's still underweight a little!
WELCOME to PT! I hope we get to see more pictures of you fur ball!
I can't wait to see him!!
Another member on the board her has an Akita, her name is Katie (the dog's name is Katie ;) )

[areias]

Welcome! I have two Akita mixes. :) Both mine are neutered...and they're just as great as they can be.
Here's a thread from a couple weeks ago on prong collars.
http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=92164

[.sarah]

Neutering is a very good idea if you aren't going to show him in conformation. It has many health benefits and it won't change your dog's temperment at all! I hear people saying the earlier the better but the more and more I research I see that large dogs should be altered around 18-24 months because this is when they finish growing. If you are going to wait that long make sure he is with you at all times, you don't need any children from him!

Prong collars are wonderful if they are used correctly. Not sure what you are doing when he bites but you should be doing a quick jerk on the leash and say "NO" in a firm voice.

[tz1]

Thanks for all of the helpful info. I think I will probably get him neutered now. He only bites when he gets extremely excited/ riled up, but he hasn't nibbled since I've put the prong collar on. It's really amazing the difference of control I have in him + it seems to hurt him less. :D

[wolfsoul]

Welcome! :) I agree with everyone else. :) Neutering is a great way to keep your dog healthy and happy. Akitas are definatly a breed that benefits from neutering, because it will discourage them to run away, it cuts hormones therefore helping to control dominance issues, it causes the dog to think with his head (and not other places ;) ) therefore it's easier for him to make decisions when he's protecting your territory (will bark and warn strangers rather than attack everything and anything that wanders on to the property). It just makes a dog more pleasant in general. Just remember, the only thing that makes a dog fat and lazy is too much food and lack of exercise! A neutered dog won't bug you to go for walks as much, so owners sometimes make the mistake of cutting down on walks. Neutered dogs also need less calories than an unneutered dog, so make sure to give less food.

I use a prong collar on my Belgian, it works great. I only use it as a training tool and will continue to use it until she is better at heeling and not going into drive when another dog is running offleash. The prong has helped her improve IMMENSELY. She is always careful how she walks because she doesn't want to get pinched (whereas she never cared about being choked on the choke chain) and she is always careful to act calm when other dogs are running offleash or she will be corrected.

Welcome again, hope you like it here. :)

[Suki Wingy]

Niño is a very strong, dominant dog and I can't walk out of the house w/o the prong, but it comes off as soon as we're in. As for me I say if you are not going to show your dog and he's old enough to have his ears cropped, he better be neutered!

[Glacier]

6 weeks old.

I have a couple concerns about getting Zero neutered. Hope this doesn't sound too silly... Will his energy levels decrease? Will he get fat? Will he be timid and afraid of strangers instead of the confident, attentive, and protective? Will it really decrease the chance of testicular cancer? (I heard from a dog trainer that this was not true)

Basically, I'm afraid that he won't be the same dog after the surgery.

Dogs get fat for the same reason people do--too much food, not enough exercise. His weight has nothing to do with getting neutered. If he gets enough exercise, he won't get fat. His temperment won't change, except he'll be less inclined to roam and fight with other male dogs. I've had dogs neutered at every age from six months to 6 years....never saw a change in their personalities.

Neutering elminates testicular cancer. Neutering removes the testes. You can't get cancer in what you don't have! It greatly reduces the chances of prostate problems.

[buttercup132]

when i got my girl spayed she packed on the pounds but i know most dont i think it may slow some dogs matabalisums down, but its nto from not getting enough exersice cuz she gose for a run in a like 90 acre feild every night for half a hour so i dont know but get your boy spayed i thought the prong collar was gonna kill my dog when my parents got it for my dog but i was only little i cried when they put it on him :rolleyes: :p we dont have it anymore but now i use a harness

[bckrazy]

:) Prong collars can be life-saving for some people and their dogs, when used correctly and with proper training. You NEED to get Zeus into Obedience as soon as possible, which is the top priority! Find a very good Obedience club in your area and they can even get you in touch with a great behaviorist to work on the biting issue. An Obedience instructor can safely show you how and when to use the prong collar, and help you to be able to wean him off of it and onto a flat collar with the same good results.

It sounds like there are some dominance problems going on, and neutering will help that a LOT! His personality won't be changed at all... neutering him is much safer and healthier for him, and he'll be much less distracted and easier to handle because he won't have raging hormones.

Zeus is very cute, btw! He sounds like the typical smart little Akita pup!

[tikeyas_mom]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. :) I have no pictures that are on my computer, except one, when he was around 6 weeks old.

I have a couple concerns about getting Zero neutered. Hope this doesn't sound too silly... Will his energy levels decrease? Will he get fat? Will he be timid and afraid of strangers instead of the confident, attentive, and protective? Will it really decrease the chance of testicular cancer? (I heard from a dog trainer that this was not true)

Basically, I'm afraid that he won't be the same dog after the surgery.

One of my close friends has an 11 year old akita mix, this dog has all the personality of an akita.. Akitas are super stubborn puppies/and dogs.. get him neutered asap, and I will guarantee that some of his behaviour problems will go away. As for the biting, when he bites you stand up, walk away, and ignore him.. teach him that he doesn't get to play with you if he bites.. when you are playing, and he doesnt bite you, reward like crazy.
as for the prong collar issue, I have used them for years and if used correctly (just like choke chains) they can be a wonderous tool for training puppies/dogs to heal.