EFFECTS OF CASTRATION ON PROBLEM BEHAVIORS IN MALE DOGS WITH REFERENCE TO AGE AND DURATION OF BEHAVIOR

Objective-To determine whether 9 problem behaviors in adult male dogs were affected by castration and to examine the influence of age and du ration of problem behavior on behavioral effects of castration. Design -Cohort study. Animals-57 male dogs > 2 years old at the time of castr ation that had greater than or equal to 1 of the targeted problem beha viors. Procedure-Data were collected by telephone contact with owners to identify dogs that had greater than or equal to 1 problem behavior before castration and to estimate the improvement (ie, decrease) in th e objectionable behaviors after castration. Problem behaviors of inter est included urine marking in the house, mounting, roaming, fear of in animate stimuli, aggression toward human family members, aggression to ward unfamiliar people, aggression toward other dogs in the household, aggression toward unfamiliar dogs, and aggression toward human territ orial intruders. Results-Effects of castration on fear of inanimate st imuli or aggression toward unfamiliar people were not significant. For urine marking, mounting, and roaming, castration resulted in an impro vement of greater than or equal to 50% in greater than or equal to 60% of dogs and an improvement of greater than or equal to 90% in 25 to 4 0% of dogs, For remaining behaviors, castration resulted in an improve ment of greater than or equal to 50% in < 35% of dogs. Significant cor relations were not, found between the percentage of improvement and ag e of the dog or duration of the problem behavior at the lime of castra tion. Clinical Implications-Castration was most effective in altering objectionable urine marking, mounting, and roaming. With various types of aggressive behavior, including aggression toward human family memb ers, castration may be effective in decreasing aggression in some dogs , but fewer than a third can be expected to have marked improvement. A ge of the dog or duration of the problem behavior does not have value in predicting whether castration will have a beneficial effect.