Having my 1 year old male dobie neutered

[Lilleman_Blu]

So I have been back and forth about getting my almost one year old male neutered... here recently he has been not wanting to go potty outside at night.. he will go to the back half of the yard and either sit there or lay down until I walk away or go inside. I do my all by training him from my previous knowledge of training, he also goes on frequent walks with me and my boyfriend's German Shepard. If he does not use the potty outside he ends up using the potty sometime in the middle of the night in his kennel... I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle because I know he is going through the "teenager" stage so to speak. If I get him fixed, will it help him calm down a bit more? Or help him not be so resilient ? I honestly don't have the money to take him to get professional training... Im just trying to do my best with him.. I need help...

 

[Gelcoater]

I don’t think neutering will help calm him down or help with the urination issue.

It may seem like a strange question, but is his poop normal?
Your comments about him going out back and sit there or lay down caught my eye.
Does he want to come in on his own?
Or just sit out there?
My boy did as you describe when he wasn’t feeling well. Just sit by himself or dig a hole to lay in.

Has he chewed up anything he shouldn’t?
Towel, sock, a toy?

On the neuter, it’s suggested not to until at least after 2 years old as the hormones help with joint plate development. They aren’t really mature until closer to 3 years old.

I’m sure some other folks will be along with advise.

 

[Sunje]

Is it possible that you've accidentally reprimanded him at any point for urinating outside? Is there another dog next door that's been giving him a hard time, or possibly a neighbor? Perhaps start walking him on a leash at night and praise him when he urinates, even give him a potty treat. My current boy (and my last girl for that matter) would go outside and get so involved w/ smelling things that they'd forget to pee, so I'd have to send them back out again, and then they'd get "pee snacks". In any case, try starting to praise him and use a marker word (yes!) when he pees, once you've taught him to associate a marker word w/ a treat. If you don't know what marker/clicker training is, there are several great books and plenty of videos on how to use this technique.

Like Gelcoater says above, you might take him to the vet and rule out a digestive or urinary problem too.

A couple great books--"The Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson, and "When Pigs Fly" by Jane Killion

 

[Lilleman_Blu]

Is it possible that you've accidentally reprimanded him at any point for urinating outside? Is there another dog next door that's been giving him a hard time, or possibly a neighbor? Perhaps start walking him on a leash at night and praise him when he urinates, even give him a potty treat. My current boy (and my last girl for that matter) would go outside and get so involved w/ smelling things that they'd forget to pee, so I'd have to send them back out again, and then they'd get "pee snacks". In any case, try starting to praise him and use a marker word (yes!) when he pees, once you've taught him to associate a marker word w/ a treat. If you don't know what marker/clicker training is, there are several great books and plenty of videos on how to use this technique.

Like Gelcoater says above, you might take him to the vet and rule out a digestive or urinary problem too.

A couple great books--"The Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson, and "When Pigs Fly" by Jane Killion

he has no issues peeing outside. Im sorry I should have clarified.. he does not want to go poop outside at night. he goes out with the other dogs sometimes. But recently with him not wanting to poop outside at night we have been letting him out by himself. And when he sits or lays down and waits, he does that on his own. Its like he does not want to go poop when asked to go potty. He waits till he gets back in his kennel and poops during the night or before we let him out of kennel in the morning.. He only does this when he's at my boyfriend's house. He does not do this when we're at my apartment. He has normal poop, I have him on some digestive supplements because for a while he would not have anything but soft served looking poop. WE always praise him when he does good or use the potty like he's supposed to.

 

[Lilleman_Blu]

I don’t think neutering will help calm him down or help with the urination issue.

It may seem like a strange question, but is his poop normal?
Your comments about him going out back and sit there or lay down caught my eye.
Does he want to come in on his own?
Or just sit out there?
My boy did as you describe when he wasn’t feeling well. Just sit by himself or dig a hole to lay in.

Has he chewed up anything he shouldn’t?
Towel, sock, a toy?

On the neuter, it’s suggested not to until at least after 2 years old as the hormones help with joint plate development. They aren’t really mature until closer to 3 years old.

I’m sure some other folks will be along with advise.

His poop is normal

I don’t think neutering will help calm him down or help with the urination issue.

It may seem like a strange question, but is his poop normal?
Your comments about him going out back and sit there or lay down caught my eye.
Does he want to come in on his own?
Or just sit out there?
My boy did as you describe when he wasn’t feeling well. Just sit by himself or dig a hole to lay in.

Has he chewed up anything he shouldn’t?
Towel, sock, a toy?

On the neuter, it’s suggested not to until at least after 2 years old as the hormones help with joint plate development. They aren’t really mature until closer to 3 years old.

I’m sure some other folks will be along with advise.

His poop is normal some days. I have him on a digestive supplements because he has allergies. the supplements helps a lot with just about everything. He has not chewed up any toy or clothing. I will tell him to go potty a good bit when he is outside, and he will sniff around then go and sit and or lay down till I either walk away or go inside. He has become a bit resilient it seems. It feels like he would much rather poop in his kennel rather then outside after being let out multiple times before he gets put up in his kennel.

 

[BGpa]

I think @Sunje is onto something and I'd gently remind you to listen, read those books.

To me, from your explanation,
Sounds like he is scared to go outside of boyfriends apartment. This breed is sensitive and smart but can sometimes develope "suspicious beliefs" from one negative experience and generalize to something unrelated,
That makes no sense to you and I, but is real in your pups mind.

(See Michael Ellis on ecollars)
So your job is to unwind that, somehow, by re-habituation to a place (and the resulting desired behavior- and pooping on command is actually sort of an advanced trick if not learned as puppy) with positive rewards.

How to, exactly, is some trial and error, just reward incrementally, any action towards the desired end. Dont worry, keep trying- there is no one thing that works on every dog.

Many dobe experienced here who can say more, inc other books that they like, or online trainers that use this idea in puppy training.

You are going back to basics in potty training is the idea, and unwinding an adverse experience or undesireable behavioir by building trust and replacing with the new thats more rewarding.

If you keep it light, no pressure, and reward with treats, praise and make it fun that works best on shy sensitive dogs. All dogs, actually.

 

[JanS]

If I get him fixed, will it help him calm down a bit more? Or help him not be so resilient ?

The answer is no to both. I would hold off on neutering for at least another year so he can mature more and try to figure out what the underlying cause is.

 

[Ravenbird]

You are going back to basics in potty training is the idea, and unwinding an adverse experience or undesireable behavioir by building trust and replacing with the new thats more rewarding.

I agree to going back to basics.

If the dog has normal potty behaviors at your house but refuses to poop outside at the boyfriend's place, I'd call that situational. Especially if he has never pooped the crate at your house. Next time if he doesn't poop when you expect he needs to, I'd get up and take him out every hour or so (yup, I said that) just like he was a tiny puppy, stay with him ON LEASH, like you would a tiny puppy. When you get to the potty area say your phrase like "Go Potty" or whatever you say. Other than that, No talk, no touch, no eye contact and stand there. 5 - 10 - 15 minutes and do nothing. If he gets bored and just stands there, go back inside, put him in his crate with no talk, no touch no eye contact. Repeat in an hour. If you are lucky and he finally poops outside, throw a huge party - have treats at the ready in your pocket, excited petting, a dozen "good boys" whatever makes him happy and wag his tail. I don't know how often you stay at the apartment place, but I would do this relentlessly until you get a poop outside in the potty area. I'd keep him on leash the entire time as well.