I got Bucky neutered at ten months because I could smell his hormones, and it was like the world's worst landfill -- yet my ex, the vet, and one of the vet techs couldn't smell anything at all, while another vet tech could.
(Strangely, that "unique scent" that people always talk about in fanfic? I've never smelled any one person's "unique scent" that was unrelated to their soap, deodorant, etc. Bucky's hormones were the first ones I've ever smelled, and WHOOF. No wonder why I'm asexual. Those sex hormones were RANK!)
However, if he hadn't turned into a hormone-riddle stinky, I would've probably waited a year or two, possibly even more. He actually bottoms at the dog park every time someone tries to hump him. He thinks it's their way of making friends, even the girl dogs. So he was never assertive until we moved to Maryland, where my wife's four cats try to steal his food, so now he's got resource-guarding issues, despite being neutered. *shrugs* The cats are also fat, so it's not like a big deal if they can't supplement with dog kibble!
And Radio and Xena are the same age! She's getting her rabies vaccine a little early, on the 27th, so we can start taking her out and socializing her.
That's the big thing. Get Radio out NOW. Expose him to every single situation and person you can. People of all ages, all races, all body types. People in heavy coats and UGG boots and wheelchairs and walkers. Screaming children running at full speed.
Take him to Lowes or Home Depot or whatever stores admit dogs (carry a clean-up kit of paper towels, wipes, and maybe some Nature's Miracle). Let him hear rattling shopping carts and the BEEP BEEP of forklifts.
Make him walk on every surface you can, from wet grass to gravel, icy pavement to sand, carpet to title. Sit on restaurant patios or in parking lots with the window open (and the heater on!) so he can smell things.
Expose him to other dogs as soon as he has his rabies shot. Try to find out if a nearby store or trainer does supervised puppy play dates. Expose him to giant dogs, tiny dogs, and everything in between.
Expose him to everything physically possible BEFORE he turns twenty weeks old. There are puppy checklists. Early socialization is key, especially with working breeds like GSDs and mixes.
Unfortunately, my wife's GSD was very badly socialized as a puppy and developed massive aggression issues, even though he was neutered young. He never was socialized to other dogs, so when I moved in with her, he wanted to kill Bucky and Darian. We finally had to rehome him, and he bit the husband after bonding with the wife and their two kids. Ultimately, we had to euthanize him, because no shelter or rehoming agency would take him due to that bite. :(
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branchandroot
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Date: 2018-12-23 11:25 pm (UTC)(Strangely, that "unique scent" that people always talk about in fanfic? I've never smelled any one person's "unique scent" that was unrelated to their soap, deodorant, etc. Bucky's hormones were the first ones I've ever smelled, and WHOOF. No wonder why I'm asexual. Those sex hormones were RANK!)
However, if he hadn't turned into a hormone-riddle stinky, I would've probably waited a year or two, possibly even more. He actually bottoms at the dog park every time someone tries to hump him. He thinks it's their way of making friends, even the girl dogs. So he was never assertive until we moved to Maryland, where my wife's four cats try to steal his food, so now he's got resource-guarding issues, despite being neutered. *shrugs* The cats are also fat, so it's not like a big deal if they can't supplement with dog kibble!
And Radio and Xena are the same age! She's getting her rabies vaccine a little early, on the 27th, so we can start taking her out and socializing her.
That's the big thing. Get Radio out NOW. Expose him to every single situation and person you can. People of all ages, all races, all body types. People in heavy coats and UGG boots and wheelchairs and walkers. Screaming children running at full speed.
Take him to Lowes or Home Depot or whatever stores admit dogs (carry a clean-up kit of paper towels, wipes, and maybe some Nature's Miracle). Let him hear rattling shopping carts and the BEEP BEEP of forklifts.
Make him walk on every surface you can, from wet grass to gravel, icy pavement to sand, carpet to title. Sit on restaurant patios or in parking lots with the window open (and the heater on!) so he can smell things.
Expose him to other dogs as soon as he has his rabies shot. Try to find out if a nearby store or trainer does supervised puppy play dates. Expose him to giant dogs, tiny dogs, and everything in between.
Expose him to everything physically possible BEFORE he turns twenty weeks old. There are puppy checklists. Early socialization is key, especially with working breeds like GSDs and mixes.
Unfortunately, my wife's GSD was very badly socialized as a puppy and developed massive aggression issues, even though he was neutered young. He never was socialized to other dogs, so when I moved in with her, he wanted to kill Bucky and Darian. We finally had to rehome him, and he bit the husband after bonding with the wife and their two kids. Ultimately, we had to euthanize him, because no shelter or rehoming agency would take him due to that bite. :(