Should I still be seeing something there?

[Sheenar]

So, as I posted earlier, Handsome got neutered today through the SNAP program in my area. But I still see a scrotum hanging there. I thought, when dogs were neutered, that they took off both the testicles and scrotum. Do they only take out the testicles? Will the scrotum shrivel up with time?

I've never had a male dog before, so I'm confused. My cat Cecil had so much fur that it was hard to see his surgical site after his neuter (and didn't have stitches to take out later like Handsome does.)

Can anybody explain this to me?

Also, Handsome was so darn pitiful just now when I put the Elizabethan collar on him (I'm getting ready for bed and it's a precaution so he doesn't mess with his surgical site while I'm asleep.) He hung his head down and swung it back and forth to try to get the collar off. This went on for about 10 minutes. After that was unsuccessful (and after I told him I was taking photographic evidence to show to Milissa) he gave me the most pathetic look, then turned around and laid down with a big sigh, consigning himself to his fate for the night.

Ah, I spoke too soon! He's at it again, banging the collar against the sides of his crate. I keep telling him, "No, go night-night." But he's not listening. I hope he stops soon. I need to get good sleep tonight since I was up so darn early this morning and have a dentist appointment 20 min. away at 10:30 in the morning.

[Nianhel]

I wondered the same exact thing when I got my first adult male neutered. But yes, that's normal, and it will go away with time. Until then, it's really odd looking, and kinda sad LoL

[Kirsten]

The surgery to remove the scrotum itself is an extra, optional one, called an ablation.  You don't do it unless there is a specific need.  It will generally shrink up over time, especially in a dog neutered while young (under two-ish).  Right now it looks bigger than normal because someone just cut into it, traumatizing it and causing swelling.  Fear not, the swelling will go down.

[Kirsten]

Dogs are usually at their best pitiful displays when wearing the cone of shame.  A good reason to practice with it when they are not injured.

Now for a funny image.  I was babysitting a bitch who had just had surgery to correct a torn eye lid.  She was also ball nuts, and found an extra large Jolly Ball with a handle, which she promptly picked up and carried around.  Her head looked like a giant ice cream cone.  And, no, she couldn't see where she was going, but didn't seem to care.

And now, here's a song!  (to the tune of "I'm a little teapot")

I'm a little cone-head,
Small and spry,
I became a cone-head,
When I hurt my eye.

Now you try it!  Write a verse for Handsome and sing it for him.

[Sheenar]

Um, I was having trouble thinking of anything that is appropriate, given the nature of his surgery...

I'm a little cone-head,
I need a nap,
I became a cone-head,
When I went to SNAP

[Kirsten]

Good one! 

[Rovingrebel]

Love the song!

[PupFashionista]

I wear an e-collar
That looks lame.
It feels like
The collar of shame.

[Kirsten]

  Good one Pup!

Have you guys seen the movie "Up?"  It's streaming on Netflix now if you have an account and haven't seen it.  One of the main characters is a talking dog named Doug.  Anyway, in the movie they use Elizabethan collars like a dunce cap and call them "the cone of shame" which I think is a pretty accurate view of the things from the dog's perspective.

[Shidash]

Hah, that is really amusing. I should watch that.

[Spectrum]

I'm a little cone-head,
Small and spry,
I became a cone-head,
When I hurt my eye.

That one actually fits Max perfectly right now 

Usually after a neuter most dogs don't need a cone, although of course there are some that do. I don't know how the vet that did Handsome does his neuters, but where I work doc buries all the sutures and uses absorbable sutures so there's nothing to chew, and nothing to remove. Same with spays. We never send home an e-collar with a spay/neuter unless the dog has already tried to lick/chew.

Gavroche still has a little bit of a scrotum. He was neutered at about 1 year, and he's been neutered for 2 years now. It's smaller than it was, but it's still there. The owner of the other boxer I'm training actually just asked me about it last week, because her boxer still has one too

[Sheenar]

Handsome has staples that need to be removed in 8 days. He tries to lick the surgical site when he thinks I'm not looking, so I'm using the e-collar as a precaution while I'm sleeping/away.

He's going to Milissa's tomorrow to stay with her. She's going to begin working with him on Monday --she plans to hit the ground running with him.

I did some work with him this evening with "take it, hold it, give it" and he did very well --he was very motivated by the cut-up turkey dogs! It gave him something stimulating to do since he can't run/play for a week.
  He was so good yesterday, but was a complete pest this whole evening. He kept pawing at me for attention (he used to be bad about jumping up, but now it's just one paw). So I gave a verbal correction each time and only petted him (what he wanted) when he sat calmly without pestering me. The bottom of his feet are rough and they hurt hitting bare legs! "Ouch!" didn't phase him at all. He's one of the most social/people-oriented Poodles I ever met (he looks like a Poodle, but could this be the Lab coming out in him?)
 He did sit very nicely, though, for a good brushing session. He seemed to really enjoy it (he started licking my hair for some reason.)
 He is still a puppy, but he catches on to things quickly, so hopefully this phase won't last long. I finally got fed up with him and took him out to potty, then into the crate for the night with his e-collar on (he's asleep now, no banging the collar against the sides of the crate like he kept doing last night.)

[Kirsten]

Try giving him a competing command, then praise the response to the command.  For example, "off" which means put four feet on the floor.  A correction should be followed by redirection (what to do instead).  A competing command does it all in one swoop.  A competing command is one that if he does it, he cannot do the thing you'd rather he didn't.  Another thing it accomplishes is establishing that the best way to get petted is to keep his feet on the floor.

This also works with jumping up (use "sit").

"Off," once the concept is mastered, works to tell them to get off furniture or anything else as well.  You just have to think of it as, and teach it to mean "four on the floor."