Keoki was neutered at about 9 mos and we did notice a difference in him, although how much of that was due to the neuter and how much to maturity.
He had seemed a bit high strung prior to, but then Jazzy is so darned laid back maybe Keoki was just a normal Basenji, LOL. He is STILL high energy, but just not as tense; he's less like a spring getting ready to let go.
Bryan had him collected before we had him neutered so that he can still breed him should he choose to do so in the future.
As to the showing – a subject about which I know very little -- it took Jazzy a while to learn to behave on the table and in the ring, but she still managed to get her CH w/in two years. She actually got her first points at her first show when she was c-l-u-e-l-e-s-s as to how to behave! It seemed to me, as a spectator at the shows, that the judges tend to be a little understanding of the younger dogs not being quite still on the table, etc.
Oh- and she was TOTAL pet and only saw Bryan and/or the show ring on show days. I did nothing to train her for them because I was even more clueless than the dog as to the hows of show training and didn't want to screw her up entirely!
This is a side note, but there's something about the way Bryan holds the leash or something, LOL. I even took my dogs to see him at a recent show, and as we walked the parking lot both dogs were pulling and sniffing and all excited with the environment. Then we met up with Bryan and Laurie {which totally excited them, especially Jazzy}, and he took them [one at a time] for a little stroll. As soon as the leash changed hands, they were different dogs, just trotting along side him as beautifully as could be. They look GOOOOOD on the end of his leash; they look like goofballs on the end of mine. LOL