Question.....on Neutering....

[sfiddler1248]

Hey guys!

I have heard so much stuff on this subject, in regards to age on neutering a dog, I have become confused!

I have a 7 month old Boxer, that I am wanting to have neutered soon! I have heard two view points on this subject. I have heard some where you should neuter them by 6 months of age. Others, I have heard to wait until they are close to a year old.

Can you all please help with the correct answer? LOL I would be so grateful! I am thinking I can neuter him at any time!

Thanks so much and have a great day!

[emmabeth]

I personally like to leave a dog to mature and if i dont have any entire bitches, I might leave them entire permanently unless that dog was extremely difficult to train to recall in which case I may neuter NOT because it would improve the recall but because having a dog that goes out of sight and stays out of sight means theres a risk hes 'at it' with a female dog and as a responsible dog owner I dont want that happening. (I would mostly just keep a dog with an unreliable recall on a lead but for instance if i lived with people who found it really hard to shut doors and be vigilant it might be a consideration).

I dont think there are particularly any benefits to neutering boys - for girls there are, though I still think they ought to mature.

There are some benefits for humans and the top one is that you know your dog isnt siring any puppies, he is also unlikely to be contracting any STD's if neutered (note, unlikely, not impossible, some neutered dogs will still do the deed and thus still be at risk!).

Whatever reason you neuter a dog for though, I believe in waiting until they are mature and have finished their growth which only the tiniest of breeds can possibly have done by 12 months, a Boxer isnt done growing till 2 or nearer 3 years old!

[Nettle]

I would say wait until 2 years old if you possibly can. There is nothing to be lost and everything to be gained in terms of health and mature behaviour.

All the best with whatever you decide.

[HermanBarkington]

Sorry to hijack the thread

Why would you wait till 2 years old? I am currently getting earache off everyone saying I should have my 9month old (large breed) dog cut - mainly at dog training - saying that other dogs will react to him differently, he may get attacked for it, I'll lose his good behaviour etcetc.

I haven't decided either way, although I suspect he will be cut as *I* don't want to use him as a stud dog, although his breeder keeps mentioning it, but hasn't outright asked. He is currently very 'puppyish', still puppywees, hasn't tried humping anything (as in toys/bedding/me etc..!) and is just a big goofy boy - he certainly isn't naughty or overly dominant or any other 'reason' for being neutered.

Sorry I'm going offtopic.

Anyway - what are the benefits to waiting until 2 years old? And the pitfalls of having him done now?

[sfiddler1248]

Thank you for the awesome information. I do not have a problem with waiting until he is two years old to be neutered. I have heard and seen the results with waiting, the males will fill out better and look more masculine! I know most breeders in German Shepherds, request and actually have it in contract that you are not allowed to neuter the dog until he is at least 18 months of age. If you do neuter the dog before that time, yout contract is null and void! I bought this Boxer pup as just a pet and hiking/camping campanion. I am not interested in getting into breeding at all. To be able to breed ethically, I would need to have his hips done and have a DNA test ran, and just for a pet, I am not wanting to do that. I have done that in the past with my German Shepherds, because I had thought of breeding at that time. But our plans now, is just to have a companion dog.

I will be honest, this Boxer pup (Zeus) is a house dog and will be as long as he lives. My question to that is, since I will be waiting until he is 2 years old to neuter, will he start lifting his leg in the house? LOL He is not quite fully potty trained now, we are still working on it.

Again, thank you for the replies and just to say, I am loving this board already. I have been on many boards and there is so much arguing going on, it is very hard to find the right information you are looking for.

Thank you for being a wonderful group!

Have a great day!

[Nettle]

Why wait until two years old?

At two, the dog is physically and mentally fully developed, except for giant breeds which mature a year or so later.

If neutered before then, the dog is mentally fixed at the age it was when neutered - so you risk having a permanent puppy - therefore with puppy manners, puppy attitude to other dogs which means it expects other dogs to tolerate its pushiness and me-firstness - or else a permanent adolescent, thereby fixing the dog in the time of all the adolescent challenges and attitude (the very reason most people neuter in the first place). Neither pups nor adolescents are good at co-operation and taking direction, so not only do you have a dog which annoys the hell out of other dogs by getting in their space and face, you have a dog which is not amenable to training by a person. Yes you can train them but it is very much more challenging.

Physically the risks are that without the hormone input to cap the growth plates at an appropriate time and size for the dog, the dog will grow on to a different and weaker shape from that designed by nature. There is some evidence that there is a higher bone cancer risk in certain susceptible breeds due to this, and the same with cruciate damage because the leg below the ligament is too long and wrongly weighted. With male dogs there is as much risk of prostate cancer with neutered dogs as unneutered, although obviously dogs without testicles can't get cancer in those.

Neutered males can still mate and tie, but there is no risk of pups. There is risk of damage and/or infection to the b itch if this happens.

With female dogs there are additional risks and considerations, but as OP's dog is male I won't make the post even longer by discussing those.

Neutering or not -neither option is perfect - but if we are going to neuter, it is best for dog and owner if the dog is adult when the operation is done.

[emmabeth]

*Waves at HermanBarkington* - you leave his furry plums right where they are missus, hes not even realised he's got them yet poor lad.

One of those reasons you have been given for neutering really does get on my wossnames... that neutered dogs will react badly. Surely this is the problem and the sole responsibility for this lies with, the other dogs owners! I am not going to get any dog of mine neutered PURELY so that other people can avoid training their dog to behave when they encounter something they are not used to (As many dogs are not used to the scent of an entire animal).

Not neutering doesnt mean a dog will automatically start to scent mark in the house either, and in fact neutered dogs will **** a leg in the house if there are reasons for them to do so (usually not a lot to do wtih house trianing and everything to do with anxiety and lack of confidence).

Neutering prevents pregnancy, and disease of the part/s removed.

Nothing more can be guaranteed and you may experience side effects that are beneficial to you, that are not beneficial, that are easy to resolve or that take a life time to learn to manage.

As long as you are responsible and are not allowing your dog to run around impregnating (or being impregnated by) the neighbourhood dogs, waiting for a dog to mature to neuter and even not neutering at all is fine (unless your state has laws about this which is another story entirely, or you have signed a contract stating you will neuter).

If you arent responsible - its highly unlikely you are reading this anyway!

[sfiddler1248]

Hmmm... Well the only reason I raised the question and since my Retired German Shepherd who is 10yrs old and my min Daschund who is 7 yrs old are both neutered. I guess from being involved in AKC obedience and a some of the dog shows, I have always been taught that if you are not showing or titling your dog, it is best to have him neutered. They say "the dog makes a better pet!" I have been told this through AKC shows and other dog sports I have been involved in. I have no issue with keeping him intact for the simple fact, he will be fully obedience trained. At this time, he knows, sit, down, he will "watch me" and the recall. I will be working with the "stay" as he progresses. So as far as having him trained and having the control needed around other dogs, I do not think that will be a problem. We have socialized him since he was fully vaccinated and will continue to do so, as he matures. As far as being responsible, he is a house dog, other then for walks, or letting him run in a fenced yard and I do not think he will be getting near any females in heat.

Sounds to me like it is more of a preference then anything. Thank you again for supplying the information!

[Mattie]

As a child dogs were not neutered and there wasn't the behaviour problems that there are today. The only dog I have had neutered was done because his stress levels were so high humping everything, again caused by stress. This did reduced his stress levels tremendously and he became a calmer dog but it didn't cure the stress, that has take years of hard work to get his stress levels to what they are now.

Neutering prevents pregnancy, and disease of the part/s removed.

This is put about by people who think that they are right and everyone else is wrong but male dogs don't get pregnant, they seem to have forgotten that, only bitches can get pregnant. We are told it greatly reduces health problems, but of what, it will stop testicle cancer but nothing else, there is very little difference in the health problems of neutered and entire dogs. What can happen if you neuter to young is the growth plates are slow to close so your dog grows lankier than he should.

[alisha88marie]

There IS a benefit to neutering male dogs. It keeps them from getting testicular cancer, it keeps them calmer and makes them behave better. Also, do you want to deal with an angry owner who's dog your dog got pregnant? I would be very angry if some dog got into my fence and bred my female and she got pregnant. Male dogs can smell when a female is in heat and they will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get to her even if it means escaping the yard to get to her. Most unwanted pups can be neglected and eventually sent to the pound to be put down. It's your responsibility to make sure that none of that comes from your male dogs behavior unless you want to breed him and make sure those pups go to good homes.

[Mattie]

There IS a benefit to neutering male dogs. It keeps them from getting testicular cancer,

The risk of testicular cancer is slim, there is also a risk of loosing your dog from the anaesthetic, it is best to research on the internet for the pros and cons, many sites don't give both sides, they just give what they want you to see.

it keeps them calmer and makes them behave better.

Unless a dog is exercised properly and trained, neutering won't make him calmer and behave better.

Also, do you want to deal with an angry owner who's dog your dog got pregnant? I would be very angry if some dog got into my fence and bred my female and she got pregnant. Male dogs can smell when a female is in heat and they will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get to her even if it means escaping the yard to get to her. Most unwanted pups can be neglected and eventually sent to the pound to be put down. It's your responsibility to make sure that none of that comes from your male dogs behavior unless you want to breed him and make sure those pups go to good homes.

A responsible owner will make sure that their dog doesn't escape and run to a ***** in season and not all pups are neglected and sent to a pound to be put down, in fact, pups are easy to rehome from a pound, it is the old dogs and bull breeds that are difficult to rehome.

It is just as much the responsibilty of the bitches owner to make sure she don't get the chance to become pregnant and not just the owner of the dog. I don't expect other dog owners to make sure my dog is safe, that is my responsibilty not their's. I always let my bitches have a season before spaying and never had any problems with entire dogs.

[Nettle]

I keep a stud dog (now old and retired). He has never gone off after b itches, never covered a b itch I did not want him to cover, and could (still can) be called away from a b itch on heat.

I keep entire b itches. The same applies.

It's manners and training. Entire dogs/b itches are not sex-crazed monsters with only one thing on their minds.

[alisha88marie]

Well dear lord, EXCUSE me for giving my opinion. Sheesh.

[emmabeth]

alisha88marie - no ones having a go at all, but mattie and Nettles posts come from not years but decades of experience not just with their own dogs but with other peoples too.

I was someone who believed that neutering made a male dog nicer and calmer and easier to handle, and from experience.... I know no this not to be the case.

Yes neutering will prevent testicular cancer - but testicular cancer is not a huge risk to a dog providing that dog is given a thorough health check regularly by his owner. What I mean by this is, by the time a responsible owner notices a lump, unlike some cancers that spread very quickly, testicular cancer is extremely unlikely to have done so and so if you notice a lump then you can have your dog neutered.

Neutering also increases the risk of prostate cancer by four times, and although thats not a huge risk in the first place, prostate cancer unlike testicular cancer, you CANT see with your eyes. If done before a dog is mature, neutering significantly increases the risk of bone cancer, again something you cant see with the naked eye, and this is a cancer which spreads VERY fast and very few dogs survive it.

We must of course all be responsible for our dogs but the fact that some people choose not to neuter or to delay neutering until an animal is mature, does not mean t hat person is NOT responsible.

Anyway, opinions are more than welcome here, but backing them up with some facts is a good plan too - keep it friendly folks (and lets all have some cake!).

[Mattie]

Nettle, what are we going to do about Em, she is saying we are old and decrepid?

alisha88marie, neither Nettle or I are making a personal attack on you, we were correcting information that you had given, if you can back your information up we will be willing to look at it and discuss what it says. We love discussions, we love different ideas, but we also need to post correct information for anyone reading the posts.