Neutering

[thelady_v2010]

I am reading around and it seems like most people wait to neuter or don't want to neuter.

I always thought to be responsible that you should neuter your dog as soon as you are able. Is that not the consensus here?

 

[ruthcatrin]

Why do you have to neuter to be responsible?

Its not healthy for the dog to neuter early, and its only marginally healthier to neuter later.

If you can be a responsible owner and ensure that the dog isn't allowed to roam or access a bitch in heat when you don't want him too why do you have to neuter to be responsible?

 

[Smart_Family]

Responsible dog owners for the most part are able to keep their dogs from reproducing with other dogs. For the giant breed dogs, you'll find the general consensus here is to wait until at least 18 months for females and 2 years for males, if they choose to neuter at all.

 

[thelady_v2010]

I guess because all you see in media is spay or neuter, when you rescue one they are normally neutered when you get them, or you sign a contract to neuter them as soon as possible. This is the first I have heard NOT to neuter.

Can you guys lay out for me why to wait or why not to do it at all?

 

[tb44]

Smart_family why is there a time difference in n/s? I mean I know why we wait a min of 18, but I've never heard of 18 for female and 24 for male.

 

[Smart_Family]

Neutering early can affect their growth, bones, joints, and in females increase the likelihood of spay incontinence. They need those hormones for their bodies to be able to properly support all their weight.

 

[Smart_Family]

Smart_family why is there a time difference in n/s? I mean I know why we wait a min of 18, but I've never heard of 18 for female and 24 for male.

Males continue to grow for longer than females for the most part. By 18 months a female is mostly grown.

 

[thelady_v2010]

Neutering early can affect their growth, bones, joints, and in females increase the likelihood of spay incontinence. They need those hormones for their bodies to be able to properly support all their weight.

That is what my husband was saying! He kept saying to me, how could the loss of testosterone NOT affect him.

It is frustrating to get such different signals. I feel like if I have him out and about I will get judged for not fixing him. And, are there bad behaviors associated with not fixing them?

 

[ruthcatrin]

I guess because all you see in media is spay or neuter, when you rescue one they are normally neutered when you get them, or you sign a contract to neuter them as soon as possible. This is the first I have heard NOT to neuter.

Can you guys lay out for me why to wait or why not to do it at all?

Its WAY healthier, especially for large and giant breeds, to wait to neuter to a minimum of 18months (and especially for the males, if you can wait longer). And even as an adult the hormones make a difference. In old age, dogs who are intact are FAR less likely to have dementia. So if you can be a responsible owner and keep your dog from breeding then its actually more responsible for your dog's health to not neuter.

Smart_family why is there a time difference in n/s? I mean I know why we wait a min of 18, but I've never heard of 18 for female and 24 for male.

Females mature faster, but if someone feels they HAVE to neuter then 18 is the mimimum for the boys too, but if you can wait longer I recommend doing so.

 

[Smart_Family]

That's why it's important to start training early. Who cares what other people think when you're doing what's best for your dog?

 

[ruthcatrin]

That is what my husband was saying! He kept saying to me, how could the loss of testosterone NOT affect him.

It is frustrating to get such different signals. I feel like if I have him out and about I will get judged for not fixing him. And, are there bad behaviors associated with not fixing them?

The general public will tell you that if you don't neuter your dog he'll hump everything in sight, mark on your couch, tear down fences to get at the bitch down the road, be horribly aggressive....yes, you will get comments from idiots. Just smile and nod, and find someplace else to be.

I have a 2yr old intact male Tibetan Mastiff. He's NEVER marked in the house, he took correction to stop the humping easily, he's not aggressive, and although I have at least one intact bitch on a property only a few hundred feet from me he's only ever made ONE attempt to get at her....

 

[thelady_v2010]

That's why it's important to start training early. Who cares what other people think when you're doing what's best for your dog?

Well, I already took a beating for buying a dog from a pet store. I will take another if I can get his ears cropped before he is 20 weeks old. I get that judgement shouldn't matter, but it does and I would be lying if I said it didn't. I also wonder if some people won't want their dogs around him if he isn't fixed. He is very dog social right now and we like that.

 

[thelady_v2010]

The general public will tell you that if you don't neuter your dog he'll hump everything in sight, mark on your couch, tear down fences to get at the bitch down the road, be horribly aggressive....yes, you will get comments from idiots. Just smile and nod, and find someplace else to be.

I have a 2yr old intact male Tibetan Mastiff. He's NEVER marked in the house, he took correction to stop the humping easily, he's not aggressive, and although I have at least one intact bitch on a property only a few hundred feet from me he's only ever made ONE attempt to get at her....

Okay, thanks. How did you correct the humping? He has had 2 play dates with 2 different dogs, one male and one female and he humped them both. I know it is a dominance thing, but most dog owners don't like to see their dog humped. One is my husband's brother's dog and they will be spending a lot of time together.

 

[tb44]

Thank you

 

[ruthcatrin]

LInks for you (cause you'll have to argue with your vet too likely):

A combination on several studies: Long-Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay / Neuter in Dogs And a clickable version of its reference page: Spay and Neuter Decisions - References

A NEW study done on Goldens: PLOS ONE: Neutering Dogs: Effects on Joint Disorders and Cancers in Golden Retrievers

Study on the effect of spay/neuter on dementia: https://www.avma.org/News/Journals/Collections/Documents/javma_219_1_51.pdf

 

[Duetsche_Doggen]

I guess because all you see in media is spay or neuter, when you rescue one they are normally neutered when you get them, or you sign a contract to neuter them as soon as possible. This is the first I have heard NOT to neuter.

Can you guys lay out for me why to wait or why not to do it at all?

AR propoganda and the sheeple eat it up. %99.9 of the time its owners not the dog or the dangly bits. Instead of admitiing their own faults they blame it on the dog. IMO s/n is an benefit to the owner not the dog. As Ruth and Smart have mentioned vets who were pro-nueuter at 8 wks - 6 months realize now the damange that can be done when I dog is not provided the opportunity to mature.

The roaming, littters, humping, and marking behaviors that are usually curbed with training or lack their of due to stupid owners. I've kept full dogs most of my life and not ONE has sired a litter, roam, mark ( outside and only if I allow them to) with no problems.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Okay, thanks. How did you correct the humping? He has had 2 play dates with 2 different dogs, one male and one female and he humped them both. I know it is a dominance thing, but most dog owners don't like to see their dog humped. One is my husband's brother's dog and they will be spending a lot of time together.

when he started humping (and this young its a combination of dominence and over excitment in play, not hormones), I pushed him sideways (not hard, but enough to get his attention), at the same time as saying "no" and then redirected to a toy

If you have problems with marking in the house you treat it like a house breaking issue

And the rest of it is just WORKing on training, all the time. Socialization and training, leash manners, and recall, and everything else.

 

[Duetsche_Doggen]

Well, I already took a beating for buying a dog from a pet store. I will take another if I can get his ears cropped before he is 20 weeks old. I get that judgement shouldn't matter, but it does and I would be lying if I said it didn't. I also wonder if some people won't want their dogs around him if he isn't fixed. He is very dog social right now and we like that.

LOL, welcome to the dog world, haha!! We get it too.

To answer your question most of those people wont' want to socialize with you because you dog is full. I'm not sure how old you boy is but realize this as he matures he may change. That' doesn't mean any thing negative but realize that he'll likely be less tolerable of certain things.

 

[mx5055]

I believe in spay/neuter...at the appropriate time; and have almost always followed that belief. That being said, my last male dog, my boxer Max, lived his whole life not being neutered. I had planned to neuter him at an appropriate age, but by the time that came to be there were other things to consider. He had had an emergency surgery for an issue, and his reaction to the anesthesia/medications given afterwards were frightening. The first night I had him home after the surgery he collapsed on me twice and I was terrorized. When it became apparent that they could not narrow down whether or not it was the anesthesia or the pain meds given after, or a combo of both, I was no longer willing to risk it happening again unless it was life threatening emergency; thus he lived out his life without being neutered. He never marked, never humped anything, never tore down a fence, never got a bitch with pups, was very protective of me, but never aggressive towards people or other dogs unless he felt I was threatened, etc. I think this is a decision you have to make on your own, and not be bothered by what others say or believe. It's your dog, your decision, and no one else's business.

 

[ruthcatrin]

I'm lucky in that most people don't realize Apollo's intact (all that fluff is good for something), and that my family mostly doesn't care as long as he behaves, so we spend alot of time with the family's dogs, and carefully select the rest of the ones he gets to play with.