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Thread: Neutering

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    Senior Dog bmathers's Avatar
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    Neutering

    When do you all neuter your pups? I am planning to wait until Diggity is 18 months old and possibly 24 months if I can hold out that long. I’d really like to wait until his growth plates are closed and he is fully grown. Wondering what others are doing and how much of a behavior change occurs after neutering.




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    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    Our last boy got neutered at about 3 years of age. We'll probably wait until Henry is at least 2 years old. The breeder doesn't want it done when he's too young but didn't give us a deadline either. I can't say there was much behavior change that we noticed with Chase. Any behavior that is sometimes associated with not being neutered (specifically humping and marking), we just worked on training him not to do. He never tried to get out of our yard, which he could do despite an electric fence. I don't know for sure that there were never any females in heat around, although I kind of doubt it, based on our neighborhood. He never marked in the house or anything and my daughter's female dog humped him more than he ever tried to hump her. The vet said he might pick up weight but I just watched how much he ate and tried to keep his weight within about a 5 pound range. So that was a long answer...

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    Senior Dog zd262's Avatar
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    We neutered at 1 year. Wanted to wait longer, but he was getting too much negative attention from the many off leash dogs in our then area (one resulted in an attack and emergency surgery). He never marked or anything. He's still basically the same though he does hump more now. I sort of doubt that has to do with the neutering and is just a change in behavior based on age and circumstance or such.
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    Senior Dog bmathers's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by zd262 View Post
    We neutered at 1 year. Wanted to wait longer, but he was getting too much negative attention from the many off leash dogs in our then area (one resulted in an attack and emergency surgery). He never marked or anything. He's still basically the same though he does hump more now. I sort of doubt that has to do with the neutering and is just a change in behavior based on age and circumstance or such.
    It’s interesting that you say that. I have started to carry a walking stick now because Diggity gets negative attention from off leash dogs more than I like. It’s unpredictable, but my trainer thinks it is because of his testosterone levels and I have to agree since it started a few months ago and the negative attention is unprovoked.


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    Senior Dog zd262's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bmathers View Post
    It’s interesting that you say that. I have started to carry a walking stick now because Diggity gets negative attention from off leash dogs more than I like. It’s unpredictable, but my trainer thinks it is because of his testosterone levels and I have to agree since it started a few months ago and the negative attention is unprovoked.


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    I think it's fairly common for "mature" (not getting the puppy pass anymore) unneutered dogs to get unwanted attention and I think it can become more negative depending on your own dog, their testosterone levels, and the "vibes" that they're giving off so to speak haha.
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    Senior Dog Berna's Avatar
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    At 12 y/o. And I wouldn't have neutered him if he didn't develop a testicular tumor.

    If/when I get another boy I would only neuter him if needed (health issues).
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    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    Oban is 11 years old, intact. He nearly got the snip at age 8 due to an enlarged prostate but with Holistic medicine the prostate shrank back down and neuter was cancelled. We do get bad attention from a few, only a very few, neutered males. There is literature you can read about the effects of soaring testosterone on other dogs, mostly male dogs, at puberty but I have found none, except forums like this, on nasty attention once the testosterone levels have subsided in your dog. Here's a link on the testosterone at puberty and the second one is to our "sticky" here on this forum on the pros and cons of neuter.

    See Puppy License to Misbehave, the whole article is good though.

    Ch 7: Dog Behavior


    Neuter/Spay - Pros, Cons, Risks, Benefits - Research Article Links
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    Senior Dog bmathers's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Snowshoe View Post
    Oban is 11 years old, intact. He nearly got the snip at age 8 due to an enlarged prostate but with Holistic medicine the prostate shrank back down and neuter was cancelled. We do get bad attention from a few, only a very few, neutered males. There is literature you can read about the effects of soaring testosterone on other dogs, mostly male dogs, at puberty but I have found none, except forums like this, on nasty attention once the testosterone levels have subsided in your dog. Here's a link on the testosterone at puberty and the second one is to our "sticky" here on this forum on the pros and cons of neuter.

    See Puppy License to Misbehave, the whole article is good though.

    Ch 7: Dog Behavior


    Neuter/Spay - Pros, Cons, Risks, Benefits - Research Article Links
    Super helpful information! Thanks. I am working my way through it...

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    I agree to wait until your puppy has fully matured before you have him neutered....18-24 months old.

    I know of dog owners that have had their dogs spay/neuter very early and are now dealing with incontinence issues!

    Most Veterinarians feel that 6 months is the age to neuter...(maybe old school) but I politely disagree.

    If you want your Lab to grow into his full potential, you need to wait.

  15. #10
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    I always neutered at six months...didn't really know better until after I'd joined here but I was already under breeder contract with that dog to do it at six months. I never saw personality changes or unwanted behavior with any of those male/female dogs.

    I was going to wait with Dan but since he was technically a foster (Sunnie was a foster until we could get her spayed), the adoption contract applied to him and stated six months.

    The only change to Dan was to stop his stuffed toy/mama (shoulder area) humping. No personality change. He'd been lifting his leg to pee and mark (appropriate places) since he was really really young...I forget how old but I'd never had a puppy that I still thought of as a young puppy lifting the leg like that. He's very serious when he pees and very proud of his posture.

    Sunnie was about six when we were able to get her spayed and she got even more anxious.

    Our first Lab Brutus was three when we got him and we had him immediately neutered to eliminate severe male dog aggression. It worked. Bru's best friend became an intact male GSD (Dandy wanted to hump Bru and all Bru did was sit down like an ambivalent female would).

    These are destined to be my last two dogs but I'd definitely try to wait till 18 - 24 months for the sake of growth plates if I had another one.

 



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