# To neuter or not?



## sandra f. johnson (Jul 9, 2007)

Every dog I have ever owned was sterilized as soon as they were old enough. I'm not sure if I want to have my new puppy neutered. He is four months old and doesn't have a dominant bone in his body. His parents are both mountain dogs and they have a calm, easy-going temperament and my pup is active-submissive. I have no intentions of breeding him but I'm wondering if not having him sterilized is going to make much of a difference? He is a really sweet dog, loves other animals and people.
Anyone have any thoughts on this?


----------



## Lyn Chen (Jun 19, 2006)

Yes, it will make a big difference. Bigger muscles, thicker fur (basically more 'male' look), and a more confident, self-assertive temperament. I never have my guys neutered.


----------



## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

I'd leave him intact until age 2 or 3, then neuter him if he isn't going to be used for breeding.


----------



## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

Kristen Cabe said:


> I'd leave him intact until age 2 or 3, then neuter him if he isn't going to be used for breeding.



Why neuter then? Why neuter at all unless you're an idiot and can't keep your dogs under control?

I wouldn't neuter at any age unless there was some medical need for it. I especially wouldnt spay a female either.


----------



## Alex Corral (Jul 10, 2007)

I agree with Kristin, I should've waited to spay my dog, but I think unless your dog will make a significant contribution to the dog world, it should be sterilized at 3 yrs old. Read this article:
http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf


----------



## Selena van Leeuwen (Mar 29, 2006)

Mike Schoonbrood said:


> Why neuter then? Why neuter at all unless you're an idiot and can't keep your dogs under control?
> 
> I wouldn't neuter at any age unless there was some medical need for it. I especially wouldnt spay a female either.


 
I´m with Mike, unless for serious medical reasons I don´t neuter/spay any dog.


----------



## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

Alex Corral said:


> I agree with Kristin, I should've waited to spay my dog, but I think unless your dog will make a significant contribution to the dog world, it should be sterilized at 3 yrs old. Read this article:
> http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf



So I hear castrating a dog is also supposed to prevent testicular cancer.... well duh, can't get cancer on something that ain't there, so maybe we should remove all womens breasts as a preventative measure for breast cancer.

I will never buy into that crap, sorry. Plenty of statistics out there, I wonder how many of them are based almost entirely from mutts with unknown medical history. Has anybody run the statistics on all these medical issues out of well bred healthy dogs out of healthy lines?


----------



## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

I guess I'm just sexist. I have all the females spayed. Males are intact if they come that way, I do have several rescues that were neutered before we got them (single purpose detector dogs). The females are spayed because I just don't want to put up with the aggravation. The intact males remain that way unless advised by the vet for medical reasons. 

DFrost


----------



## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

As much of an animal's behavioral and physical characteristics are determined by genetics and the fetal and adult environmental exposure to hormones as is the animal's current hormonal level whether intact or not. He's a pet, correct? If he is, neuter him when he is done growing and in the mean time, you can ask your vet to vasectomy him if you wish to make sure there are no accidents, which is about a 3 minute tops surgery.


----------



## Lyn Chen (Jun 19, 2006)

Why bother neutering if he's vasectomized?


----------



## Lisa Geller (Mar 29, 2007)

Even if your dog is not particularly dominate -- sometimes, it can change how other dogs preceive your dog.
If you are not breeding or working them -- why not?


----------



## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Just say "NO" to neutering.


----------



## Lisa Geller (Mar 29, 2007)

hahahahahahaha


----------



## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Lyn, for a pet dog, things like benign prostatic hyperplasia (which affects many intact older males, just like human males as dogs and men are one of the few animals that experience prostate issues as they age), perianal fistulas (which are quite prevalent in GSDs apparently), and testicular cancer are helpful to go ahead and neuter healthwise. Not having them pee on every single tree and bush (maybe just every other tree and bush), not being an obnoxious SOB around a female in estrus, and having a little bit less of the edge for wanting to fight other males taken off is helpful. That'd be some things I wouldn't mind so much putting up with in a working dog, but in a pet dog, eh...


----------



## Selena van Leeuwen (Mar 29, 2006)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> Lyn, for a pet dog, things like benign prostatic hyperplasia (which affects many intact older males, just like human males as dogs and men are one of the few animals that experience prostate issues as they age), perianal fistulas (which are quite prevalent in GSDs apparently), and testicular cancer are helpful to go ahead and neuter healthwise. Not having them pee on every single tree and bush (maybe just every other tree and bush), not being an obnoxious SOB around a female in estrus, and having a little bit less of the edge for wanting to fight other males taken off is helpful. That'd be some things I wouldn't mind so much putting up with in a working dog, but in a pet dog, eh...


Why choose a male then? It is part of their manhood..
sexeless dogs aren´t born (unless as a medical defect), you have pro´s and con´s on both sexes.


----------



## sandra f. johnson (Jul 9, 2007)

Lisa Geller said:


> Even if your dog is not particularly dominate -- sometimes, it can change how other dogs preceive your dog.
> If you are not breeding or working them -- why not?


Thanks to all for your advise. I'm curious to the above post. My pup isn't showing any dominant behavior, just the usual puppy playing with the other dogs. If I leave him intact, how would other dogs perceive him?
This is interesting because my other male is an adult and is neutured and he isn't keen to being pestered by any of my other dogs.


----------



## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Alex Corral said:


> I agree with Kristin, I should've waited to spay my dog, but I think unless your dog will make a significant contribution to the dog world, it should be sterilized at 3 yrs old. Read this article:
> http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf


I agree.

And the O.P. is talking about a companion animal, not a working dog, as far as I know.


----------



## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

P.S. Again, I don't mean the working dogs whose litters are spoken for even before they are on the ground:


Idiot or no, there are huge numbers of oops litters every year, to the tune of four to five million "surplus" dogs per year (dogs who are put down in shelters) --- about 375,000 every month.

About 25% are purebred.


----------



## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Screw it, shoot the dog and just get a molotov gerbil.


----------



## Al Curbow (Mar 27, 2006)

Where do you get a molatov gerbil and how much training is involved? LOL


----------



## sandra f. johnson (Jul 9, 2007)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> Screw it, shoot the dog and just get a molotov gerbil.


there's a joke in there somewhere.......


----------



## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

They are great for PP. Just light their tails and throw them. Hours of fun. I ordered these out of the back of boys life, along with my pregnant male seahorses and chamelions and of course the most fun, the 6 pack of little rabid weasels. The worst was the hovercraft. I took a good beating, and it barely even floated.


----------



## sandra f. johnson (Jul 9, 2007)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> They are great for PP. Just light their tails and throw them. Hours of fun. I ordered these out of the back of boys life, along with my pregnant male seahorses and chamelions and of course the most fun, the 6 pack of little rabid weasels. The worst was the hovercraft. I took a good beating, and it barely even floated.


What? No sea monkeys??????


----------



## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

My brother got ripped off by those guys. I raised brine shrimp for my fish, so he was pretty pissed off.


----------

