hi everyone, just would like some opinions.  While visiting the vet for my 13wk cockers 2nd vacs the vet asked if i was going to have him neutered and i said i was,  the vet said he can be neutered from 6  months i thought that was a little bit young i would appreciate anyones thoughts thanks, he is just a little darling and i dont want to ruin him. My last cocker who i sadly lost in october was 7 years before he was neutered i just never felt the need, then he started getting a little anti-social (i think due to getting older) the vet recommended i had him done and it did actually help a little. would love some thoughts plz.

What colour is he?  Do be aware that his coat will change unless he is very light coated. :(

hiya,

he has a beautiful black coat, and i dont just say this but everyone admires the shine on him will it really affect his coat?  My last one was orange roan and i didnt see the difference but then he was a lot older.

It can make the coat very woolly and difficult to groom.

also this article points out the long term effects not all of which by any means are positive:

http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf

Cockers do seem to mature faster than some breeds but I don't see that there need be any rush.  They are not generally known for being terribly macho regarding other males for instance so it would be reasonable to wait and see. 
If you do decide you would like him neutered in the future as WestCoast says his coat will most probably change and make grooming and particularly hand stripping very much harder.  On the other hand I don't believe many pet owners manage to maintain a black cocker in full coat and generally do have them clipped anyway, neutered or not, so I am not sure that fact alone should put you off.

Our vet is the same--in the first two minutes of seeing him for the first time recommended getting him neutered at this age. It put me completely off this practice.

You might be interested--and horrified--by the early age neutering policy of some shelters. I came across this from the Mayhew Animal Home, :

In order to stem the massive over-population problems associated with dog and cat shelters in London, the Mayhew advocate early neutering. Starting at nine weeks for cats and male dogs and 12 weeks for female dogs, this progressive initiative combats the problematic cycle of unwanted animals and also several associated health issues.

For more than a decade, research into early age neutering has shown that:

* The operation is safer and easier to perform,

* There are less complications associated with performing the surgery

* The animals recover from the anaesthetic and the surgery much quicker

* Dogs are less likely to develop behavioural problems, such as separation anxiety, escaping behaviours, inappropriate escaping behaviours when frightened

* Male dogs are less likely to roam

Am I the only one who finds this shocking? Most of the "advantages" seem to be about people, not pets. The health and emotional effects on human castrati are well documented--why on earth would we want to carry out this abuse of animals? No one wants to see indiscriminate overbreeding, but this is a really terrible solution.

I would also dispute their facts.

> * Dogs are less likely to develop behavioural problems, such as separation anxiety, escaping behaviours, inappropriate escaping behaviours when frightened

Keeping a dog a permanent juvenile in my experience actually makes many behaviours worse with over dependent

I belong to those who think that vets should save the breath they use to sell food and neutering operations and use it to make sure the owner understands the basic requirements of dog husbandry. If they did most of the 'problems' of leaving a dog or bitch intact would disappear.

if you have definetly decided to get him neutered then IMO would wait until he is older or at least 12 months.  My 1st male cocker was never neutered and we never had any probs at all with him.  Our current male is neutered (at 16 months of age) but the only reason is because we didn't want any accidental matings with our 2 girls.  It has changed his coat to a slightly wooly texture but he is still the same loveable, soppy boy!

I must say that it is quite annoying when the vets automatically presume that every dog they treat is going to be castrated!

> I belong to those who think that vets should save the breath they use to sell food and neutering operations

If you read the first post the vet asked what they intended and the OP told them they would be neutering.

Sorry Isabel, I obviously was not replying to the OP but to other posters in the thread and like others giving MHO.