hi folks, i have read with interest the other posts on this subject but would like to hear from Lab owners breeders and pet owners.

My yellow Lab is now 9months old and at home is the most dosile, placid, friendly animal you could ever meet. He does everything we ask when we ask him. He is friendly with other dogs and appears the perfect pet.

However, when we take him out even though he was socialised early and very well he just finds the whole experience so exciting.
He is getting better with people outside and ignores most but when we see another dog he pulls so much trying to get to them to play.
If we take him walking off the lead he is perfect most of the time but is mental when he sees another dog and i cannot control him.

We changed vets last week as i was not happy with the one we had. On our visit to the new vets i opened the door to 2 veterinary nurses cooing over him. As you can imagine this started him off all excited. 2 of them had to fight with him to get him wieghed and in the end we had to accept a rough quess of 30Kg.
We entered the exam room, he was by this time so excited i just gave up and loosed his lead. she had to practically sit on him to check his ears and teeth. she couldn't get a heart reading becausehe was just playing and generally being a pain in the A**E.

The nurse then said in her oppinion i should get him done straight away as he was mad.
I asked if he would calm down with age as in the house he is so placid and calm to the point of being dosey.
She said NO he won't as Labs never do it's just their bodies slow down eventually.
I said that i thought they shouldn't be done till 18months - 2years.
Her reply was that this is a breaders oppinion and as i only wan't him as a pet should have him done now before his behaviour becomes habit rather than hormonal.

I just want a happy pet not a show dog.

I hate vets as i never know if it's just money they want.

All your answers will be greatly appreciated as i am really stressing over this.         

thanks. xx

I would leave his nuts alone and concentrate on socialising him at training classes. Labs are naturally boisterous animals, sound like he is very typical of his breed.
Dawn.

sorry but this made me laugh, i have a lab and i took him to the vets this morning for his yearly booster, he will be 14 months soon, as a pup we had such a bad time at the vets trying to get him on the scales to weigh him, he now gets on the scales but goes loopy when the vet tries to examine him, Toby thinks oh great its time to play, it is so annoying when they are so good at home isnt it but it does get better, Toby is improving everytime i take him, the vet does'nt seem to mind he just laughed and said he is still young.

Heidi

Sorry forgot to mention, Toby is a pet only and he was castrated at 6 months and it didnt make any difference what so ever.

Heidi

I too had to laugh - we have the same problems at the Vets with our Purdey - who will be 14 next week - and who was spayed at the age of 6 years!!!   She too cannot calm down when at the Vets - because she knows they LOVE her so!!

Regards

Margot

If it helps, it took one (rather grumpy) Vet, 2 Nurses and myself to get a skin scrape from (Flatcoat Ret) libby I didn't even get a discount for all the kisses libby gave the Vet and Nurses  :(  ;)
I'm no expert, but I would leave your boy intact (Dawn b put it much better :D :D ) he'll calm down.......eventualy ;)

liberty :)

Leave your dogs bits alone and do some more training and find another vet, if a vet or nurse can't manage a Lab they are not trying to do their job. How do they think they manage in the field with a Lab if they can't be taught to behave.

As i said Jackie H my dog is improving every time i take him, i do train him, i make him sit and wait when he acts like that, the vet i take him to is fab, before Toby knew it the booster had been given,

Heidi

I know a four-year-old lab who was castrated at about 7 months, and he is still bonkers when he's out! In fact his behaviour hasn't matured at all since the operation! Other dogs of around his age who were left intact are now much steadier.

I'm leaving my labs nuts alone for now! I don't think it will make any difference to him.  Obviously for health reasons I will prob get him done at some point.  He is bonkers sometimes too but I have learnt to accept that that is a lab thing.  He is fully socialised and has been going to dog school since 11 weeks old.  he is 15 months now. 

Anyway I say....let them lick them while they still can! ha ha

What health reasons Labmaid?

testicular cancer

True, that is the only potential problem that castration will eliminate.
:)

I read somewhere that it was around the age of 6 that you should consider it as they are more at risk...anyone know any different?

There are other cancers that are far more likely to effect your boy, bone cancer for one, and I take it you are not considering filleting him. There is also a good deal of evidence that there is more chance of him getting prostrate cancer if he is castrated, a very nasty and difficult to treat cancer. With testicular cancer you do have a chance of catching it early, if you check every week and should your dog be one of the unfortunate ones, then is the time to castrate.

wooohh slow down don't bite my head off! I was only saying that castration would eliminate the risk of cancer.  my god NO I am not considering filleting him thank you....what a ridiculous thing to say! sorry but didn't expect to get that response to my innocent reply.

Sorry Labmaid, I was just pointing out the true situation regarding bone cancer and testicular cancer, it is, if you check at least every week a minor consideration. You must excuse me if I react in an over the top way, I have know what it means to have to deal with a dog that suffered with a dog that seemed to suffer in every way from being castrated.

That's ok.  I understand what you mean.  I do check and would like to think that others do too.

If it was a joke sorry didn't get it although don't think it's the right topic to joke about anyway. Sorry...

It was a joke, Labmad! But Jackie's right - testicular cancer is uncommon and easy to treat if your dog is indeed unlucky enough to develop it. Castration won't eliminate the risk of any other sorts of cancer.
:)

<There are other cancers that are far more likely to effect your boy, bone cancer for one, and I take it you are not considering filleting him.>

Brilliant comment Jackie, I'll remember it when I next time I am discussing the routine castration of dogs!

snomaes

The nurse then said in her oppinion i should get him done straight away as he was mad.

No doubt she is only used to or can only handle the type of dog that would not look out of place with 4 wheels and handle.  A veterinary nurse is NOT necessarily versed in breeds, behaviour or training!

I asked if he would calm down with age as in the house he is so placid and calm to the point of being dosey.  She said NO he won't as Labs never do it's just their bodies slow down eventually.

Of course he is full of excitement about life, so he should be he is young and curious, just like children they should have boundless energy!  Did you want a nightdress case? :)

I said that i thought they shouldn't be done till 18months - 2years. Her reply was that this is a breaders oppinion and as i only wan't him as a pet should have him done now before his behaviour becomes habit rather than hormonal.

What behaviour is that exactly; joie de vivre? (I should nip that in the bud extremely quickly, can't have animals enjoying themselves)

Castration is no substitute for training, concentrate on the latter and I doubt if you will have to touch his dangly bits :D

[http://www.nafacares.org/Spay%20Neuter/why_spay__neuter.htm]

Here's an INFORMATIVE website with some statistics included. I hope it can be of assistance to you. Don't include the brackets if you copy and past it. I put those there trying to make it directly clickable. Still can't seem to make it work. Maybe it will. But if you want to look it up, leave the brackets off which are at the beginning and the end of that above site.

Although this site is a blatant advert for their own product, their figures make interesting reading.

Thanks 2 all.
I will keep him intact and hope he calms a little.
I didn't want him done so am happy with all your replies.
I didn't think the vet nurse was thinking of Becks just thinking of money.
Lol at the replies.
Till next time. xx