I have heard that it's not always a good idea to castrate a nervous dog as it can make them even more nervous - and also if he gets the 'feminisation' problem, other dogs may be even more attracted to him :( Any more experienced people got a view on this ?

Daisy

This is normal as he will be having more testosterone coursing around his body than he will when mature.  At this age other dogs feel they ahve to put this young upstart in his place and remind him not to get too big for his boots.  This will pass over the next year as hormone levels level out.

Castrating a nervous or one that is lacking in confidence may make things worse.

Absolutely. :D

Speaking of accidents with uncastrated dogs I was just worried in the future that if I was in the park with my dog and there happened to be a bitch in season that I didn't know about and he ran off after her and they got together.....  Would I as the male dog owner not be held liable for this accident even though the bitches owner wasn't restraining his/her dog on a lead or kept her inside????

No they would have been the idiots for taking their bitch somwhere where there were bound to be off lead dogs.  I walk my in seasoj bitches only where there should be no loose dogs the streets around where I live.  Lots of Pavement pounding for weeks as invariably the other one comes in just after the first.

The responsibility would definitely be solely that of the owner of an in season bitch that was either being exercised in a public area or allowed to roam free.    I did have an interesting recall situation many years ago when exercising an entire male with my own bitch when we came across a poor little latch-key mongrel who couldn't have been more than about 8/9 months of age and was in season - although I can only assume early stages.  My bitch was over to her like a shot, highly interested, and the male followed suit - fortunately he was a celibate chap who really didn't have a clue what to do :P and was very obedient so I was able to fetch him back and put him on the lead before anything may have taken place, WHEW!   The local park keepers took her into their "tea-shed" for the rest of the afternoon and when her owner eventually came looking for her they gave him a proper earful and she was kept in after that and spayed at a later date.  Still remained a little latch-key dog though :( but the park keepers always fussed her and took her in with them in bad weather.

Teri

I don't agree with fixing early either since I have joined CD. Mind you I will not fix another male again, as for females I will wait till after they are mature but not planning on getting any females in the furture as I prefer males...

I fixed T-Bone (bitch) and Dozer (dog) at 5 months and their parts never grown properly compared to the other dog/bitches I have. Dozer also does not seem to be able to hold it that long and his kennel is always messed everyday pretty much. Yes he is perfectly healthy no problems at all, we keep close watch with everything with him because he also has a rectal prolapse....

It depends, your dog is just as likely to attempt this if the bitch is on a lead!  In season bitch owners may attempt to walk them only where they are unlikely to meet other dogs but of course it is going to happen sometimes in which case, I believe, you are just as responsible for keeping them apart.  So for instance if the bitch owner calls out to you that their bitch is in season you had better get your skates on if the recall isn't too good.  Responsibility, to my mind, lies with anybody who keeps an entire animal whether male or female.

I have heard that it can make them more nervy too, but to be honest he wasn't really that nervous until the other  dogs started to have a go, so its a catch 22!! Unfortunately as he is a rescue dog it was in my contract that we have to get him done anyway, its really just a case of when.

When we got our lab 5 years ago (first dog) I contacted a locall trainer about joining her classes, a condition was that we had a one to one for her to meet the pup and me, I asked her advice about castration, she advised to have it done at six months as he was a very dominant dog. Now he is a very easy going dog. but then he might of been anyway given the correct training and sociaisation. The stange thing is that he started cocking his leg and humping anyother dog willing to let him at 2 years of age :-)