Aww my baby boy has had his balls off today!  He is walking like John Wayne and looking at me accusingly.  All joking aside, laying down appears to be causing him a few problems as does pooing.  I assume this will improve quite quickly?  I am hoping that his constant humping and growing aggression will calm down!

I have one thing to ask though, does anybody elses dog not sleep?  He will determinedly sit here, head nodding and eyes closing, like a sleepy child but refuses to give into sleep unless we've all actually gone to bed - my other dog will happily slumber everywhere, anytime!

Hi,
mind me asking how old your dog is? Our pup will be castrated at some point but people keep giving me differing advice. Vet says around 6 - 8 months, breeder says wait till atleast a year - what to do? Advice welcome

Hi Bint,

This subject has been done to the death so often that it's probably easier if you just do a search on the board - put in the word "castration" and you will find countless threads and opinions.

The following ARTICLE may also be useful to you.

Regards, Teri :)

Thanks Teri, will do
Bye for now

"Since your dog will be on lead or inside a secure fence at all times, there should be no problem with dogs outside your household." (quote from above article) Any comments?

Emphasis on the 'should'. ;) Remember, that's an American article, and there are much stricter leash laws there than there are here.

My pup is just over 6 months now.  He was literally humping everything that moved, my other dog was thinking of filing a sexual harassment charge.  I have to say that literally the day after he was bouncing around full of joy which is a relief!

Hi, I have just had my dog castrated (actually last Thursday), after reading the article that you posted - the castration of my dog is a total waste of time, he has sexual aggresstion.  I debated this castration for a few months and really only had it done because of the vets, trainer and behaviourist (who I must stress was a police dog trainer and is highly recommended).  Not only one vet but quite a few different ones I spoke to.  My husband and sons did NOT want the dog castrated, but as I am the one who walks my boy I had it done.  My previous dobermann was not castrated but he never showed any signs of aggression towards other dogs.  Now after reading this article I really don't know if I have done the right thing!  Too late now though.  I have taken advice as I would presume the people I had spoken too knew far more about dogs than I do.

Hi Debbie,

There are very few vets who would not recommend early neutering of either sex - apart from annual vaccinations, that is their "bread and butter" after all ;)  Don't beat yourself up about it, what's done is done.

The main thing to remember is that good behaviour and acceptable manners from a dog requires patient and consistent training - removing the testes does not overcome the potential minefield of problems which can arise with any juvenile :)  So long as you continue to train him to a standard which you find a joy to live with and ensure that he makes no nuisance or causes a danger to anyone or any other dog he will be a happy and well adjusted family friend.  Unfortunately, vets et al put so much stress on "preventative measures" via the castration route that some inexperienced owners simply don't expect that their dog could still wander off, fail or refuse to recall, demonstrate sexual behaviour (albeit they are sterile) etc etc.

Best wishes, Teri  

This board in general seems very anti nuetering.  I am actually for it.  I have kept entire dogs and had neutered ones over the past 30 odd years and I have got to say the ones nuetered younger did not have the sexual aggression that could surface in entire males.
Its not an alternative to socialization and training though.  If you don't train your dog it won't come back nuetered on unneutered.
I have also suffered terrible and fatal health problems in those not nuetered or spayed.  Maybe i have just been unlucky but one thing I am sure of is that if those had been nuetered or spayed they would not have died when they did.
I can see no good reason for keeping a dog entire unless he is going to be a good usefull stud dog for his breed.
I expect i shall get shot down for that last statement but after my experiences that is my opinion and we are all entitled to them.

I actually agree with you bevb.

I don't often join in on these debates, but I think a lot depends on the temperament of the dog concerned.  Where you live is a major factor.  If you are in the country surrounded by fields and can just let your dog go without any others around, then the need is greatly reduced.  If, however, you have to walk your dog with other peoples dogs, then it can be a big problem if he is 'that way' inclined.

I would not however neuture before the dog was at least 12 months old, perhaps a bit later in the slow maturing breeds.

I don't feel it's anti-neutering per se, just anti routine neutering without considering all the pros and cons. :)

Hi Bev,

>This board in general seems very anti nuetering

I don't think that's quite accurate ;)  Yes, some members (and I am one of that number) do not like to see neutering vaunted as a cure-all for any and every situation but nevertheless respect the right of any owner to make their own mind up when presented with all the facts.  It is IME factual that some neutered males still develop undesirable traits despite neutering and additionally can become nervous, particularly when the source of unwarranted attention by other dogs who mistake them for in season bitches ;)  It is also my experience that early neutering has an adverse affect on mental and physical maturity hence when advising on such issues I would always recommend that a bitch has at least had her first season over and done with some 3 months before and that ideally, regardless of sex, the animal should be upwards of 18 months.  Over and above these issues, it is also only fair to advise owners that in coated breeds the texture, length, and manageability of the coat is severely compromised.

The vets provide the medical "preventative" reasoning behind it and by and large some forum members provide the info rarely mentioned by vets - so really, the aim is to provide a balanced view of the pros and cons of neutering to anyone enquiring.

Having kept both sexes entire all my life and had no problems with males developing testicular cancer nor inappropriate behaviours such as scent marking, running off, humping anything with or without a pulse, fighting with other males etc, it seems that even with my very average training ability these problems need never arise if common sense is applied and a relatively simplistic training regime in place :)

I don't advocate the automatic sterilisation of any species simply because there is no intent to reproduce nor do I think it appropriate to risk a GA for non-medical reasons but,  as you say, *that is my opinion and we are all entitled to them*

Regards, Teri 

Exactly Teri, your view is very important too and I feel it is good for owners to hear both sides from us that have experienced it.
Its just I had noticed most posts about nuetering on here were implying that it SHOULDN'T be done.  Not saying thats how it was mean't to sound, but its how it comes accross sometimes.
In my area there are a lot of unnuetered males that do show sexual aggression to any other male dog.  I do feel nuetering should be done sooner rather than later so any sexual aggression is stopped before it starts otherwise it can become a learned way of life and even after nuetering the behaviour is established and harder to break.
I have also found in the majority of cases (not all) that nuetered dogs are easier to train as they don't have other things on thier mind.
But again as I said in my previous post nuetering is not a substitute for training and education of your dog.  There are plenty of unruly neutered dogs out there that the owners havn't bothered to try and deal with.
If you have got a dog already with sexual aggression then nuetering can help but only along with appropriate behaviour training.
Also it can take 6 months to see any result from the op, but if behaviour is already established it is up to the individual to work with thier dog to change it, which can be difficult but not impossible.

Bev

Hi again Bev,

It may come across that most imply that it shouldn't be done - probably because in the main, the same people respond to posts of that nature :P but in fairness, the half dozen or so (that instantly spring to mind) who most regularly highlight the cons of neutering aren't entirely anti neutering.

FWIW, through showing my dogs (both sexes), I regularly come across literally thousands of entire canines - if males were really so prone to develop unmanageable traits I would expect such behaviours to be very much in evidence when congregating in vast numbers in limited and often stressful places - but, it's not.

Equally, while I definitely think there is some merit in the argument that a behaviour can become "learned" hence castration has no real affect, I also think there is merit in the argument that in a juvenile of any species when hormones are raging, inappropriate behaviours are at their peak - in unison with and by result of said hormones.  When these settle down, so too does the behaviour which to me then raises the quandary that the castrated young dog may well have become more manageable naturally and with maturity, even if left entire....

Regards, Teri :)  

Teri

I think there is a difference with an experience person like yourself managing an entire male and perhaps the first time dog owner who fails to recognise the problems as they arise and we all know once they are left to develop they are very difficult to overcome.

Sandra

Hi Sandra,

Thank you, but I see myself merely as a regular, average, pet owner who has learned along with my dogs - I sometimes got it right and sometimes got it wrong :)  My first family pet was a bitch and by the time she was 9 months old she was joined by a male of the same breed hence my education in the differences was extremely rapid and much the same as anyone else.  My male, entire, was in fact much more easily trained than the bitch and subsequent additions of both sexes have followed in a similar vein - even when one of the males was used a few times at stud.

I do understand that there are always situations whereby the sensible thing to do is neuter - more often in bitches than in males for the simple reason that containing a bitch in season requires 100% dedication and observation by the entire household and where there are children around for eg. concentration can easily lapse.  I guess I could be described as slightly "sexist" insofar as I am pro-males remaining entire with the exception of medical grounds but believe it is in the best interests for the average pet homed bitch to be speyed when physically and mentally mature.  Not very PC probably LOL :P

regards, Teri       

I guess a lot of the members can come across as anti-neutering but here's the way I see it...

People often post here saying 'my dog is aggressive/oversexed/scent marking in the house/whatever' and more often than not someone will suggest getting him castrated as a 'cure' for the problem behaviour. Fair enough, it works for some dogs but not all. The majority of members here want to encourage responsible dog ownership at all times and therefore present the arguments against neutering and usually offer advice on how to address the problem behaviour. Presenting the arguments for and against allows a person to make an informed decision about what will be in the best interests of their dog. After all, only the person in the situation can judge what might work for them and their dog.  Knowledge is power.

As a naive first time dog-owner, I believed that a vet would be the best person to consult on this issue. Of  course I was presented with a long lists of pro-neutering reasons. The implication was almost that I was an irresponsible dog owner if I didn't hand over my boy to have his bits whipped off. I duly consented. Luckily, I have had no reason to regret it as my boy is the most laid back, happy dog you could ever wish to meet but I would have liked to have all the facts presented to me beforehand. This is not to say that any male dogs I keep in the future will be kept entire, but my decision to neuter or not will at least be a considered one.

Its not a cure but it can really help along with the approproiate training and in many cases (not all) make that training easier.
There are also the health implications, which I have unfortunatly had the misfortune to have come accross on more than one occasion by leaving mine in tact.  hence why from my point of view I would reccomend it.

Bev

I think you will find that many of the expereinced owners and breeders are against ROUTINE NEUTERING OF IMMATURE dogs and bitches, but most probably do neuter their bitches after breeding and many advise neuetering of pet dogs (if there is a chance they could sire unwanted litters) once they have matured physically and to some extent mentally.

I bred and showed dogs for many years until my husband died.  We also used to take in problem dogs and train them.
It is often not the dog but the owner that really needs the training and for the general pet owner to stop unwanted pups, possible health problems, and the chance of unnessary aggresssion, which they may make worse with thier lack of knowledge I do advise nuetering or spaying.
Bev

Hi Teri,

I did not have the neutering done as a routine.  I did consider this very seriously.  My dog actually changed around the age of 14 months old, he started to try and mount dogs, which most times resulted in a fight.  I ended up not wanting to let him off the lead, which is not good as he has good recall and does not wander off.  The castration was considered because what he had seemed to be sexual aggression, and after talking to lots of people (also a behaviourist), about what happened I was told this was the best way for him.

Hi Debbie,

There is every possibility that you will see an improvement in his behaviour - the operation having been done so recently, he will still have a fairly high level of testosterone in his system.  The reason behind neutering for dog-aggressive behaviour is to remove the testosterone in the hope that this will reduce or eliminate the urge to be dominant and bolshy with other males.  In those circumstances it can be a good idea to try a medical hormone suppressant first (by injection normally) to see if this produces the desired results and, if so, then proceed to castrate.

I was not suggesting that you did have your dog castrated on a whim or without consultation - my apologies if that's how it came across.  Regards Teri :)

Hi Teri,

It did sound as though you were suggesting that I just had thought "oh I'll have him castrated" and I must admit I am a bit touchy at the moment as it is only a week ago now.  I am hoping it is the right thing for him and will help to sort this out, only time will tell.

Thank you. 

I had Hudson castrated at age 28 months or so ...NOT because of his behaviour but because I was getting a bitch and couldn't guarantee that they would be seperate during her season. I had already decided that I didn't want to breed from Hudson so there was no problem :)

Someone in the thread said they had their dog castrated last week and it has made NO difference to the dogs behavior ....it can take a few months for any change to occur I believe ..I don't think it happens immediately IF at all. Hudson was of an age where the castration made no difference to his character :)