Hi, looking for some information/advice. I have a male puppy that has just turned 9 months of age and even though I can feel his testicles they have not descended down properly. They feel fairly small still as well. My question is how much chance is there of them coming down at his age and is there anything I can do to assist their descention??

> is there anything I can do to assist their descention??

Stop feeling for them!  It's well known that males will keep them retained if messed with. 

However, it is likely that he will need them removed if they don't descend.  But don't let anyone rush you into this decision.  9 months is far too early for a dog to be neutered.

Excellent advise from JeanSW

> Stop feeling for them!  It's well known that males will keep them retained if messed with.  <br /><br />However, it is likely that he will need them removed if they don't descend.  But don't let anyone rush you into this decision.  9 months is far too early for a dog to be neutered.

Couldn't agree more with this answer!    IF they don't appear by the time he's over a year, then you probably will need to get him castrated.   But not yet.  And again, stop checking, other than occasionally.   Males (dogs!) very often managed to pull them back, if messed around with too much

I thought I read somewhere (ages ago) - may have been here or elsewhere - that there is a technique to massaging the area to encourage them to come down? Can anyone remember reading that?

That is what I wondered as not fiddling with them much just checking every so often.

> that there is a technique to massaging the area to encourage them to come down

In many years of owning stud dogs I've never heard of anything so unlikely.

> In many years of owning stud dogs I've never heard of anything so unlikely.

Neither have I and wouldn't that come under the same bracket as feeling for them too often?   Leave them alone, and if, by about 6 months, you don't think they are both where they should be, get your vet to take a look, and advise.   In any case, even if retained and needing to be found and removed, I'd not bother to do so, until the male is over a year.