To neuter or not to neuter that is the ?

[bannerd]

Few questions, when do the dogs get more sexual? I notice that when he's chewing his bone or if food is really really good the red rocket starts coming out. I don't think he knows what it is because it scared the hell out of him.

I've been reading through articles and articles online and I can't find a answer. I found that neutering will make the dog more agressive... will make him less agressive(which I doubt matters if the dog sees you as his owner). I've read it helps prevent cancer and other illnesses but I think that smells fishy. The only thing that makes sense to me is when he gets sexually mature and since he loves being off leash there is a good chance a female dog will be in heat and I don't want him doing that. I'm thinking about getting it done but not for awhile since we're still bonding.

[CaroleBoaz]

Few questions, when do the dogs get more sexual? I notice that when he's chewing his bone or if food is really really good the red rocket starts coming out. I don't think he knows what it is because it scared the hell out of him.

Poor baby! I don't mind the red rocket at all. It's perfectly normal for it to come out now and again.

But, if you do decide to neuter him, wait until he's matured physically. Maybe around 2 years old.

I'm in the no neuter camp, myself. I had to neuter my Laekenois because his never descended, and the vet had to go looking for them. Poor Balto. That was the worst surgery I ever saw.

But with my first boy, I never neutered him. He knew there was a really nice smelly girl on the next street, but he was very good and never went running over there. I let him walk down that street, just because he found it so interesting.

[bannerd]

Thanks Carol, you've been very informative +1

[Flying Dutchman]

Ku is the first adult dog we've adopted who came to us intact. Initially I was going to neuter him after he had a few months to settle in and after he turned 2 (which was Thanksgiving) since I have always altered my dogs and we have no intention or desire to breed him. But in the case of male dogs there is a bit of a shift in attitude towards neutering and many vets are now recommending keeping males intact but that comes with some very big "ifs" of course-if you can keep them from breeding indiscriminately, if they don't have behavior problems purely associated with being intact, and if it's not causing health issues (such as retained testicles or testicular cancer).

I've been reading a lot lately and fortunately because of my line of work I have access to several veterinarians. There are some indications that there's a higher incident of some cancers (osteosarcoma, prostate cancer, and hemangiosarcoma) in neutered dogs and as Carole said, if you do decide to neuter, do it after the growth plates have closed and when they have matured enough to where it won't cause orthopedic and structural problems (2 years or so). Female dogs are more complex but won't get into that now.

I also have a good friend who is a veterinary specialist and physiologist and studies animal athletes (racehorses, sled dogs, etc) and since Ku is an athlete who has yet to reach his potential in the sports that we do, I don't want to cut off his testosterone and ability to build muscle. There really aren't any studies examining this topic but my friend told me it wouldn't hurt to wait especially since Ku's previous owners kept him confined to a point where he had no muscle mass. So for a variety of reasons we have decided to keep him intact.

Bottom line is you decide what is best for you and your dog and consult with your vet about it. And if they aren't open-minded then it might be time for a new vet.

[Choochi]

There's a LOT of reading up you can do on this subject but in a nutshell a lot of the new material coming out suggests that waiting is a better option. Most vets suggest having your dog altered at 6 months simply as a means of population control as that is the age most dogs start becoming sexually mature. There are not health benefits associated with fixing your dog this early and in fact most research points to this likely having a detrimental effect on your dog's health and longevity.

So as mentioned, if you can be a responsible owner and keep your dog from breeding and don't experience any nuisance behaviours, wait until he is at least 2 yrs old, or possibly don't neuter him at all. But do your own research into this.. lots of good info out there.