Anyone NOT castrated their dog?

[bella29]

Am just about to book my big soppy lab puppy in for the chop & have always had all my male dogs done (I know all about the health benefits, straying etc) but just wondered if anyone had an uncastrated dog who was actually okay to live with, didn't run off after the girls etc.

Thanking you...

[WorzselMummage]

We've never done ours and they've all been fine

[bella29]

Am I right in thinking you've got a lab, worzel?

[hercules1]

I have my boys done but not my girl as there are more healthy issues having her done than not partly due to her breed. We keep her in when she's in season. Only did my spaniel because of her.

[Drusilla]

Ours is 12 now and has all his bits and has always been very well behaved. He is a springer spaniel.

[WorzselMummage]

Yeah he's 2.

Had a collie and a retriver/springer x before and have never had any leg humping, escaping or loss of recall or anything.

My Lab now goes though stages of wanking ( yes really ) but thats the only overt sexual behaviour really and i am not sure thats really sexual as opposed to him feeling as if he's not getting quite the amount of attention he feels he deserves and doing it to gross me out and pee me off, eurgh..

[Winetimeisfinetime]

We have 2 male dogs and one has been done and the other hasn't { due to potential problems with anaesthesia } and it is the one who has been done who is by far the worst 'humper'. He will hump anything and everything.

I also used to have 2 labradors who were both done as the vet said it would calm them down. I have to say it made no perceivable difference whatsoever - and they would still hump each other for England ! Very embarrassing when my car was stopped at traffic lights and passers by would be treated to the sight of two large dogs frantically humping each other on the back seat. That's if they could actually see in the window through all the dog slobber !

[exasperatedmummy]

I haven't castrated my JRT, he is 1.5, he is just starting to get a bit lary with other dogs.

I had a rotweiller before, didn't castrate him in early life but did so later due to prostate problems, he never showed any aggression towards other dogs.

Had a rottie from battersea dogs home, thought he was mike tyson! He was castrated when we got him.

I have always been of the opinion to leave well alone. In fact, i used to work at a vets, and our advice was not to castrate unless there is a problem. I went back to work after a break, only to find that they had changed their policy and were now advising castration as soon as mature enough.

Jury's out for me. If i don't get my dog done soon, i wont, because we had the rottie done late in life it ruined his coat (apparently this is fairly common)

[bella29]

lol at all these humping dogs!!!

It does take me back to that dog masturbation thread - I knew I'd met you before, Worzel! Very interesting what you say too, Winetime, about the one who is castrated being the worst.

I have gone from being 100% pro-castration to really not being sure now. My pup's testicles are hanging in the balance here, guys

[Milliways]

We didn't "chop" our 1st GSD - the vet said it "would be like having a porsche firing on 2 cylinders"

He was great - best temperment ever & no worries with aggression, running off etc.

However, we REALLY regretted it when he got old, as he developed some sort of Prostate problem & HAD to have them removed in case cancerous & spreading. Took an old dog longer to recover & made me wish we had done it as a pup.

GSD2 was also left untouched - then became badly behaved so vet recommended the chop. DIdn't make much difference - probably left it too late.

When/if we get dog 3, it WILL be chopped

[Bubbaluv]

Just had my Boxer done. Not for any behavioural reasons, but because OTHER male dogs were so aggressive towards him. He's such a sook and so gentle, I just didn't want him to start to be nervous or aggressive as a response to the unwanted attention he was attracting.
Having volunteered for dog rescues though, I think that de-sexing is the ONLY responsible option. It is so sad to see all those unwanted dogs.

[fossa]

My three year old springer is uncastrated and fine, and loves to sleep on his back with his legs splayed and his nuts on prominent display.

[bella29]

Bubbaluv - I agree that castration is responsible and I've worked for dog rescues too but I would never allow him to stray or become an unplanned daddy. Any pups in the future (if I did decide to breed him) would be responsibly bred.

Up until now you could never have met anyone more pro-castration than me, but I would like to keep the option of breeding from him open for the future, unless he was going to be markedly more difficult to own as a result of keeping his goolies. I know about the risk of prostate cancer too & am sorry it happened to your dog, Milliways.

Very interesting to hear about all these lovely natured entire dogs, as I've had little first hand experience of uncastrated dogs (perhaps not the best choice of phrase there ) The only entire one I ever owned was an elderly rescue JRT who was swwetness itself but whether that was just him is anyone's guess.

[Bubbaluv]

If there was a shortage of Lab Breeders I might agree with you.

[MarmadukeScarletbloodstains]

Sorry, having worked for various animal charities I too think it is the only responsible option for dogs that will not be shown (you cannot show a castrated dog unless you can prove it was for a health reason).

Bella29 I genuinely do not understand why you would consider putting your dog to stud. Unless you are showing him and he is a perfect show/genetic specemin (hips/eyes/ears for labs isn't it?) you are not a professional breeder - breeding is best left to those who know what they are doing. Not people who fancy putting their pet to a friend/neighbours.

Am about the vet who said to castrate a GSD would be like firing on 2 pistons, every vet I have met WITHOUT EXCEPTION has been very pro neutering for the health benefits. Horrible uterine problems for bitches and prostrate/anal tumour for dogs.

I (with my parents) used to breed and show Afghans. We were responsible breeders with CC winning stock, waiting lists for our pups could be up to 3 years long as we only bred occasionally. Toeards the end of his life my last show dog was castrated due to an anal tumour, I still showed him but with a vet certificate.

ALL dogs and ALL cats, unless there is good reason, should be done.

[bella29]

I don't really want to get into a discussion about whether anyone should or shouldn't breed dogs, especially as I haven't even decided whether I want to breed mine. If you feel so strongly, as you obviously do, perhaps you might want to start up a thread on that topic.

All I wanted was to hear some other people's experiences of what life with an uncastrated dog is like.

Thank you to everyone who did that.

[NBheebieGeebies]

Our dog is 8 and not castrated.
We never had any problems with him until last year when we got a little Chihuahua. When she came into heat it sent our dog wild.

If I put the Chihuahua in the crate, the dog would walk round patroling it and howling, if he went in it he would just bark constantly.
But we got her done rather than him because she was still a pup.

But he's never gone off after other dogs. Never.

[bella29]

xpost Marmaduke - could get up on my soapbox too about you not knowing my suitability as a breeder (or my dog's pedigree) but I won't. I certainly didn't contemplate 'putting him to a friend/neighbours' as you say. You must be confusing me with someone else.

Thanks again to all who answered the actual question.

[Bubbaluv]

I think you kind of invited comment with your post though Bella. If you only want us to respond to your OP then you should not add additional info during the thread.

[bella29]

So I can ask a question but not reply to any erroneous assumptions?

[Milliways]

Marmaduke - our first GSD was a HUGE beautiful specimen with great pedigree, and I think the vet thought we may want to breed from him.

Our neighbours are dog breeders, and when the girls come into season they move into one of the garden sheds and howl all night!

Drives my neutered dog mad (as well as us humans and next doors male whole dogs!)

Bella - my friend has retrievers. She let her female have one litter before neutering and they were such a lovely litter, raised in a fab family with children. She researched & did everything she could and I would have had one if DH wasn't a die-hard GSD man

[Bubbaluv]

Bella, Of course, feel free to dispell any misuderstandings or erroneous assumptions (Marmaduke certainly made some assumptions that were founded on naught), but you can't pick and chose which parts of the info you supply will be commented on.

[Bubbaluv]

Dreadful sentence construction - sorry!

[bella29]

Well, you know it's one thing to make huge sweeping assumptions about my being an ignorant amateur dog breeder when all I said was I might one day breed from him but it's quite another to use appalling grammar

[MarmadukeScarlet]

The assumption I made 'founded on naught' (I presume it was my comment on breeding dog with friend's or neighbours bitch?) was based on years of breeding experience.

A stud dog (or progeny of such) is only of any value to a professional, experienced and responsible breeder if it has been shown and been sucessful.

The very fact this dog is being considered for neutering proves it will not be shown.

Breeding for the pet market is a completely unregulated business, where many people make money breeding completely unsuitable animals and selling them to unsuspecting people. Not that I am implying that the OP is an unscrupulous breeder or that her dog is unsuitable to stud.

I believe that only regulated licensed breeder should be allowed to produce puppies - but perhaps I should start a thread about that .

[notsoseriousanymore]

My dog (choc lab) is 5 and is intact.

I have been asked about breeding from him but would not as this would require hip scoring and I am not prepared to give him a GA to assess his hips.

He is fine, his behaviour is excellent.

I wouldn't question it if there were a medical or behavioural problem, but as there is not, he can keep 'em.