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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask if I get my dog neutered?

66 replies

northeastwest · 23/08/2019 20:34

I have a lovely cocker spaniel puppy.
He’s fitted in perfectly into our family, he has his mental moments.. but generally is amazing especially with the kids ( 4 and 1), he’s sociable, great off the lead.
He’s now 6 months and I was under the impression it was the norm to get non breeding dogs done, obviously we have absolutely no intention of breeding him.
But from meeting other dog owners on our adventures I’ve seen probably more dogs who are in tact, when asking the owners they explained that they had no issues with their dog etc so didn’t choose to get them done.

I spoke to the breeder when we got him and she said to get him done
So now I’m confused
Obviously I want the best for my dog, people I spoke to tended to relate getting their dog done to dominance and aggression issues so said because they hadn’t encountered these they havnt had them done?
Just looking for some advice really !

OP posts:

ChanklyBore · 23/08/2019 20:35

Get him done. It’s a no-brainer

raspberryk · 23/08/2019 20:36

Yes if there's no intention of breeding it's responsible to send him for the snip once he is fully grown.

Soubriquet · 23/08/2019 20:36

Get him done

A lot of dogs can go a bit mad when they smell a bitch in heat

It will also stop him scent marking and will prevent him from getting testicular cancer

Aquamarine1029 · 23/08/2019 20:40

Get him done. Without question.

Winsomelosesome · 23/08/2019 20:43

Agree, get him done. Entire males are more likely to be involved in road traffic accidents as they'll take off after a bitch in heat plus you'll eliminate the risk of testicular cancer and reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Neutering doesn't actually solve behaviour issues like aggression, only sexualised behaviour like humping.

Original poster

northeastwest · 23/08/2019 20:47

Thanks everyone ! Reading these responses I really can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t get them done then?
Everyone that I spoke to wasn’t breeding so seems silly !

OP posts:

TheoriginalLEM · 23/08/2019 20:51

I have two dogs - one I had from a puppy the other a rescue. The rescue is castrated and a dream of a dog. The one I had from a pup and didn't castrate because i was too pfd about my little dog is an utter bastard

Hoppinggreen · 23/08/2019 20:54

I had my Goldie done at 18 months but I am a member of a breed forum in FB where a lot of people are anti neutering. They cite a few studies saying why it’s a bad idea but I don’t really read them as it’s not relevant to us.
Our dog was very humpy, DD’s friends were a particular target and according to doggie daycare he had no friends as he tried to hump everyone. He’s much calmer in general and I don’t have to worry about him legging it after bitches. It was a no brainier for us and I’ve never regretted it

SqueakyChicken · 23/08/2019 20:58

Another negative of entire males is they are often a target for aggression from other entire males :(

People often don’t get them done because the male of the family refuses, as if you’re offering to do the same to them! They take it very personally.

Pardonwhat · 23/08/2019 20:58

I personally think he’s too young. Hormones are essential for growth.
Also, yes it does cut risks of some diseases. But it increases risks of others.
If you don’t have a bitch and it causes no issues I don’t see why you’d neuter him. My dogs entire and about 2 or 3 years old now. He’s a lovely dog and I wouldn’t want him to lose his bits and his confidence.

Croquembou · 23/08/2019 20:58

I didn't neuter my dog because he didn't roam, he didn't hump and he was a bit of a soft arse so needed all the help he could get. But at 10, he got an old man swollen prostate and had to have them off anyway so... I'd save yourself some hassle and a massive vets bill and just get him done. I've had 10 years with him with in tacr and a couple of months without and there's absolutely no difference in his behaviour or energy levels.

PookieDo · 23/08/2019 21:01

Yep. Do it. But you can wait a while until he’s grown a bit. My little Ddog is a handful enough without being in tact. He did hump a beagle last week to my mortification though, even tho he is done! He would be 100x worse

NoSauce · 23/08/2019 21:01

If you’re going to get him done wait till he’s matured and at least 18 months old.

adaline · 23/08/2019 21:02

He's far too young at six months old.

Definitely get him done but wait until he's fully grown - 18 months should be about right for a cocker.

adaline · 23/08/2019 21:04

We got our beagle done three weeks ago and he's calmed down noticeably already - I'm so glad we did it, he's a much better dog.

stopgap · 23/08/2019 21:06

Six months can be fine. I’m not advocating it necessarily, but my rescue pug was neutered at four months (!) and he’s now the ripe old age of 15.5 and in great health.

My other dog (a rescue mutt) ingested a sponge at six months that required surgical removal, and so I decided to have him fixed at the same time. He’s now three and also in great health.

Justme1234567 · 23/08/2019 21:08

Yes do it, if you have no intention of breeding, I didn’t get my bitch pug spayed and she got pyrometra and this was one of the worst things I had to go through (because the-not usual vet -was money hungry) was absolutely soul destroying thinking I would loose her.

DontCallMeShitley · 23/08/2019 21:10

I had a friend with a beautiful intact dog, he was a good size and very friendly. So much so that he would hump anyone that visited her and as a result no one went to her flat and her flat mate stayed in her room.

In the end she gave him to a family with the condition that they left him intact because it was wrong to remove his right to be a dog or something. No idea what happened to him, poor dog.

Sayhellotothethings · 23/08/2019 21:12

I would wait until he is closer to one and his growth plates are definitely closed, but yes get him done. Reduces the risk of certain cancers etc.

Please ignore comments about dominance as the dominance theory has been completely debunked. It's more to do with confidence and hormones amplifying existing personaility traits for dogs with aggressive tendencies. In the same way, fearful dogs can become more fearful after neutering and their confidence is lowered.

Unlikely to stop humping completely as that is often down to over arousal (excitement, not the sexual kind) or an outlet of an extreme emotion.

But yes get him done. Just wanted to debunk some myths.

makingmammaries · 23/08/2019 21:14

Neutering male dogs is more for the owner’s benefit than the dog’s benefit. I have an entire male dog, 65 kg, who is no trouble at all. Females on the other hand benefit from being spayed as pyometra is truly horrible, as one PP mentioned, and common in older unspayed females.

Sayhellotothethings · 23/08/2019 21:14

My boy was neutered at 6 months (rescue) and is in amazing health and condition. However, if I had the choice, I would have waited until he was one.

WorraLiberty · 23/08/2019 21:15

My DS has just got his 7 month old puppy neutered.

The difference was amazing. Within literally 4 days he'd stopped peeing all over the house to mark his scent over my dog's and he's also much calmer and easier to train.

Oh and the puppy is ok too

makingmammaries · 23/08/2019 21:15

Neutering reduces the risk of some cancers but increases the risk of others, incidentally.

Alwaysgrey · 23/08/2019 21:17

Interesting as we are wondering about our dog who is 9 months. Off lead he would roam and he does scent mark a lot when out.

tirednhungry247 · 23/08/2019 21:17

You don't want him making sweet love to the couch cushions when you're out

Get him snipped

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