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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Sayhellotothethings · 23/08/2019 21:20

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.

At 9 months he has just begun adolescence, and will now have a new found confidence to roam further. Training is the best way to counter balance this. Their hormones go up and down until they are about 2.

slipperywhensparticus · 23/08/2019 21:21

Get him done my mom didn't have her one dog done the darn thing was sweet as anything cocked his leg on everything her house stank plus he got a drippy dick had a permanent sticky bit he would wipe every where it was grim and she wonders why I have cats!

TwoPupsandaHamster · 23/08/2019 21:21

Get him done without question. Seek advice from your vet as to when.

yellowallpaper · 23/08/2019 21:22

You'll soon get it done when he starts humping your leg!

Wolfiefan · 23/08/2019 21:23

Humping isn’t cured by neutering. Confused
It doesn’t cure unwanted behaviour.
Definitely too young if you’re considering it. But unless you live surrounded by unspayed bitches you’re unlikely to have any issues.

tirednhungry247 · 23/08/2019 21:30

@Wolfiefan sorry I'm no Caesar Milan
Just going off what my vet told me Confused
Maybe it was a fluke but my pooch did it way less after the snip and doesn't seem to do it all now

Pardonwhat · 23/08/2019 21:46

yellowallpaper

Entirely unrelated Smile

Sayhellotothethings · 23/08/2019 21:47

I hope to god nobody is a Cesar Millan, the man is an absolute fool and one of the worst things to happen to dog training. But that's another thread 🙈
Wolfie is right though, a lot of the time neutering won't stop humping. It can help but won't stop it. I have a neutered male who humps when he is over excited and doesnt know what to do about it.

Wolfiefan · 23/08/2019 21:51

People assume neutering will stop certain behaviours. It won’t calm your dog down or stop it humping or make it come back when it’s called. It will stop unwanted litters. I’m not saying people shouldn’t neuter their dogs. (They should certainly wait until they have matured.) It’s rather that they need to be realistic and not see it as a cure all.

Cryalot2 · 23/08/2019 21:53

I have a bitch and was never going to breed her. She was done before she came into season. Ok the op was more than me in my ignorance realised.

Dog fine and the dog liscence cheaper.

Original poster
northeastwest · 23/08/2019 21:54

Laughing a lot at the drippy dick comment Grin

Thanks all for the advice ! It wasn’t something I was thinking of getting done now it was just a thought for when the time was right.
A lot of people talking about scent marking though he hasn’t started this yet? He still does his little girl dog wee as soon as we get onto the parkSmile and luckily we havnt had any accidents in the house since the second week! I think we were lucky with weather that the patio doors could be open all day he picked it up quick!

OP posts:
PookieDo · 23/08/2019 22:04

Mine still scent marks
He only humps when he is very very over excited it never became a habit

He does 2 types of wees, a splayed back legs when he is doing a proper one and a leg cock when he is out walking.

Pardonwhat · 23/08/2019 22:06

northeastwest
Some dogs just don’t hump! My entire male certainly doesn’t. Whereas my mums spayed bitch does. It’s nothing to do really with ‘sexual excitement’

Spanielmadness · 23/08/2019 22:15

I was adamant I wouldn’t neuter my working cocker unless it was really needed.
I was convinced he just wasn’t bothered about girls........ I didn’t want to betray his innate masculine dogginess.......

When he was 18 months or so, overnight he turned into a sex crazed beast, humping everything that moved, male or female..... I got him done a couple of days later......

He listens better now and is perfectly happy.

He’s a very handsome dog so I sometimes have a pang I didn’t breed from him, but overall it’s for the best.

Tardigrade001 · 23/08/2019 22:15

Hormones are important for bone and muscle growth, so ideally done after the dog is fully grown and matured, ie 18 months or so, depending on the breed.

tirednhungry247 · 23/08/2019 22:15

@Sayhellotothethings that's good because I did say I'm no Ceasar MilanGrin
Just going off what my vet told me

Solonelywastheballard · 23/08/2019 22:24

My dogs 3 and intact. I wanted him done, dh didn't. We agreed that if he could behave with them, he could keep them.

He's actually been ok until the last few months. We've had some misbehaving so we started to consider snipping him. But reading this thread I think more training is actually the answer.

I was interested to see that having balls can make them a target for male aggression, my dog is submissive and has always been picked on by other dogs, until recently.

SilverySurfer · 23/08/2019 22:26

Sayhellotothethings
I hope to god nobody is a Cesar Millan, the man is an absolute fool and one of the worst things to happen to dog training. But that's another thread 🙈

OMG I thought I was the only one who had this opinion of him. I can't begin to express how vile I think he is and would beg anyone with a dog to completely ignore him.

As for neutering - its a no brainer - where do you think the large number of homeless dogs come from?

HotdogSausagedog · 23/08/2019 22:27

I'd wait until hes atleast 18 months - 2 years.

Hoppinggreen · 23/08/2019 22:32

wolfie I’ve seen you post on this area lots of times and your advice is always spot on but neutering really did stop my ddog from humping.
Daycare said he was like a different dog and Dd could safely have friends around. Might not always be the case but for us it was

ThatLibraryMiss · 23/08/2019 22:39

Why don't you ask your vet? She'll know what the latest advice is and when you should neuter, if that's what you decide.

queenMab99 · 23/08/2019 22:39

I haven't had my spaniel done, because I wanted to wait until his bones were fully developed at about 18 months to 2 years, he hasn't caused any problems so far at nearly 3, he doesn't 'hump' is not aggressive, he does get a bit unsettled when bitches on heat are around, but that is quite rare and I just put him on his lead. I feel it is a bit drastic to castrate him to stop testicular cancer, but will research the probabilities of that happening before I decide,.He is confident and happy with other dogs, and people, loud noises or situations he is not used to, and I worry that lack of testosterone may change this. Also their coats can sometimes grow bushy when neutered, my last dog was neutered when I got him and needed clipping regularly, while I have not had to have my present dog clipped at all.

Lockheart · 23/08/2019 22:40

I don't really think there's a right answer on this.

Neutering doesn't necessarily cure humping. It can but it's no guarantee.

I've had neutered and intact male dogs. Where a dog has been neutered when they're older I have noticed a calming effect, however their behaviour wasn't a problem to begin with (the neutering was for medical not behavioural reasons). Good training is far more important when it comes to behaviour than neutering in my opinion. However it may be that a neutered dog is easier to train (this is a guess and in any case will vary from dog to dog).

Neutering has both positives and risks in terms of health. I'd do some research into your breed to see if it's particularly prone to any cancers where neutering may increase the risk, for example. It does however reduce the risk of other conditions.

Peanutbuttericecream · 23/08/2019 22:42

100% yes

stucknoue · 23/08/2019 22:42

Get him done but wait until he reaches full height first, it can alter their growth. My vet said never under 9 months and recommends a year