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...

Hi, I would never force a dog-owner into catration, but if and when those health problems strike people nearly always say "Oh, I wish we'd known this and had him done as a puppy/ youngster" as they consider putting their 13-yo dog under anaesthetic for castration and/ or anal adenoma removal. Also the majority of RTAs we see are by FAR unneutered males. I had no compunctions about doing mine at 7 mths. DH had a lab previously who had never been done, but now he says he would always have them neutered. Good luck with whatever path you choose

Oh lord.

Please, please read my orginal question.

I've been a vet nurse.

I know the health side, RTA's etc.

I know about over supply in the pet market.

I may one day show him, hip & elbow score him and possibly decide to breed from him. He's very suitable to be shown but I am not going to get into details of his pedigree here.

All I wanted to know was what might I expect his temperament to be if I don't have him done.

Over and out!

Im glad im not the only ex vet nurse who doesn't think that castration is written in stone.

I think dog temprements depend on several factors; breeding, training, environment, the "individual" dog. I do think an uncastrated dog will have a tendancy to be more dominant, but if this is a well trained dog, this should be in check and not become a problem. As i said, i have had two rotweillers - one castrated, one not - it was the one which was castrated that had "isshoos", but he was a rescue dog with a dodgy past so can't factor that in, apart from to say, a well trained dog shouldn't be a problem in this way.

Saying that, when i was young we had a lovely dog, who was uncastrated, probably fathered more illigitamate puppies than i cared to remember and was aggressive with other dogs in a big way. He was impossible to keep in, he was small lab size and would jump a 7 foot fence that my dad put up in an effort to keep him in. He would just make a run for it at every opportunity - randy little git.

So for me, im still undecided what to do with my JRT, but, he is begining to show signs of dog aggression, despite being well socialised, so if this develops i will have him "done".

It is interesting though - we are quite happy to castrate our dogs, maybe we should get our men "done" to deal with some of their testosterone fueled behaviour traints

notsoseriousanymore - it is possible to hip score under heavy sedation, although i would prefer the GA actually. Veterinary aneasthesia is pretty much state of the art - they use the most expensive aneasthetics - and charge accordingly. If you have a good example of a well behaved dog, why not breed from him.

we didn't castrate my male shih tzu. He wasn't aggressive but was forever running off looking for girls. Then he got prostate trouble and the op cost more than any castartion would have done!

surely if only shown dogs are bred from, that reduces the gene pool and helps cause problems

• panorama showed that showing a dog is no guarantee that it should be brecd from. if you have a good temperAment dog, that does well in all the required tests for its partic breed, and no family history of any problems, then you shouldn't ban it from breeding responsibly. that said, intact males can go nuts if there are in season bitches nearby - if that's likelt be the situation then i would castrate for his sanity.

Thank you so much exasperatedmummy - just the kind of info I was looking for!!!! You are a star

Next time I shall name the thread 'Should I Set Up A Puppy Farm To Breed Labs With a Long History of Hip Dysplasia?' and at least then I'll be prepared...

yeah, and stick it in the AIBU bit too .

Jooly, you do make a good point re the health risks of course, but are they inherent in just having balls to go wrong, iyswim or do they actually cause problems? I only ask this because i wonder about humans, we don't castrate them as a matter of course (although with some i think it might be agood idea ) is there a statistically higher risk in dogs that these problems might arise? Or do you castrate because, in dogs, castration isn't such a big deal as it is in humans so it seems like a sensible route to take?

Sorry, not sure if that makes sense

xpost with Barbie house & agree with you re gene pools etc.

My own dog is non-agressive & well trained so I would like to think he'd probably be OK, but as I said I haven't decided.

BTW, DH is definitely having the op!

Thanks again to all who shared their experiences of living with uncastrated dogs.

xpost with exasperated - lol at AIBU. So, so tempted

Message withdrawn

we have a 8 year old mini long haired daschund who is uncastrated. he is just fine. soppy loving and not a bad bone in his body

Our springer hasn;t been done, he is about 8, dp just won;t do it and it is his dog.

He is a lovely termperament and we have been asked repeatedly about breeding from him as he is an excellent pedigree but have always said no. I think do would like to breed from him tbh, we would not show him as he is a family dog and despite being very handsome he does look a bit rough and ready.

He wasa nightmare between about 2 and 4ish, humped everything. Infact he loved dd toy horse which was about his size as if pressure was applied in the correct place it would neigh which I think the dog took as a compliment. he used to shag it on the dining table in front of the window in our dining room. Sometimes I would be working in my study upstairs and I could see people outside looking at out house in shock/ amusement I would know the dog was at it again and sure enough that neigh would follow. I can remember once dd dragging the said horse into the room where I was entertaining guests and she annouced "Mummy the horse smells of spunk again"

During this phase I repeatdly nagged do to get him done, especicially as his feelings of lust used to lead him to run away and I was always concerned he would get hit by a car or taken.

He is now about 8 and is fine, much more interested in sticks than shagging.

My cats have all been done though as they are mine so I make the decision.

fossa our springer loves the legs akimbo bollocks on display look as well.

However despite the fact my cat has no bollocks it regularly tries to shag my springer.

[PMSL] Twinset - those posts should be in "Classics"!

Would like to just add that it isn't the case that all vets are pro. My vet has actually asked us to wait with our lab if we insist on doing it, until 15 mths old. Would much rather give occasional injections of some testosterone suppressant. Don;t want to enter fray, just wanted to point out an excpetion to the rule..(slinks off)

The 'unwanted puppies' thing is surely only an issue if the owner lets his/her uncastrated dog roam unattended?

My 3 y o cocker spaniel is not castrated. He has the kindest, softest temperament. When on a walk he stays near me (even off - lead), and has excellent recall. Not once during the last 3 years has he done a runner.

When the bitch next door was in season my dog did not bat an eylid. I had been warned about howling, digging under the fence, escape attempts to get to her etc. Nothing. Not a dicky bird.

Soooo, either some dogs are very sexually driven and mine isn't, or mine is gay

I won't every breed from my dog. But I am not rising putting him through major surgery for what I consider not to be a good enough reason.
Luckily my vet agrees with me

Did wonder about making a cheeky remark about your dog's sexual orientation, hippo, but you beat me to it

Thanks, though, for the info, and to everyone else who told me about their dogs, legs akimbo and all!

Not castrating your dog is a very irresponsible thing to do. There are no downsides to neutering but there are plenty to not neutering.

Pros:

prevents "accidental" breeding. Of course everybody thinks their dog will never get out, but an unneutered dog has a natural instinct to find a mate, so will usually get out at some point. What if he gets a female pregnant and those pups end up dumped in the pound when they are born, or worse, drowned by somebody?

also prevents certain cancers.

Cons:
none. it is also a very low risk surgery, especially for males, it's basically a snip & sew job! Any vet can practically do it with their eyes closed, it's as routine as giving out worming tablets.

The castrating for temperament is only a small part. yes some entire dogs may have a perfectly good temperament but it still doesn't stop them from possibly contributing to the overpopulation problem one day and it doesn't stop them from getting testicular cancer etc.