Best age to do the deed?

[Ullena]

My young male dog is going to be neutered.

I have heard a lot of mixed opinions on the best age for this, due to growth plates, hormones and so forth. As behaviour goes, he is perfect btw - no humping, never lifts his leg in the house, zero aggression and never leaves my side when out.

I seriously cannot ask for better (preens), but he is a cross, with no papers and I am not wanting to breed from him. So rather than risk another accidental litter I am having him neutered

He is now 17 months old. His parents were both working farm dogs. Mum was Australian Kelpie and worked cattle, dad was Smooth Coated Collie and worked sheep. My dog acts as my seizure alert dog and has a co-dependent ritual with the cats whenever they enter the house: they refuse to come in unless he escorts them

I was thinking neuter at 18 months. Is this ok? I got concerned after hearing how Smooth Coated Collies are descended from Border Collies crossed with Russian Wolfhounds. My dog carries a lot of the Russian Wolfhound traits; tall, lanky, almost mute except if alerting to an actual intruder, and nervous of his personal space when at rest. (As in he will only relax and sleep when he is with people he knows, not that he is trying to devour houseguests! He will growl if the cats walk over him when he is sleeping, but I don't blame him as they do tend to aim for the kidnies!)

So I am now wondering if it is ok to neuter him at 18 months or should he be allowed to develop for longer? And if so, how long?

Sorry for the essay and thank you in advance

Mine (border collie) was about 8 months - and he is fine. I think by 17 months all the hormonal cahnges have happened to no problems with neutering (I think that is the case from about 7 months on).

If yours is ok - then no need to rush - unless he has access to unspayed female dogs in the area (don't want to be responsible for unwanted puppies).

So any time from now should be fine.

Thank you. DH has an unspayed female Lab (crazy DH). We went on a short holiday, and whilst they were being minded the two were allowed to mate (we were not told it happened until it was too late to prevent the litter ), so the worst has been and gone, sadly.

Am very ashamed, but puppies are now rehomed, we are in constant contact, will take back if need be, and donated what was paid to local rescue, etc. Needless to say, Dottie Lab is being spayed also, as soon as vet determines her to be fit for surgery again (emergency C-section).

I know it's silly but a tiny part of me feels bad about doing this...he will be perfectly fine, and won't miss being entire, but I guess since he is so nice I just feel a bit...I don't know, treacherous? Shall buy him something really tasty to make up for guilty feelings - duck, or rabbit, or such.

I guess the bottom line is - how would you feel if he got at someone else's unspayed bitch ?

If you don't intend to breed from him, then the responsble thing is to get him done. I don't suppose it will bother him long term although he will feel sorry for himself for a few days (much smaller job than with a female).

Well, he is never allowed near other dogs unsupervised, and actually has 100% recall. I know the signs of a dog checking out a bitch and would immediately intervene before he could mount. But if I wasn't fast enough then I would pay them the cost of the emergency jab, throckenholt. As I have been in that situation and it is not nice Although why anyone would take a bitch out when she is in that conditon to an off lead exercise area is beyond me, tbh...

He is being neutered! I just didn't want to neuter him at the wrong age and make his bones explode, or whatever other horrible thing could happen. It is and never was a matter of if but when! And yes, I am exaggerating on the exploding bones part. You all know what I mean.

Hi, at 17 months he will have reached maturity.

Any time from now is fine x

Thanks again, now can anyone suggest a way to stop idiot DH from making the "Bad news, boy, bad news..." type of comments? As I may just book them both in if he keeps it up

Just tell him that dogs are not as attached to their balls as humans are. :-)

Lol!

Oh lord, now I have to ask another question: are there any anasthetics/other drugs that are unsuitable for his breeds?

So much simpler with the cats...done at six months and they turned into nice lazy chaps. Except for one. He has never forgiven us and is now physically violent, which he never was before Although he never attacks me. He still loves me. My little furry sociopath Admittedly, he was found after being abandoned in a blizzard at four weeks old and I raised him, so we have a bond.

DH suspects that this cat secretly hates him, I tell him that this is nonsense: the cat openly hates him Totally different thing!

My old dog (lovely though she was) was the product of a neighbouring dog visiting (over a distance of several fields) an unspayed bitch in her garden. It can happen - hormones can be very demanding :)

Best thing is to ring the vet and ask their advice re age (I think he is far past the age of it being a problem for growth), and anaesthetics.

I think my dog is a bit weird, he just doesn't wander. Not that I let him out alone on the street, but seriously he is so keen to stay close! Yes, I will talk to the vet. Just wanted to blather on here first, in case of handy hints/tips.