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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

At what age did you neuter your male dog?

28 replies

JKramer · 26/02/2014 14:20

One of my dogs is 8 months old.
He humps a little bit but generally he is a well behaved boy.
He is not aggressive or territorial, doesn't mark places.
He is a Pug cross.
So I am just wondering on a health basis, at what age is good for neutering a male dog?

OP posts:
Lilcamper · 26/02/2014 14:26

When they are physically and sexually mature.

Greyhorses · 26/02/2014 15:55

Small dogs can generally be done from about 6 months. If he is mature and has no nervous aggression I would get him done now.

I did mine a little later at a year as they are both large breed but as he is little he should be fine!

incogKNEEto · 26/02/2014 16:48

I've been pondering this too. Mine is a German Shepherd and he's booked in for the end of March (when he's six months) on the Vet's recommendation, but I've been doing some reading and now I'm not sure whether I should wait until he's fully grown...

Is your pug at his full size now?

notanotherusername1 · 26/02/2014 16:54

Our boy was done at 6 months. (Cocker Spaniel) Is there a reason why people wait till fully grown? I just wanted it done when he was in for a dew claw removal op.

Lilcamper · 26/02/2014 17:08

Because the skeletal growth plates don't close until a dog is physically mature. For a GSD, that is about 2 years old.

Emotionally too, they go through adolescence and hormone levels naturally drop when adolescence is done, but it has allowed the dog to mature mentally.

incogKNEEto · 26/02/2014 17:17

Thanks for your reply lilcamper do you have any links to studies that have been done or ideas for where to look for articles about this please?

tabulahrasa · 26/02/2014 17:22

news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10498

There's one study.

AandAmom · 26/02/2014 17:30

7 months for my working cocker spaniel, he is now 7 years old and still humps when and who/whatever he can :( xx

notanotherusername1 · 26/02/2014 17:32

Thank you Lilcamper. Did not know that. Our vet was concerned about a large dew claw he thought might get ripped off so he wanted to remove it and just suggested to get the neutering done at the same time. Never thought to question it. Some people said he would never cock his leg up if neutered to early but he does.

needastrongone · 26/02/2014 17:36

found this by googling, the subject interests me, having a puppy.

www.petmd.com/dog/care/evr_determining_best_age_to_spay_or_neuter?page2

punter · 26/02/2014 17:43

Our golden lab was done at 14 months. He was a serial humper before that, has not done it since. Also appears to be calmer but that could be normal ageing, however he is 18 months now so can still do the teenager bit of ignoring commands etc!

FlankShaftMcWap · 26/02/2014 17:43

My littlest pup just had his whipped off today, he's 8 months and is cocking his leg everywhere so I couldn't wait any longer. He's a chihuahua cross and he's about fully grown.

My 5 year old lab cross was done at about 2, we waited longer because he's a very large dog and he started marking around then. Even when he did mark it wasn't half as much as current puppy, who is cocking his leg with gay abandon!

Frettchen · 26/02/2014 17:46

My boy was done 3 weeks ago; when he was about 10 1/2 months. He had just started humping other dogs, but that might not have been hormonally driven. It just seemed the right time; he had settled in (rescued at 4 1/2 months) and had found his confidence. He'd been cocking his leg since about 7 months, but again I don't think that was completely hormonal.

He's a fairly small breed - weighs about 12kg - so I was happy that he had reached adult size and shape.

From the info you've given I would say your dog's ready for castration, but I'm of the opinion that it's better to err on the side of a little bit too early, than a little bit too late.

HavantGuard · 26/02/2014 17:49

When they had finished growing. For bigger breeds that tends to be 12 months minimum. The current intact terror will probably be done at 18 months. For very small breeds it's lower (but I've never had small dogs.)

Lilcamper · 26/02/2014 18:28

Mine is two and remaining intact because of fear issues, that is a whole different subject but if you think a dog might be timid, speak to an APBC behaviourist before whipping them off Grin

incogKNEEto · 26/02/2014 18:48

Thanks everyone, will have a read of your links Smile

toboldlygo · 26/02/2014 19:15

The health benefits of neutering a male dog are the removal of risk of testicular cancer and reduction of risk of prostate cancer. There is some evidence that it can increase the risk of some conditions and this risk seems to vary by breed and at what age the dog was neutered (various studies claim links to osteosarcoma, incidence of cruciate injury etc.)

It may help with behavioural issues such as humping and marking but these are equally likely to be learnt behaviours that can be improved with training and as already mentioned above there is also a link to fear aggression.

I am still very pro-neuter, before you get me wrong - volunteering in rescue makes you want to whip the balls off everything ASAP Grin - but on an individual basis I wouldn't necessarily neuter a male dog by default.

Spaying of bitches is a very different matter and has a great many more health benefits.

VivaLeBeaver · 26/02/2014 19:20

I haven't had my boy done because he seems/seemed fear aggressive.

incogKNEEto · 26/02/2014 21:00

I am erring on the side of waiting until he's grown now I've read those links, as my boy is of unknown parentage (no papers, and was a semi-rescue) so I don't know hip/elbow scores for his parents and being a GSD he may be more prone to joint problems as well as the angiosarcoma mentioned above.

He is slightly wary of other dogs but this is improving with lots of socialisation with known friendly dogs, and at 5 months he has only very occasionally humped things! He did cock his leg today for the first time though.

I am concerned about him becoming overly bolshy as he gets bigger and more hormonal though. Gosh, this dog owning lark is complicated! I just am wary of getting it wrong.

Greenmug · 27/02/2014 16:05

Our vet recommended waiting until our lab is 14 months. He said that bigger dogs need to wait a little longer.

PissesGlitter · 27/02/2014 16:09

Vet recommended our Staff got done at 6months

Noodles123 · 28/02/2014 19:48

Do you need him neutered? I had previously assumed it was automatically best to get it done as a matter of course, and my old dog was done at 8 months (Rottie). He died of bone cancer. I am not saying that was because he was neutered.... Bug having done a fair bit of reading before deciding re current dog (a PWD), I've decided to leave him be for now and see how we progress. So far he is 13 months and an absolute delight. Yes he occasionally marks lamp posts etc but that isn't a major issue in my book, as long as he doesn't do it at an inappropriate time/indoors etc. he's shown very little interest in female dogs so far and is very reliable on recall etc. I personally would now say leave it as king as you can if he isn't displaying any undesirable behaviours. Also agree with poster above re female spaying being entirely different ballpark - pyometria isn't worth risking and I would always spay a female.

hennipenni · 01/03/2014 18:04

mine is still intact at 21 months, again due to fear/nervousness issue's

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