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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

Spay or not spay a male dog

76 replies

happymoment · 13/10/2022 14:31

My dog will be one soon. I m not sure to spay or not spay him. He s a very friendly good boy. He humps his own bed every night since he was about 4/5 month old. Other then that he s a very amazing boy. I m worried having him spayed will have negative effects on his personality and health.

Have you ever regretted after you had your dog spayed? Is it really true that they are better at recall after having it done?

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 13/10/2022 14:37

It’s neuter for a male dog and I would advise it.

It takes away the risk of testicular cancer

SarahSissions · 13/10/2022 14:42

What breed are they, this will have a significant bearing. Have you spoken with your vet?

larger dogs I would try and wait until they are getting towards 2 years old, smaller breeds at 1 should be fine, but it is very dependent on what your vet says.

be aware neutering can affect weight gain, coat and confidence. You can always look at the implant as a trial. But again if it’s a larger breed I’d wait.

Stellaris22 · 13/10/2022 14:43

I would speak to a trained behaviourist, or better, your vet rather than relying on unqualified opinions here.

We've neutered all our dogs, as have family members with their dogs, and never had issues, health or behaviour wise.

But vet advice is better as they are qualified to discuss it with you.

Mostmarriedcouple · 13/10/2022 14:48

I do believe neutering will take the fizz out of their personality a bit. Before they are sparkling water, and after neutering they are still water 😁

….same dog but a bit less showbiz about them.

I didn’t neuter my latest dog, he’s 12, no testicular concerns. But he barks a lot and is bolshy! Only a small dog so it’s not a problem, but if he was a bigger dog maybe id want to neuter him.

KangFang · 13/10/2022 14:54

You must neuter him. No question.
He'll be a nightmare when he's horny otherwise.

OneFootInFrontOfAnother · 13/10/2022 14:57

Neutering a male dog is not a black and white decision.

if he shows any signs of anxiety or lack of confidence it is not advised to castrate a male dog.

The only actual behaviour that neutering will alter is scent marking.

Some illness are avoided and some are more prevelant in neutered dogs.

I would speak to your vet to make the correct decision for your dog.

Hoppinggreen · 13/10/2022 15:01

Depends on the dog and your circumstances
We had ours done and it was the right choice for us

ErrolTheDragon · 13/10/2022 15:16

KangFang · 13/10/2022 14:54

You must neuter him. No question.
He'll be a nightmare when he's horny otherwise.

Not necessarily.

We've had two dachshunds. The first was a terrible humper and also had an undescended testicle so it was a no-brainer really. Before neutering he'd been a very fussy eater, afterwards less so which was helpful in his case. He was still an assertive sort of dog who could get a GSD cowering behind its owner with a bark... plenty of 'fizz'!

The second one we got when he was 10 months old. He hardly ever humped (had just a short phase when DD hit puberty). He was generally docile and tended to be submissive, so there didn't seem to be any reason on behavioural grounds to neuter him. He lived to over 16 so obviously no ill effects from being entire.

Reallyreallyborednow · 13/10/2022 15:24

I wouldn’t spay him no, as he doesn’t have the requisite parts :D.

as for neutering, depends on the dog. But generally it is advised as it’s better for their health long term.

Trulyweird1 · 13/10/2022 16:37

i have read a lot around this topic, and there as many health reasons to leave him entire as there are to neuter. The main reason for neutering is to prevent unwanted mating.
You can do this with a vasectomy , while leaving him with his hormones.

We did neuter our dog, albeit at 3 years old, but I don’t think it was the right decision for him

He was never one for humping people or dogs; he’s never been aggressive, and his recall was every bit as patchy after neutering.

Do some research into your specific breed and talk to some professionals. But unless he is causing you or other dogs a problem , don’t rush or be pushed into,it.

LBF2020 · 13/10/2022 16:39

As mentioned above it does depend on the breed. Yes a dog without testicles cannot get testicular cancer. However, there is increasing evidence to show that in larger dogs neutering too early can increase the risk of other cancers and also joint problems (golden retrievers for example.)
I have a goldie and will leave him entire until something happens which warrants neutering.
When we had our last puppy (13 years ago!) neutering was recommended at 6 months of age. Admittedly the aforementioned, now elderly dog is still with us but he suffered with with joint problems at 18 months old and the previously confident puppy turned in to a nervy dog. Whilst I cannot prove that the early neutering caused this I definitely have my suspicions :-(
Assuming your dog is over 18 months old you could try the implant and see if it has a positive effect and go from there?

Original poster
happymoment · 13/10/2022 16:41

Is it true that male will run away to look for mates? I just want the best for my little boy.

OP posts:
Blowyourowntrumpet · 13/10/2022 16:46

Not trying to be rude, but why don't you talk to your vet instead of asking random strangers on the internet

LBF2020 · 13/10/2022 16:46

@happymoment I haven't had any personal experience of this happening... yet!
However, if there is a local bitch in season it could be a possibility. Do you live somewhere that is heavily populated with dogs?

Ylvamoon · 13/10/2022 16:46

happymoment · 13/10/2022 16:41

Is it true that male will run away to look for mates? I just want the best for my little boy.

He'll only "run away" if he can smell a bitch in season....
In other words, the scent will drive him nuts!
BUT I have an entire male (and he knows how to use his tools) and to date haven't had any problems.

If you are worried and don't keep him as a show & stud dog just get him done at around 18-24 months

ChiefPearlClutcher · 13/10/2022 16:48

Absolutely depends on the breed. What breed is he?
Humping can be behavioural and may not be dealt with by neutering.

Stellaris22 · 13/10/2022 16:49

Blowyourowntrumpet · 13/10/2022 16:46

Not trying to be rude, but why don't you talk to your vet instead of asking random strangers on the internet

This.

It's best to seek professional advice from your vet if you have concerns. There can be helpful advice here, but a forum isn't the place for getting qualified advice for your pet.

LBF2020 · 13/10/2022 16:49

@Blowyourowntrumpet whilst I would usually 100% agree with this statement.. when it comes to neutering 'some' vets don't always give the best advice, I assume because they have monetary targets to meet?
Although I do agree a qualified behaviourist would be a good person to talk to.

Missmyoldusername · 13/10/2022 16:55

I've always castrated mine. Imagine a man wanting to have sex, having those urges and never being allowed to and living your entire life as a frustrated virgin. That's an entire dog not being used as a stud.

Castrate the dog and the frustration disappears.

lessthanathirdofanacre · 13/10/2022 16:58

While I agree that consulting with a vet is a good idea, I don't see anything wrong with canvassing opinions and learning about other people's experiences.

FWIW I have had both neutered and entire male dogs. I have a young dog now and haven't made up my mind about whether to have him neutered. The vet recommends it but they tend to recommend it for nearly every dog.

Mylittlesandwich · 13/10/2022 17:04

I've decided to probably not get my boy done. He's only 8 months at the moment. He's a dachshund and so early castration would increase his likelihood of developing IVDD. He's also a timid wee thing so it wouldn't be in his best interests. It depends on the dog, their breed and their temperament.

Original poster
happymoment · 13/10/2022 17:09

A dog trainer I spoke with recently she said herself regretted having her dog neutered. The dog became a bit grumpy since he was neutered unfortunately it cannot be undone now.
I think I will wait for a bit longer to see if he s good with commands first and if the humping will reduce or worsen over time. To be fair so far he only does it at night with his own old bed.

OP posts:
mellongoose · 13/10/2022 17:12

We are waiting for a call back from the vetenary nurse about getting our lab done. He's about 19 months.

He's bouncy (which isn't really the issue) but other dogs, male and female, snap at him on every single walk, even when he's on the lead. It's not fair on him. I don't want him to start snapping back.

Hoping it helps our boy.

maz82 · 13/10/2022 17:16

I've spoken to my vet about this for my dogs and he reccomended chemical castration. Maybe speak to your vet about this.

mumto2teenagers · 13/10/2022 17:19

Our dog is not neutered, he is 2.5 now, we had planned to neuter, however when he was 1 he was on the lead and was attacked by an off lead dog. He had cuts to his face and his gum was ripped, luckily he only needed painkillers and the wounds healed without surgery, but it did leave him quite anxious and lacking confidence.

We discussed neutering following the attack with both the vet and a behaviourist and they had completely different views on it. The vet said we should go ahead, however the behaviourist advised against it. Shortly after he has attacked he would bark at most dogs and was quite reactive, after working on this he is now a lot better and will only occasionally react to another dog.

He does hump his blanket, but only in the evening after he has eaten for a few mins, other than that we don't currently appear to have any problems due to him not being neutered. We haven't completely ruled it out for the future and will continue to take guidance from both the vet and the behaviourist.