Do I really have to neuter our dog?!

[Anonymous]

My dog and her siblings (rescues) are a result of one pure bred large breed dog escaping it’s hard and impregnating another dog in the neighborhood. We love her but it does happen. I would also see how his behavior progresses, we didn’t see aggressive behavior until 1.5-2 years old.

[Anonymous]

I am a trainer.

The short of it is, no, there are rarely behavioral improvements from neutering. The exception is marking, but if you’ve waited this long the marking is probably pretty ingrained if it was going to be there anyway.

With most large breed dogs, you want to wait until the growth plates are fully closed to spay or neuter. This typically happens between 18 months and two years and can be confirmed with x-rays if you choose to go that route. The hormones are useful for development.

At some point, the risk of testicular cancer outweighs the value in keeping the testicles. Even champion show dogs and high performing canine athletes are spayed/neutered at some point. You’d need to talk to your vet.

The reality is though, most dogs escape at some point in their life. Maybe a gate is left open or they bolt out the front door. Hopefully you get the dog back within a few minutes, but if you don’t, and the dog is not fixed, you risk the potential for fights with other dogs or unwanted pregnancies. Up to you to decide if you want to deal with that risk.

The licensing fee is also higher on unfixed dogs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a trainer.

The short of it is, no, there are rarely behavioral improvements from neutering. The exception is marking, but if you’ve waited this long the marking is probably pretty ingrained if it was going to be there anyway.

With most large breed dogs, you want to wait until the growth plates are fully closed to spay or neuter. This typically happens between 18 months and two years and can be confirmed with x-rays if you choose to go that route. The hormones are useful for development.

At some point, the risk of testicular cancer outweighs the value in keeping the testicles. Even champion show dogs and high performing canine athletes are spayed/neutered at some point. You’d need to talk to your vet.

The reality is though, most dogs escape at some point in their life. Maybe a gate is left open or they bolt out the front door. Hopefully you get the dog back within a few minutes, but if you don’t, and the dog is not fixed, you risk the potential for fights with other dogs or unwanted pregnancies. Up to you to decide if you want to deal with that risk.

The licensing fee is also higher on unfixed dogs.

OP here; thank you for this. You're the second person who has noted that perhaps it is best to wait until he is at least 18 months old. (Not sure if he is considered a large breed?)

[Anonymous]

Honestly, most of the unneutered dogs I see belong to lower-income men who equate their dogs’ virility with their own. It’s distinctly a class and gender marker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, most of the unneutered dogs I see belong to lower-income men who equate their dogs’ virility with their own. It’s distinctly a class and gender marker.

Just for the record, many Europeans are horrified that Americans "butcher" their dogs.

[Anonymous]

The reality is though, most dogs escape at some point in their life. Maybe a gate is left open or they bolt out the front door. Hopefully you get the dog back within a few minutes, but if you don’t, and the dog is not fixed, you risk the potential for fights with other dogs or unwanted pregnancies. Up to you to decide if you want to deal with that risk.

I have an 11 year old male dog that is not neutered because due to untreatable liver problems he cannot tolerate anesthesia. The main issue we have is that whenever a female dog is in heat, we cannot leave him. He’s a major escape artist. Fortunately we realized this a decade ago and he has not fathered any pups. But a fenced in yard is no match for him when his desires are aroused.

Like others, I got a Covid puppy and had difficulty finding someone to spay her. We were ecstatic when her name reached the top of the Humane Society’s list before she went into heat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, most of the unneutered dogs I see belong to lower-income men who equate their dogs’ virility with their own. It’s distinctly a class and gender marker.

Just for the record, many Europeans are horrified that Americans "butcher" their dogs.

I don't think we should look or care about what Europeans do.

[Anonymous]

Neuter your dog or get them a vasectomy which billed as a neuter, in my experience. A vasectomy is a good option if the dog has no behavioral issues (ex: inappropriate sexual behavior like humping your guests) and you are willing to monitor for testicular cancer.

We wanted zero puppies and to be responsible but not sacrifice his health as he wasn't full grown. We got our dog a vasectomy before a year old so he could grow up normally but not procreate.

Medium/large/giant dogs should ideally be full grown before neuter for joint health. That's where that 2yo number comes from because the dog's growth plates should all be closed by then. The weight in the studies I've seen used 44lbs adult weight as the low weight cut-off for waiting to neuter. We'll be monitoring & do a full neuter if/when indicated. We don't mind paying twice for peace of mind now and avoiding joint issues and decreasing the odds of hip dysplasia.

Most people are not going to responsibly manage an intact dog. If you aren't working/showing/responsibly breeding, get the vasectomy now or full neuter at 2yo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you rescue this doodle? Most breeders require you to neuter.

OP here and no, he is not a rescue. Yes, the breeder did "request" that we neuter, although I'm not sure how that could ever be checked up on, let alone enforced. Regarding day care or boarding, as noted, I don't anticipate a need for that. We have plenty of family here who would keep him when we go out of town.

I'm interested in the comment from the poster about waiting until he is two years old; maybe that is a compromise.

So far, every reason posted here has to do with what is best for pet owners, and their convenience. I haven't seen anything that indicates that this is in any way what is best for the dog.

And you are 100% certain that none of those family members would ever let him escape? Really?
Actually, OP, people have now pointed out that even show dogs are eventually spayed/neutered. There are arguments for waiting until age 1.5-2, but not forever.
Shelters spay/neuter early because the risk/benefit for early spay/neuter vs many many additional litters of homeless animals comes down in favor of early.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, most of the unneutered dogs I see belong to lower-income men who equate their dogs’ virility with their own. It’s distinctly a class and gender marker.

Just for the record, many Europeans are horrified that Americans "butcher" their dogs.

Ok, it’s distinctly a class and gender marker in the US.

[Anonymous]

Its honestly also a moral issue since you agreed with your breeder to neuter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A neutered dog is a happy dog. He’s calmer, more stable, less distracted, and more assured of his place in the household hierarchy. By not fixing him, you’re doing a disservice to an animal you claim to love.

Plus a neutered dog can't get testicular cancer. Neuter your dog!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, most of the unneutered dogs I see belong to lower-income men who equate their dogs’ virility with their own. It’s distinctly a class and gender marker.

Just for the record, many Europeans are horrified that Americans "butcher" their dogs.

I don't think we should look or care about what Europeans do.

Why not? It's often learning from other cultures that we can improve our own lives.

OP, if you don't want to neuter your dog then don't.

[Anonymous]

OP, if your dog is well managed, and has no hormone related behavior problems, there is no need to neuter him. As others have said previously, the risk of testicular cancer does go up as he ages, so you can choose to neuter him after he has gained full maturity, but before he is a senior and starts developing health problems. In your shoes, I’d wait until he’s at least two, and no older than seven.

[Anonymous]

Op you do not need to neuter your dog. In many countries around the world it is not common practice and even seen as abuse. In Norway it is against the law. I don't have time to post all the studies, but a quick google search will show you that more and more vet schools are researching this and finding that altering our pets is not as beneficial as we once thought for their health or behavior. I know of multiple people with golden retrievers who are not going to have it done because of the increased risk of cancer. Their dogs are sweet and well behaved and have never caused any problems.

Our dog is not neutered and is doing great. He is the most mellow dog I've ever had. The only problem we've had so far is that some neutered males are aggressive towards him.