# Anyone ever regretted neutering a dog?



## Yasdawn (Jan 31, 2016)

Our dog is now around 14 months and we have been weighing out the pros and cons of neutering him for a while now. I do not plan on breeding him and do not want to cause any unwanted pregnancies but he's not allowed off leash anyway (either on a regular short leash or a long recall line). At the moment, I'm not going to rush into any decision as I know he can get done at any age. I understand there are of course pros to getting him done but have also heard the negative side of neutering. In terms of behavioural issues, he has only shown aggression to another dog once (growling). He can be slightly cautious but once the dog gets closer he's generally quite happy to meet them. I hear that neutered dogs can sometimes lose confidence and this can actually bring on aggression towards other dogs? Just curious as to whether anyone has regretted their decision to get theirs done?


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## Kimmikins (Apr 9, 2016)

Yup, I regret getting Fidget neutered, although he was done a bit younger than yours currently is. His problems definitely escalated post neuter, and his behaviourist said she wished she could Velcro them back on!
That's not to say this will happen in your case of course, it's just what we observed with hindsight.


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## Yasdawn (Jan 31, 2016)

Kimmikins said:


> Yup, I regret getting Fidget neutered, although he was done a bit younger than yours currently is. His problems definitely escalated post neuter, and his behaviourist said she wished she could Velcro them back on!
> That's not to say this will happen in your case of course, it's just what we observed with hindsight.


Okay! That's interesting to hear. As dog owners, it's often seen as the 'given thing to do' but I wanted to do a bit more questioning. Whilst I can see many benefits of getting dogs done, whether these outweigh the cons I don't know yet. Thanks for your response.


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

http://www.apbc.org.uk/system/files/private/apbc_summary_sheet_of_castration_risks_and_benefits.pdf


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## SixStar (Dec 8, 2009)

Personally speaking, I would never neuter any male dog of mine (unless for medical reasons of course) - IMO, the benefits of a male dog remaining entire by far outweigh those of neutering.

On the positive side, neutering male dogs

eliminates the small risk (probably <1%) of dying from testicular cancer
reduces the risk of non-cancerous prostate disorders
reduces the risk of perianal fistulas
may possibly reduce the risk of diabetes (data inconclusive)

On the negative side, neutering male dogs

if done before 1 year of age, significantly increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer); this is a common cancer in medium/large and larger breeds with a poor prognosis.
increases the risk of cardiac hemangiosarcoma by a factor of 1.6
triples the risk of hypothyroidism
increases the risk of progressive geriatric cognitive impairment
triples the risk of obesity, a common health problem in dogs with many associated health problems
quadruples the small risk (<0.6%) of prostate cancer
doubles the small risk (<1%) of urinary tract cancers
increases the risk of orthopedic disorders
increases the risk of adverse reactions to vaccinations
Taken from - http://www.2ndchance.info/cruciatelongtermneuter.htm


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

We nearly had Dillon done as he was a complete idiot, but the vet said it wouldn't necessaryly (spelling) change him, so we never bothered. He is 6&1/2 years old now, he is a lovely dog never a probem so unless something happens and we have to have done he's staying intact.


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## shirleystarr (Mar 22, 2009)

I regret not having one of my dogs castrated he died a horrific death from testicular cancer that spread to his lungs but its up to the dog owner really If I ever had another male dog I would have him castrated


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## Sarahlou444 (Jun 26, 2015)

We are in a similar position to you OP. Sidney is 16 months old and we are trying to decide whether to have him neutered or not. Like you we don't intend to breed from him but only want to do what's best for him. The weight issue is one of the ones that bothers me most with Sidney being a pug who can be prone to obesity anyway. We don't have any issues with Sidney's behaviour other than now and again he gets a bit friendly with his stuffed gorilla


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

Personally I wouldn't (& don't intent to get my young GSD done) why do you think this might be beneficial?


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## ROBERT HARKNESS (Jul 27, 2016)

To be honest i think its cruel unless its fo medical reasons


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## Yasdawn (Jan 31, 2016)

Cleo38 said:


> Personally I wouldn't (& don't intent to get my young GSD done) why do you think this might be beneficial?


Preventing testicular cancer, supposedly reducing being a target from other males and possibly preventing any potential aggressive behaviour in the future. However, I know that neutering may only prevent these slightly, if at all. Also, because he doesn't show any aggressive behavioural issues at the moment, it probably isn't worth it. Also, his breed is prone to becoming overweight and I know that getting him done can cause further weight gain. I'm in two mind frames at the moment but it's reassuring to see that I haven't been bombarded by others telling me I must get him neutered and I am an irresponsible owner not to have had him done!


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## Magyarmum (Apr 27, 2015)

I live in Hungary where male dogs are only neutered for medical reasons. I have a Mini Schnauzer who's nearly 3 years old and the subject of having him neutered has never been raised by my vet nor his breeder. In fact, I think if I were to suggest I'd like to have him neutered I'd get a lot of opposition from both of them.


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## picaresque (Jun 25, 2009)

I am pro-neutering (not that I have any problem with choosing to leave a dog entire) but I do wonder if Gelert would be less immature mentally if I hadn't had him done at six months. I hadn't planned on neutering him so young initially but I think puppy blues and totally overblown worries about typical adolescent behaviour pushed me into it, rightly or wrongly. No major regrets but I think I'd do it differently if I could go back.


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

Of the 3 boys I have, 1 is entire. As with everything; nature vs nurture plays into things.

Jack was done about 2 years old. So he was physically and mentally mature. Jack is so placid and great in any situation (that doesn't involve fire). He has no behavioural issues that are related to neutering and as far as we are aware, he is healthy. He is 11 now so his age is showing a few lumps and bumps and his weight is difficult to keep on top of. But neutering him was his previous owners choice and it was done so he didn't accidentally impregnate their Husky bitch - of whom they intended to breed with their Huskies. 

Sol was done by the rescue at just over a year old. He is a very nervous dog by nature; we met him several times whilst he was entire, and had I had my way, he'd have been kept entire a bit longer. He is very immature in his ways. It took a while for him to settle in as he had testosterone spikes which caused tension between the boys. He is still a nervous dog, but we've found an outlet for him that helps him get over his nerves. It would be interesting to peek into an alternate universe and see what he would be like now had he been kept entire. 

Louie is my entire boy. He's 6 now. Recently on a walk with some people I run with, I was asked if I was getting him neutered. I said no. He has no medical issues that warrant it as of yet, and his only behavioural issues are linked with past events. 

In short - like others, unless a medical issue warranted it; I am keeping all males (unless rescues) entire. And unless a behavioural issue warrants it; in which I will go down the implant route and training first... then I will be keeping them entire.


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## Sarah1983 (Nov 2, 2011)

Don't regret neutering either of the 2 we had who were neutered. One was done because he was obsessive about bitches in season and it stopped that, the other was done in a last ditch attempt to help with dog aggression. Which it didn't do but it didn't have any unwanted effects either. First was 3 when done, second was 7 or 8.

Personally though I wouldn't neuter without good reason. Current dog is entire, 5 years old and we've had no problems come up from it. And yes, neutering prevents testicular cancer but there's some evidence to suggest that it can increase the risk of other, less curable cancers.


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## Nataliee (Jul 25, 2011)

My male Chihuahua was neutered at around 2 years old, prior to neutering he was very good with other dogs and would interact happily, not phased by the size of the other dog. 
He came down with gastroenteritis a few weeks after neutering and was very ill, and a few weeks after that he became very wary of other dogs which turned into vocalisation. At first I wasn't really sure how to deal with it as I'd only had very sociable dogs before, but with help from trainers etc I managed to make progress. He's 7 now and whilst he will tolerate other dogs he's never gone back to the playful dog he was before, he only interacts with the dogs he lives with or my friends Chihuahuas.
Whether it was neutering, the illness, or something that happened at the vets that changed him I'll never know but I certainly wouldn't neuter now unless for medical reasons


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

Yasdawn said:


> Preventing testicular cancer, supposedly reducing being a target from other males and possibly preventing any potential aggressive behaviour in the future. However, I know that neutering may only prevent these slightly, if at all. Also, because he doesn't show any aggressive behavioural issues at the moment, it probably isn't worth it. Also, his breed is prone to becoming overweight and I know that getting him done can cause further weight gain. I'm in two mind frames at the moment but it's reassuring to see that I haven't been bombarded by others telling me I must get him neutered and I am an irresponsible owner not to have had him done!


I completely understand why you are considering it & looking at the pros & cons. Neutering may prevent testicular cancer but there have been studies to show that neutering can increase the risk ofother cancers.

My young GSD has never shown any behavioural problems & I would have thought this was a training issue anyway. The more I have read about neutering the more I more certain I am that I would not do this with a male dog (unless for medical reasons) & I would never put my dog through an operation in case he may develop behaviourla problems.

Whatever anmyone else thinks though it's your decision. Why not wait & see what happens with him, or if he did start to show behaviours that neutering may reduce you could look at trying the Suprelor implant designed to prevent the production of testosterone.


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## MontyMaude (Feb 23, 2012)

I think it all comes down to owner preference, I don't like being called a cruel owner because I chose to neuter my dog, I had Hector done at 7 months, he is a small breed and so far I have no regrets, he is a very happy confident dog that isn't phased by much at all and is dog friendly.


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## Tyton (Mar 9, 2013)

Kind of..... I don't regret neutering Kahn. He had an undescended testicle so for medical reasons he had to have it removed. I do regret panicking about it and having him neutered the week before his first birthday! In hindsight I ought to have waited a further year to let him mature. He is prone to obesity; much harder to keep the weight off than his twin, his skull isn't as broad, he has an eternal puppy kind of temperament and Outlook, I suspect all due to his early castration.

Beau I have no regrets about neutering. It was for behavioural reasons. Nothing sexual, but he was hyperaroused, overexcitable and a real handful, 2 separate trainers including a behaviourist suggested neutering when he was about 18 months old. We tried the implant first and within weeks he was a different dog, happy willing, more focused. We were hoping to use the implant to buy us a 'training window' , but despite all our efforts after 4months as the implant was wearing off, his old demeanour and hyperexcitability was returning so we had him surgically castrated and he is so much better for it. I would never have bred from either of the twins due to the family history of cryptorchidism and hip dysplasia (I'm only wish their 'breeder' had shared that view, but that's another story)

Ronin, I kind of regret. He was neutered at just over a year as a kneejerk reaction to aggression between him and our older boy Tyton. I was given a choice by the family one weekend; neuter, rehome or PTS as the situation was untenable. I chose to have him neutered as, in my opinion, the least of three evils open to me. Tyton went on to demonstrate other issues that probably contributed more to the problem and situation than Ronin's hormones, but at least I still have my boy and in a reasonable state of mind and health.

Tyton was kept entire as there was never a reason to have him done. Samuel the new puppy will be kept entire unless there comes a time there is a pressing reason to consider neutering.


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## Kimmikins (Apr 9, 2016)

MontyMaude said:


> I think it all comes down to owner preference, I don't like being called a cruel owner because I chose to neuter my dog, I had Hector done at 7 months, he is a small breed and so far I have no regrets, he is a very happy confident dog that isn't phased by much at all and is dog friendly.


I don't think it's cruel to neuter. But I do applaud the fact that people are now putting much more thought into the decision.


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## MontyMaude (Feb 23, 2012)

Kimmikins said:


> I don't think it's cruel to neuter. But I do applaud the fact that people are now putting much more thought into the decision.


I put thought into my decision too, but somebody on this thread has stated they believe it 'cruel to neuter unless for medical reasons' and I refute that wholeheartedly as I don't believe I am cruel.


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## SixStar (Dec 8, 2009)

MontyMaude said:


> I put thought into my decision too, but somebody on this thread has stated they believe it 'cruel to neuter unless for medical reasons' and I refute that wholeheartedly as I don't believe I am cruel.


This.

Whilst neutering isn't to everyone's tastes (certainly not to mine), it is just ridiculous to suggest it is 'cruel'


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## Pappychi (Aug 12, 2015)

I've only ever had bitches spayed and avoided neutering males if I could help it. However, that's just my personal preference


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

Bungo is neutered and I don't regret it.


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## applecrumlin (Mar 8, 2015)

Is there a testosterone injection available from vets?


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## CheddarS (Dec 13, 2011)

So we neutered Cheddar at 18 months, do I regret it, yes and no...I am human. TBH when we had him done he was a nightmare on the verge of being rehomed. We worked through it and while lots was behavioural not all. His stress levels noticeably dropped and he did become a nicer more friendly dog to be around. However he is underconfident and does really dislike intact dogs (especially big ones), but not sure it would have been any different if he was intact as he displayed this before. With another dog I would look at the total picture in order to try and be an informed handler...I am not cruel because I chose what I think was best for my dog.


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## Apollo2012 (Jun 10, 2013)

Apollo isn't neutered as there's never really been any reason for it he doesn't hump things, get over excited or go out looking for fights with other dogs. 

Also due to his nervousness I'm reluctant to get him neutered from a behavioural standpoint, I know some say it's there's been no real studies so nothings proven about neutering nervous dogs affecting behaviour adversely but i would rather be safe than sorry.

I do find that other neutered dogs seem to have it out for Apollo though, more so than entire dogs. He made friends with a big entire boxer yesterday, yet there's four or five neutered males we've in my village that hate Apollo and get in his face growling as soon as they sniff him


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## Spidei (Mar 10, 2014)

I don't regret having Taza spayed, however I do wish I had done it a bit earlier instead of at 5. 

Riley was neutered at a year old so not too young and we chose him to be done first since it would be a quick recovery and certainly didn't want any accidental matings. I do kindof regret it because I feel it may has contributed to his nervousness and reactivity. 

Echo I definately don't regret (I'm also glad I waited until 18 months) since he was getting obsessive with females and humping most other dogs due to way over the top excitement. He has calmed down, not humped another dog and has hardly been interested in females since being neutered


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

MontyMaude said:


> I put thought into my decision too, but somebody on this thread has stated they believe it 'cruel to neuter unless for medical reasons' and I refute that wholeheartedly as I don't believe I am cruel.


Of course it is not cruel. In real life the majority of pet owners have their dogs neutered routinely as suggested by the majority of vets. If anything is cruel it is keeping an oversexed and frustrated dog entire. Not saying every dog is oversexed and frustrated but some are and not to castrate one seems rather mean to me. After all we are keeping dogs for us in a very unnatural way and if we can make life easier for them surely we owe them to do that.


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## Guest (Aug 6, 2016)

Nope, don't regret neutering any of the ones we had done, or even the ones neutered before they came to us. 
Had our childhood terror neutered at 12 because he developed prostate issues, he lived to be 18.
Lunar was neutered literally the day before we got him, so he came to us essentially as an intact dog a good 7 or 8 years old. He tried to hump Breez one time and she sorted that one quickly. 
Bates was neutered at 4 months (way too early) but he apparently never got that memo and chatters and drools around bitches in heat, and other fun things 
I am a horrible cruel owner, but not because of having dogs neutered


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## Labrador Lady (Aug 6, 2016)

Reading this post with interest. I always had bitches who were spayed, but my current dog is the first male. I had no idea how much debate there is around the male castration issue. My lab is quite immature at 14 months in many ways, but from what I have read castration probably won't change his behaviour. A friend of mine has an older Viszla who in advance of full castration, tried chemical castration under vets advice to see the impact on his nature - finding there was none, in his case.
My only drive to get my dog castrated is that whilst entire, he mounts humans and other dogs. Also more pressingly, dog boarders and day care places won't accept entire dogs so we are find it difficult to find someone to take care of him for for short periods to enable us to go away.


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## Kimmikins (Apr 9, 2016)

MontyMaude said:


> I put thought into my decision too, but somebody on this thread has stated they believe it 'cruel to neuter unless for medical reasons' and I refute that wholeheartedly as I don't believe I am cruel.


That post slipped under my radar! I completely agree, it's not cruel at all!

I would only neuter, in future, if it benefits the dog, and I would definitley consider chemical castration first. Scrumpy Jack is entire, and at 11 he's only been dislike by one neutered dog. Well, two if you include Fidget but as he's generally a douche anyway I don't really count it!


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## Guest (Aug 7, 2016)

No regrets here. At the time Buddy was done though yes he was too young really but mum was adamant he be done then though I did try and talk to her to explain, there were a lot of unspayed female dogs back then that he always wanted to mount but was obviously not allowed too. Mind you if he gets too excited he will hump but I stop him right away with ah ah and a distraction. That didn't work back then though.


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

Yasdawn said:


> Our dog is now around 14 months and we have been weighing out the pros and cons of neutering him for a while now. I do not plan on breeding him and do not want to cause any unwanted pregnancies but he's not allowed off leash anyway (either on a regular short leash or a long recall line). At the moment, I'm not going to rush into any decision as I know he can get done at any age. I understand there are of course pros to getting him done but have also heard the negative side of neutering. In terms of behavioural issues, *he has only shown aggression to another dog once (growling).* He can be slightly cautious but once the dog gets closer he's generally quite happy to meet them. I hear that neutered dogs can sometimes lose confidence and this can actually bring on aggression towards other dogs? Just curious as to whether anyone has regretted their decision to get theirs done?


Best not to confuse aggression with communication. Growling is communication.
As your dog shows some anxiety around other dogs, it could be best to leave it a year or 2. See how his confidence develops with maturity.


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## cbcdesign (Jul 3, 2014)

ROBERT HARKNESS said:


> To be honest i think its cruel unless its fo medical reasons


Dogs don't think like people and they don't miss their jewels like we would. Medically there may be very good reasons not to neuter but not doing so because of any notion of cruelty thorough deprivation is not. We must be careful not to anthropomorphise where our dogs are concerned.


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## sskmick (Feb 4, 2008)

In a nutshell, I don't have my dogs (males) neutered as a matter of course. The dog I own today is 11 years old and had to be neutered around Easter time due to a benign condition Prostatitis (not sure of spelling).

As a family we have only had one female, and on the grounds of not wanting her to have a litter she was neutered. Her behaviour changed the vet said if her behaviour is as a result of the neuter the tablets he offered would resolve/alleviate the problem. They did help, I can only assume they where a hormone treatment. Unfortunately she became so aggressive that by the age of 7 my parents made the decision to have her pts. 

I would never intentionally own a female dog, by that I mean I would not set out with the intention of getting a female.


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## sskmick (Feb 4, 2008)

applecrumlin said:


> Is there a testosterone injection available from vets?


Leeds City Council at the time we got Duke were offering free neutering for Staffordshire Bull Terriers. Being responsible owners we gave this a lot of thought but were still unsure. Our vet offered us this injection to get an idea as to how our dog would react if neutered (a bit more complex than that, I can't remember how long the injection lasts but he would have needed more than one).

It is worth speaking to the vet for their opinion.


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## sskmick (Feb 4, 2008)

ROBERT HARKNESS said:


> To be honest i think its cruel unless its for medical reasons


I don't believe it's cruel, simply unnecessary unless on medical grounds - provided the dog owner is able to prevent unwanted litters. Sometimes male castration is done on behavioural grounds and for instance I know of owners who believe it has helped their dog from being reactive towards other dogs.


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## ROBERT HARKNESS (Jul 27, 2016)

Yes im sorry i used the word cruel of course yous arent cruel to your dogs i just dont like animals having bits removed onless it needed to be removed but thats just how i feel. Im sorry if i offended anyone


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## Guest (Aug 7, 2016)

ROBERT HARKNESS said:


> Yes im sorry i used the word cruel of course yous arent cruel to your dogs i just dont like animals having bits removed onless it needed to be removed but thats just how i feel. Im sorry if i offended anyone


No worries 
So I take it your springer puppy has a full tail then?


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## ROBERT HARKNESS (Jul 27, 2016)

ouesi said:


> No worries
> So I take it your springer puppy has a full tail then?


Yes full tail the only one out of 8 that didnt get docked


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## Guest (Aug 7, 2016)

ROBERT HARKNESS said:


> Yes full tail the only one out of 8 that didnt get docked


Wow, I'm surprised the breeder was willing to leave one undocked.


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## ROBERT HARKNESS (Jul 27, 2016)

ouesi said:


> Wow, I'm surprised the breeder was willing to leave one undocked.


I know the guy and knew when pups were being born so had Archie picked and marked so he wouldnt dock him i think they are cute with full tail


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## Blackadder (Aug 25, 2014)

ouesi said:


> Wow, I'm surprised the breeder was willing to leave one undocked.


My daughter has a Springer (Holly) who works as a drug detection dog in a prison, Holly is undocked.


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## Guest (Aug 7, 2016)

BlackadderUK said:


> My daughter has a Springer (Holly) who works as a drug detection dog in a prison, Holly is undocked.


I'm not surprised a springer was undocked, I'm surprised a breeder would dock a whole litter minus one.


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## Picklelily (Jan 2, 2013)

I regretted having my Rough Collie neutered, he lost confidence and much of his outgoing personality after being neutered, although he remained a dog you could take anywhere. He was fine with other dogs and people but we had him neutered because at the time our son was 8 and he was consistently mounting any little girls who visited the house, with a dog that sized it was very difficult to manage with small children visiting. Plus he started howling when he could scent a bitch in season, our neighbours still giggle about it. We had him neutered just before 2.5 years as he matured physically late on.

Neutering did resolve the behaviour but I wonder if it was now rather than 15 years ago would I have been more successful at managing the behaviour using today's training methods.

The worst was the effect on his coat which became drier and thickened, his undercoat was much more difficult to groom after neutering


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## Picklelily (Jan 2, 2013)

Having said that I would probably have a bitch neutered again but would be anxious.

Pickle had her first season in October/November just before we got her in December by January she had what turned out to thankfully be a false pregnancy. March she had a second season followed quickly by another false pregnancy, 2 months later she had another false pregnancy. We waited 12 weeks from her season booked her in to have her spayed, on the morning of the spay she had nipple development but the vets advised to go ahead with her spay. I wished I hadn't because her hormone levels spiked again and she went into an immediate false pregnancy. She was so ill for nearly 3 weeks with a raised temperature, nesting, milk production and not wating. She went from 9.7kg to 7.3kg but did eventually recovered after steriods, antibiotics and galistop..

Obviously her very odd hormones needed sorting and spay was the best solution, she is a happier dog all round for the spay but if I had the time again I wouldn't have had her spayed with that nipple development, although they did all say they had never had such a bad hormone spike in any dog post spay.

Her behaviour though has been more consistent without those hormones and she was a horribly messy bitch.


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

I regret not waiting longer to spay Bo. I spayed her after her first season and she was around 15 months. She was very off during the season personality wise and very unclean, bless her, so I thought it was best to get it over and done with. She has spay incontinence and part of me wonders whether that would have been the case if I'd waited until she had another season, when she would have been about 24 months.

Tilly was spayed she she around 3 ish? truthfully I don't remember exactly when, but she was well mature, and has no problems.

Juno is 10 months, has already had one season, and will remain entire for the foreseeable future.

If I had another male dog it would be left entire unless a particular issue be it physically or behaviourally dictated otherwise.


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## kirksandallchins (Nov 3, 2007)

I have only owned 2 males, one was neutered at 18 months old and i am sure it made him more nervous - he was quite a shy dog before. The other lived to be 12.5 and was still intact - I think living with am older neutered bitch put him in his place from day one and he never took much interest in bitches

I have noticed a few castrated dogs are sex magnets to other male dogs, only last week a friends dog got molested by a Lab, even when the owner took the Lab away it came pelting back across the field


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## Aahlly (Sep 12, 2014)

Yes and no. I felt like I was in a bit of a dilemma over neutering. With two entire females and living in an apartment and so limited space to separate the dogs, I was unsure if I should risk it and leave Ghost entire which would have been my preference. However after much discussion I decided that it wouldn't really be fair on any of them to have that stress and I knew I would be worrying and it would be a pantomime when the girls came into season trying to keep them all happy. So Ghost was neutered at around six months. Not an ideal age and I had hoped to get him to a year old before we did it, but he had unexpected hip surgery aged six months and so I decided to have him neutered at the same time to avoid anaesthetic again. There's something about anaesthetic that freaks me out and I would much rather have them under as few as possible. I feel as though he's defo less mature than he could be both in looks and temperament. He's leggy and also he's very puppyish. But I'm not really complaining. He's very happy and well behaved so who knows how he would have been if I had left him longer? It just is what it is really. I know the benefits of leaving them entire and completely agree but they have to fit into your lifestyle and home too and with my girls it seemed like it would only cause more stress. I think it's important to weigh up the decision on an individual basis.


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## Hanwombat (Sep 5, 2013)

I'd not get Bigby neutered unless for medical reasons - he lacks confidence in some situations, is very hyper, reactive and sometimes find it hard to settle.. I reckon that neutering him would only escalate these.

Otherwise he rarely tries to hump Io, doesn't scentmark in the house etc so there is no need.

He is 20 months old now and no where near mentally matured yet .


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## Muttly (Oct 1, 2014)

MontyMaude said:


> I put thought into my decision too, but somebody on this thread has stated they believe it 'cruel to neuter unless for medical reasons' and I refute that wholeheartedly as I don't believe I am cruel.


I don't see what's cruel about taking away the sexual urges that we as owners are not going to let our dog fulfill.

Muttly was neutered at 17 months. I do believe in not neutering early, unless for medical reasons. 
My reasons were:
He regularly sees 2 girls, who he was starting to get very humpy with and growling when being removed.
Carrying on with this frustrated behaviour forever would be cruel imo.
Worrying it would escalate to other females out and about. At least the frustration part. He is already Dog Reactive, I don't need him being sexually frustrated with it!

I thought about this for a long time and it wasn't a snap decision.

It had the desired effect and nothing else about him changed, he's exactly the same dog.


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