Im new here an Something is Missing. PLEASE HELP!!! - Page 1

I have a 6 month old GSD pup.. When I got him at 3 months I did the whole checking him out thing.. Checked his teeth ( nice bite ) checked his back ( nice firm back ) checked his testicles ( 2 testicles ).. Well yesterday I was in the yard working and playing with him he rolls over Im rubbing his belly and Low an Behold he only has one testicle.. I stood him up and tried feeling for it nothing there... Now when I got him he did have both, and I would check him every now an then and he would have both and sometimes suck one up sometimes both up then both hanging.. But now at 6 mnths old he has only one.. Is this genetic? Does this make him not good for breeding out?

What you are describing is not uncommon, if, in fact, the second testicle was there at one time. And it might well have been. But they can move up and down and eventually, the ring of muscle that they go through will close and the second testicle is retained in the abdominal cavity. If that is what has happened, he is not eligible for breeding according to the SV standard. I would take him to your vet and let him/her see if they can feel it and coax it back down, but it likely is too late. You should seriously consider neutering him to have both removed (assuming the other one really is there somewhere). Retained testicles are often considered as irritants by the body and may become cancerous. The name for this condition is cryptorchidism vs monorchidism, where there really was only one testicle present.

If one has male pups, they should check daily to know the status of the testicles. If one continues to slip up and down, it is possible to have a urologist tack it in place, thereby keeping it down.

If your contract guarantees both testicles will decend, and you intended on showing him, talk to your breeder right away.

Good luck.

I am going to stick my neck out here...I am not a breeder.

First of all, I know of one lady who bought a GSD pup, with the intention of working him in Schutzhund and titling him, then perhaps breeding him at some point.  He had both testicles, but one is no longer down.  She intends to neuter him.  If there is anything wrong with the dog, from a physical standpoint, I wouldn't breed him, period.  If his temperament isn't excellent, I wouldn't breed him, period.

I don't know who you are, or what experience you may have with the breed.  If you are a longtime owner, then I mean no offense if I am addressing you as a new owner...But the fact is that unless your dog can get OFA certification as at least a good, and pass all other health screenings that breeders should put their dogs through, and his temperament is exemplary, as is his conformation and pigmentation, then you should really consider not breeding him.  The GSD is a working breed, and I really prefer to see the dogs doing some kind of work, whether that be herding, protection, Schutzhund or some other type of work.  There are already a huge number of people breeding GSD simply because they have an intact male or female (or male and female) who are doing our breed a world of hurt because they are looking at the money to be made from such a breeding, rather than the effect on the overall breed.  There are some incredible dogs out there, so if one has a major flaw such as you describe...I wouldn't breed him.  I had an intact male GSD that I never bred a litter from, and had him neutered at five and a half years old...He had some flaws in his conformation, and his temperament was not that good, either.

The point of titling a dog in herding or some other form of work is to demonstrate that you are breeding a dog who has proven that he or she can work.  It's not all about that dog; it's about the future generations.  It is true that some dogs pass on working ability even though they themselves are not titled, but the old adage, from what I have read, is true:  "If you don't use it, you lose it.  I have seen accounts where working ability can be lost completely in as few as three generations, though I can't say that is true, never having bred GSD myself.  If I ever do, however, you can be assured that I will be sure that my dogs are trained, are titled, and have proven themselves as good representatives of their breed.

Just my opinion, based on what I have learned and on common sense.

Good luck to you.

Crys

Thank you Guys.. I appreciate the Info.. I just thought that beings both were there an now only one is that it wasnt genetics.. When I got the pup It was in December It was very cold and he was VERY malnurished and was thinking that that may have alot to do with it.. I was checkeing him pretty much everyday but I noticed that when both were down Id check and I could actually feel him suck that other one up.. So i decided to stop fooling with it as often thinking that if I did continue to fool with it he would keep it up.. But i guess it was 6 of one a half dozen of the other..

What I don't understand is, the puppy she is talking about, I am assuming, probably has littermates. They all carry the same genes from their parents. Why is it, that the puppy that has only one testicle should not be used for breeding, but the others that has both testicles could be used for reproduction? They all have the same genes. Example. If one puppy in a litter is born green, but the other 6 are all blk/tan does that mean the 6 blk/tan dont carry the green gene?  Also, the problem had to come through the parents. Shouldn't the parents not be bred again because they will more than likely pass that gene on again? Isn't it also true that not just males carry that testicle gene but the females do also. Does it really matter exactly what bloodline it is, or is it a common ocurrance in German bred dogs. However, does the fact that having only testicle affect the working performance? Its not bad hips or elbows which pervents the dog from working. The American showline dogs which show in conformation are very strict on this matter and prohibits any male from being shown. But their main reason for showing is to look pretty, and conformationly built correct, and not for the production of a dog that can work. Having one testicle doesn't make him incorrect for what he was bred to do. I guess this can be debated forever. I am not disagreeing or agreeing either way. But I just don't understand.

Ok, I'll shut up know. Hope I never have GSDoogiemom10's situation. Good Luck. Hope you aren't more confused than before...Don't give up, maybe it will come down again.

Thanks Nonacona.. That is also how I am kinda looking at the situation.. I took him out today worked him a lil and after he relaxed I felt around again and I could feel that " lost " testicle He does have both.. I will be optimistic bout the situation an cross my fingers.. The boy has potential.. Hate for him to be wasted..

If you can feel the "lost" testicle, can you gently pull it down so it's external?  Put your index and middle fingers one either side and see if you can bring it down.   Sometimes you can.  If so, check him every day and do this until he closes up permanently.  At his age it may be too late, but worth a try.

"If one puppy in a litter is born green, but the other 6 are all blk/tan does that mean the 6 blk/tan dont carry the green gene?"

It's very possible they won't carry it.  You KNOW the green one has it, but maybe the other ones do and maybe they don't, but you're still ahead of the game with them.  Now, with some things like color, you know that if a certain color is expressed phenotypically, then the dog cannot possibly have a gene for another color.

Remember, too, that when discussing genetics and saying things like, if the parents are this way, then 25% of the litter will be A, 50% will be B, and 25% will be C....that these odds are for EACH PUPPY.  Some people think that means that it's guaranteed that in a littler of 4, this means that definitely 1 puppy will be A, 2 will be B, and 1 will be C.   No, it's entirely possible that all 4 puppies will be A.  or B.  or C.  

"However, does the fact that having only testicle affect the working performance?...But I just don't understand."

It doesn't affect the working performance.  It only affects breeding, because you always want to breed the best  to the best (and hope for the best!).  So that's why you eliminate faults when you can, and why you do not breed a one-testicled dog, and you don't breed to bad hips and elbows even though OFA good or better is no guarantee that the puppies will have OFA good or better hips.  You're always striving to be better.

"But their main reason for showing is to look pretty, and conformationly built correct, and not for the production of a dog that can work. ...Having one testicle doesn't make him incorrect for what he was bred to do."

I disagree.  LOL, but I'm old school.  Dog shows and performance events were begun to prove who had the best dogs FOR BREEDING.  That was the whole purpose.  A one-testicled dog isn't best for breeding.  Shows have evolved into something else, but that's the basic purpose of why these things began in the first place, so people who loved a breed and worked with a breed could see what others had and how they looked, how they were built, and how they performed.

Back in the day people had a breed, and those who had the same breed gathered together to compare their dogs and compete with one another.  See the difference?  They came to showing AFTER spending time and gaining lots of experience with their chosen breed.

Nowadays, people decide they want something to show and go get Breed X and jump into the show ring, but they don't have that background and experience gained FIRST.

TessJ10 I can actually feel the "lost" testicle.. I can move it also.. It moves fairy easy.. I am trying to push it back.. An trust me I do it on a daily basis sometimes 2 times a day... Im not ready to give up on this boy yet... Thanks