When to neuter - Page 1

Hi All
Could someone tell me when is the best time to neuter a gsd .
Although i already have two females, i am soon to collect my first ever male pup from the breeders and i have read lots of conflicting advice on the internet regarding neutering.Also, any advice on the differences of owning a male gsd as i am wondering if he will be more difficult to train.
Thanks in advance
Sarah

Why are you getting a dog and considering getting it neutered before you have even collected it from the breeder ?. 

There are only two definite positives in having a dog neutered

1) It can not breed
2) It wont subsequently develop testiculer cancel.

Males can be "goofier" than females, especially at a young age.  I have had both and prefer males.  It's been a while since I had a female so I can't really give a good comparison on training.  It's kind of, you do what you do with an individual, male or female and it depends on more than the sex.  If you have already decided to neuter, please consider waiting until at least the age of 2, as the loss of testosterone can be a health issue and will also arrest development.

thank you gsd travels, thats is what i mean by conflicting advise, my vet suggested 6 months for neutering which to me seems very young indeed. I know it is very soon to be asking the question but i am just wanting to get things right for the dogs sake. I have no intentions of rushing him straight out the door for his nuts chopped the minute he arrives but in the long run, especially as i do not breed myself, he will have to be sorted.
There are enough unwanted puppies out there already in my opinion, i see it as my responsibility to manage my dogs in this way.
Respect to those of you who breed/show your dogs, im sure it must be a job of immense highs and lows being a breeder,
Thanks for your advice.

I'm no breeder but have had enough experience with dogs.  I've had a male neutered but only because of a retained testicle, a health issue in itself.  My current boy will not be bred but will also not be neutered.  I have no females and am responsible with his care so there will be no accidents.  I choose not to neuter but would not force my opinion on others.  It just seems that too many dogs are going under the knife at too young an age and it's what the vets are recommending.  They seem to be wanting to take our choices away.  But the health risk in neuter and spay are downplayed for the sake of passing on owner responsibility, IMO.  Best of luck with your newest family member!

thank you, i think that this might need a little more thought that i had imagined, i too am guilty of hanging on the every word of the vet which it seems may not always be the way. My problem is that my females are unspayed, the oldest is 12 years old now and the youngest is 13 months and just got her second season. My vet has pushed hard for the younger dog to be spayed, and if i am honest i am afraid to take her for the op. I spend all day at home with my dogs so they are almost always supervised and are crated if i go out,however i feel that the possibility of an accidental mating are still quite high and (selfishly i expect) i though it easier to neuter the male as i was led to believe that this was a "safer" op.
I know that no surgery is without risk entirely and that perhaps i should of though this through a little more before deciding to get a male pup, however i take good care of my dogs imo and i feel that i need to address the problem.I would hate to be responsible for an accident through my negligence,especially as my dogs are too old and young for puppies.
Suggestions welcome
Sarah

I certainly respect your reasons for concern!  If I had two unaltered females in the home to be shared with a young male, I might be thinking along the same lines.  There is another thread about spay neuter on this very page where I've posted a link to a general topic discussion on the health issues.  I suggest you read it and make your decision from there.  So many risks to weigh, an accidental or unwanted breeding rating high on the list.  I say I'm responsible for my dog, and I am.  He goes nowhere without me and I have reduced the risk of escape to pretty much zero.  But, like I said before, I don't have females in my home either, that changes things in a dramatic way!  Males have been known to do the impossible to get to a female in heat and I would never say never in that situation.  You've got some reading and decision making to do but isn't it nice to know it's YOUR decision and it can be an informed one?

GSD - This is the link within the article you advised on the other thread

http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf

I would advise all who are considering neutering or spaying to read this article in full before making any decision

I'm on the opposite side of the fence. I'm very pro-spay/neuter of any dog that isn't intended for breeding. Males should be fully matured before neutering, otherwise the lack of testosterone causes a change in developement, much like what happens to the Castrati:
 
In humans, neutering before puberty results in: "... a boy's larynx from being transformed by the normal physiological events of puberty. As a result, the vocal range of prepubescence (shared by both sexes) is largely retained, and the voice develops into adulthood in a unique way. Prepubescent castration for this purpose diminished greatly in the late 1700s and was made illegal in Italy in 1870.

As the castrato's body grew, his lack of testosterone meant that his epiphyses (bone-joints) did not harden in the normal manner. Thus the limbs of the castrati often grew unusually long, as did the bones of their ribs. [source]."

It affects dogs the same way.



As for the negative lit on spay/neutering, I've read all of it, but have never had any of the negative issues, or known anyone personally who experienced them. As such, I continue to advocate the altering of companion animals. I've known more problems resulting from animals left intact (like pyometra) than complications. I've also never known an animal to become obese due to altering.

I find obesity the results of poor upkeep, and an owner who can't seem to figure out "calories in > calories out = weight gain." None of my altered pets of any species got obese as a results.



I like to neuter males no earlier than 2.5yrs because I like them to develope the secondary sex characteristics they wotherwise would not if neutered too early. I find a late neutering does not decrease drive (or even sex drive), and have personally known a neutered male to still tie a bitch.

I prefer to spay females before their first heat. I've known dogs with mammary tumors, and an excellent hunting dog that died from pyometra complications before her 5th birthday. Her uterus became infected, and in the surgery to remove it, it ruptured letting the infection into her bloodstream. She was put on IV antibiotics, but she didn't make it.

In the end though, it's all a matter of personal choice.



(For those who might not have read the entire paper Pacos linked to:)

CONCLUSIONS

"An objective reading of the veterinary medical literature reveals a complex situation with respect to the longterm
health risks and benefits associated with spay/neuter in dogs. The evidence shows that spay/neuter
correlates with both positive AND adverse health effects in dogs. It also suggests how much we really do
not yet understand about this subject..."

"...The balance of long-term health risks and benefits of spay/neuter will vary from one dog to the next. Breed,
age, and gender are variables that must be taken into consideration in conjunction with non-medical factors
for each individual dog. Across-the-board recommendations for all dogs do not appear to be supportable
from findings in the veterinary medical literature."

jc, I completely respect your position, even though I'm talking to you through the fence.  But isn't it nice that you still have a voice and a choice and we can respectfully disagree?  Thank you for that!    I'd also like to add that it would be a more difficult choice with a female I didn't intend to breed, but that's one of the many reasons I prefer a male.