Today's vet visit..... - Page 1

On our way to the lake today, I decided to swing by the vet's office to see how much Koda weighed....and the results were a whopping 75.3 lbs. Is this normal for a 6 month old GSD? Should I be exercising him more?

Also, another question I have been weighing is to neurter or not to neuter?  I would love to stud Koda one day, yet don't want to take a chance with him becomming aggressive like some of the articles and books state that I have been reading. Any suggestions from the more experieneced?

Thanks
-Brittany

Regarding neutering, health wise it isbest to wait until he is two so he can fully develop physically. There are other health benefits to waiting also.

There are many intact males that are not aggressive and they are many neutered males that are aggressive. It has more to do with genetics and training than anything else. That said,  sometimes neutering can somewhat curb the aggression in some dogs. I would never neuter to simply avoid aggression issues though.  

As far as studding him out, it is best to leave that to the professionals. OR, after you put a  title on your dog, have his hips and elbows certified, are certain  that he is a healthy, well conformed dog with a well-balanced temperament, and he is considered breed worthy by experienced GSD people, then you might want to consider breeding him. You have a long road to go down before you should even be thinking about breeding. Breeding a dog is not anything to take lightly and only the very best should be bred. The best thing for you to do now is learn, learn and learn and enjoy your pup. If the pup in your avatar is of Koda he is a very handsome boy :)

As far as Koda's weight goes, it does sound a little heavy for the average six month old GSD pup, but it is difficult to say without seeing him. How tall is he? Is he real heavy boned? What does your vet say?

I agree with the above post in terms of neutering. Thee is research that suggests neuter causes some health problems.  However, if he will be around a lot of females it might be best to neuter. In terms of weight i would suggest feeling his ribs. If you can easily feel his ribs don't worry about the weight. if there feels like there is some cushion there, then he might be a little heavy.  My dog was 72 pounds at 6 months.  he probably weighs about the same as Koda and is just a few weeks past 6 months.  He is about 24.5 inches at the shoulder and is in good condition.

Brittany, Take a look at the "breed worthy" thread. Although you will see there are many different opinions, it is clear that a breed worthy dog is a very special dog, exhibiting exceptional qualities worth passing down. I am not saying that your dog can't be that "special dog", but you have to a long way to go before you that can be determined. Also, please keep in mind that millions of dogs are put to sleep every year because the shelters are busting at the seams. 30% of the dogs are purebreds.
The best,
Char