Hi all, Monte is 7 months old. We have our first baby due in May this year. I’ve read a lot about the pros and cons of neutering and have decided it’s best if we do have it done, for the reason that I don’t want him fathering puppies accidentally or going off looking for females. My question is when should I do it? I don’t want to cause him upset by doing it around when the baby is born because he will have so many changes to deal with then.i want to minimise his stress and environment change as much as possible. I’m not sure how much it effects them having it done? On the other hand, I am keep that he isn’t too young too, I feel that now is a bit too young and it would be better to let his hormones mature a bit more yet... what are your thoughts/ experiences? Ideally I’d wait til he was about a year old, but that will be slap bang in the middle of new baby arrival.. Thank you
I had Odin neutered at almost 6 months. I did the same for my previous pup who who grew to be a beautiful, happy chocolate lab. There are so many pros and cons, but the final decision really depends on your needs. I didn’t see either of them appear overly stressed by the procedure. I wanted to minimize the chances of my boys succumbing to instincts to wander off in search of a mate. I volunteer at the local pound and see beautiful dogs brought in by the dog catcher as strays because they escaped their homes. I was also concerned about theft. An intact purebred is a desirable target.
You should wait till he is at least a year old some say even two years. Dogs and all other animals need their reproductive glands for hormonal support and when you remove it prematurely you can cause all sorts of problems later on. Removing too early can cause weaker bones that have not been fully developed. You need to make sure that you have the dog on hormonal support afterward to make up for removing the main chemical balancing. From the people I’ve talked to the dogs didn’t act any differently and some ran just as much as before. I’m convinced that those that say their dog settled down was a placebo because most dogs grow out of the marking and running phase. My dog is the same age and I’ve seen no signs of running or marking because he is well trained. I also don’t plan to neuter him. Look up Dr Karen Becker’s video on spaying and neutering dogs.
Here in the part of the U.K. where I live neutering is not encouraged unless there is a specific problem, usually around sexualised behaviour. My 70kg gorgeous Newfoundland died intact age 13 and my lovely Alaskan malamute was neutered age 9 when he became obsessed to the point of distress with my female lab. My brother has an intact pointer age 9 and his Weimaraner died intact 10. I should add all dogs are always supervised with no risk of accidental pregnancy.
Our vet practice told us right from the start that as a large breed they won't neuter before 18 months at the earliest unless medical reason makes necessary. They also told us not to consider purely on the stories of stopping wandering and it calming them down. Personally we prefer for Hero to remain intact unless a specific problem arises that necessitates it being done. But as I said, that's our feeling regarding our dog. It just seems that for anyone preferring to neuter, there is such a minefield to manouevre and so much contradictory advice that it's very understandable to be confused over this issue. So MontesMum I hope you manage to reach an outcome on this which is best for all of you
It is encouraged in the US, but I'm not sure I really see any reason for it. We have always spayed our female dogs, mostly so we did not have to worry about unwanted pregnancy, though with Cooper I almost wish we had left her so she could have pups. She has been such a great dog, but we have never done any working dog competitions so the pups would not have the added value from titles. She would not do well in the show ring, because she is too tall, with too much tuck up and forward ears. I have come to prefer this style lab, but it is a personal thing. I don't think neutered dogs mark any less than intact males or un-spayed females. Our females mark as much as most males, and I don't see that the neutered males we walk with mark any less. I don't know how much effect neutering has on running (off). The Sammies we are around have terrible recall and they are both neutered.
Hi, I have a female six month lab and I have one vet saying 6 months and one saying after first heat cycle. I am probably going with six months because my other labs were spayed at six months and had a healthy life. I had a female in heat before and male dogs are literally at your windows trying to get in. If I had a male though I would definitely wait.
