When/if to neuter a large breed?

VonVix

I realise this is a topic that there are SO many different angles regards it as well as different opinions, but since there is a wealth of experience in this forum I thought it would be worth asking. I'd especially like to hear your personal experiences and changes you have noticed particularly if you had yours done at older than a year.

I've a nearly 5 month old GSD, so the thought of getting him neutered is now starting to arise in my head.

My circumstances
- I already have two other males in my house, both of which are neutered.
- He is often around/interacting with other dogs, which are a mix of neutered and unneutered.
- He is not going to be studded out.

My worries/experiences
- Some dogs become fearful or develop problem behaviours after neutering at an older age (over a year).
- If left intact he'll be easily and likely to be hormonally charged/cranky with other dogs.
- If neutered too early (at 6 months) he'll miss out on the benefits to his growing body/joints.

So I'm totally all over the shop with what's the best thing to do for him. It's not only my first time owning a large breed, but it's my first time deciding when to neuter my dog. With my other two it was just a given to get them done when they were of age.

DBB

VonVix wrote: »

- Some dogs become fearful or develop problem behaviours after neutering at an older age (over a year).

This trend is really only prevalent in dogs that were already showing signs of nervy-ness prior to neutering. For this reason, if an owner has a dog that's lacking confidence, they might be better off not neutering him until he becomes more socially competent.

- If left intact he'll be easily and likely to be hormonally charged/cranky with other dogs.

I wouldn't agree with "easily" or "likely"! The majority of dogs I see with aggression towards other dogs are neutered! If the dog is sociable, and the socialisation is good, intact dogs have just as good a likelihood as any dog to be fine with other dogs. Some dog-aggressive dogs benefit from being neutered... but that doesn't mean that all intact dogs are poor with other dogs, if you see the difference?

- If neutered too early (at 6 months) he'll miss out on the benefits to his growing body/joints.

In the absence of any unmanageable hormone-fuelled behavioural problems, this to me is the clincher. I would be very slow indeed to castrate a male GSD prior to a year old... indeed if I could, I'd leave him longer, and indeed, if I felt his hormones were not adversely affecting his behaviour as we went along, I would think twice about neutering him at all.
The research is there for Rottweilers... many vets will not castrate young males until after they're a year old, but the same research paper advised leaving all large-breed males until they're at least a year old... the risk of osteosarcoma may not be as high as in Rotties, but it is nevertheless significantly higher in larger breeds.

tk123

Unless I had a behavioural reason I wouldn't neuter a male at all. If I was going to they'd have to be fully grown so 2 at a minimum - been there, had the growth plate issues/surgeries and don't want to ever do that again - I'd never take a chance, Your dog is only 5 months old so TBH I wouldn't he worrying about this for another year!

VonVix

You guys are great, thank you.

Might be a complicated question to answer, but what particular behavioural reasons would there be that neutering a dog would help?

peasant

VonVix wrote: »

You guys are great, thank you.

Might be a complicated question to answer, but what particular behavioural reasons would there be that neutering a dog would help?

Definitely and for sure only those related to the sexdrive and displayed around bitches in heat ...i.e wandering, possessive behaviour around the bitch and general loss of focus for anything other than a bitch in heat.

Any other behaviour that you can think of can really happen in all dogs, neutered or not.

Knine

I have entire dogs & bitches here & manage them just fine. The bitches being more difficult to manage at times due to their behaviour when in heat.

Another aspect to note is that the coats of entire dogs & bitches are usually much nicer & they also have better muscle tone.

Cows Go µ

If there are bitches in heat in the area some entire dogs will go mental. My parents have one neutered male and he never bothers with the girls at all unless she basically flirts him into submission. But they also have 3 entire males and it's hell every time a girl goes into season. One whines and won't eat for 3 weeks. The other 2 become a lot more aggressive and can't be left out of your sight for a moment, the aggressive ones are a father and son. The whiner I think has a son that is the same. They get really stressed so they shed really badly sometimes too.

That's why as soon as a girl goes in heat she gets sent to my house. If you have no unneutered girls (and there are none in the area, because we know as soon as one goes in though it's not quite as bad) it's fine. If you do, I'd ask the breeder, they will know what the dad is like and that might be an indication of what the son would be like. It's not guaranteed but it's a good indicator if the temperaments are similar

borderlinemeath

It really depends on the individual dog. I know some intact males that are brilliant with all other dogs, and some that have some issues with other intact males, even though they are well socialised, and some that are horny as hell and will dry hump any dog, including neutered males. One intact male I know got aroused by a neighbouring dog when she was in heat and worried his penis during the night so much so it got stuck outside his foreskin.:eek: His owner found him the next morning very distressed and rushed him to the vet so he ended up getting the snip.

It's definitely too early to consider neutering him if you have to. I'd be waiting a year if not more.

DBB

VonVix wrote: »

Might be a complicated question to answer, but what particular behavioural reasons would there be that neutering a dog would help?

Humping would be a big one... whether that be humping human legs, or other dogs (male and female), or even other animals. I'm not talking the exploratory puppy humping here now, but adult dogs doing it habitually.
Excessive scent-marking, esp in the home.
Straying.
Aggression towards other dogs is a harder one to call... most dogs aren't aggressive because of testosterone, but testosterone can somewhat fuel their aggression, if you see what I mean?
If an intact male is inclined to lord it over other dogs... do you know those sort of big, butch males that are seriously manly, often drooling, barging their way into (anti)social encounters, mithering female dogs (even spayed ones) by relentlessly sniffing and licking at them? If these dogs are aggressive to other males, then I'd be very much tempted to neuter him as it's quite likely that his aggression is directly related to his hormone levels.

Knine

The worse humpers in my house are the ladies. (Excluding me)

Bitches in heat will hump each each other especially on receptive days. My 5 year old bitch screamed to get to my dog.

DBB

Knine wrote: »

(Excluding me)

I'm glad you clarified that bit

VonVix

As far as I'm aware there's no intact girls around, aside from one down the road but she is still a puppy herself.

See, all of the intact males I've been around seem to be very one track minded, they've had no interest in playing/hanging out with other dogs, but seem to pick a dog to follow and sniff/harass all day, sometimes getting themselves into trouble if that one dog isn't appreciating being pestered. That said I have also seen the change in dogs after neutering, and not once has it been a negative impact in the environment I work in. It's just from people I've heard the stories of "after neutering such-and-such changed", usually they're negative stories... but still, I'm hearing them so they are in my head lol.

Stheno

VonVix wrote: »

As far as I'm aware there's no intact girls around, aside from one down the road but she is still a puppy herself.

See, all of the intact males I've been around seem to be very one track minded, they've had no interest in playing/hanging out with other dogs, but seem to pick a dog to follow and sniff/harass all day, sometimes getting themselves into trouble if that one dog isn't appreciating being pestered. That said I have also seen the change in dogs after neutering, and not once has it been a negative impact in the environment I work in. It's just from people I've heard the stories of "after neutering such-and-such changed", usually they're negative stories... but still, I'm hearing them so they are in my head lol.

Having had over 12 large breeds such as GSD as an adult, I'd very much be of the mindset of DBB as posted above tbh.

Leave them grow and develop unless you've a compelling reason to neuter.