You learn something new every day...

[slinkycat]

Was going to get my 6 month old pup neutered in the next couple of weeks. Didn't see any reason not to and the vet said it could be done from 5 months. Then I came across a paragraph in a very good book I've been using for training advice,
"It is my experience that, at whatever age the dog is when he is castrated, the mental maturing process tends to stop once the castration is done. You could therefore have a four month old puppy castrated and for example at two years old he would still have the mental age of a four month old puppy"
I googled to see if anyone else had this opinion and it seems to be widely held and backed by evidence.
Have decided to wait until he is at least a year old. No advice needed, and apologies to all the dog owners who already knew this, but as a new dog owner I found it interesting!
(and wish my vet had mentioned it!)

[mike11111]

Many many years ago my mother, who was very fond of cats, took in a kitten, despite my father's disapproval at anything which was likely to make a mess around the house. After a couple of weeks she took her to the vet with a view to having her spayed as she thought that it would make her cleaner. The vet put the cat on his desk, lifted up her legs and said, "It's a tom". My mother replied, "Well, we're here now, so you might as well just cut them off". I can still picture, almost 50 years on, the look of sheer reproach the cat gave me as we took him home in his basket afterwards.

[jules77]

I agree that you should wait until the dog has reached maturity before spaying/neutering. Personally, I would never have a dog neutered, or a bitch spayed as it will also change the texture of the coat, and in a long haired breed like I have, it becomes almost unmanageable turning the coat to 'felt'.

Pros and cons....

Benefits - [Males]
Eliminates the small risk of testicular cancer
Reduces the risk of non cancerous prostate disoders
'May' reduce the risk of diabetes

Negative - [Males]
iIf done before maturity, will increase the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer) a common cancer in medium/large and larger breeds
Increaes the risk of hemangiosarcoma
The risk of hypothyroidism and obesity is trebled
The risk of prostate cancer is four times as likely
The risk of urinary tract tract cancers increases by double
More likely to have an adverse reaction to annual innoculations
An increase in the risk of orthopaedic disorders.

Benefits [Bitches]

If done before 2.5 years of age, will reduce the risk of mammary tumours
Eliminates the risk of Pyometra
Reduces the risk of Perianal Fistulas
Removes the very small risk from Uterine, Cervical and Ovarian tumours

Negative [Bitches]

If done before maturity increases the risk of Osteosarcoma
Increases the risk of Splenic Hemangiosarcoma, a common cancer and major cause of death in some breeds
The risk of hypothyroidism is tripled
Increase in the risk of obesity
Common cause of urinary incontinence and increasing the risk of persistent UTI
More risk of a recessed vulva, vaginal dermatitis and vaginitis, particularly for females spayed before maturity
Increased risk of Orthopedic disorders
An increase in the risk of a reaction to annual innoculations

[woofgang]

Jules you have left out the behavioural advantages....One of our bitches was distinctly miserable after every season for about a month...as I have said, our current boys were getting very difficult (understatement) to live with and really really difficult to exercise safely and I live in the New Forest where there is loads of space. They are weimaraner x GSP and really need their free running. yes I could have limited their freedom and trained through it but at what point do you say enough is enough? Hopefuly before one of them would have run under a car or been bitten by a bitch for persistently being a bloody nuisance. I am not saying that the snip is a magic cure....I wish..... and I did and still do have to work on their recall and focus but the difference was noticeable about 2 months after they had had the op.
I am neither pro or anti neutering. I think that for some dogs and bitches, it can result in a much better quality of life. I can also state categorically that in the dogs and bitches that I have had, who were neutered, there has been no change in the coat whatsoever but these were all smooth coated dogs.
So far as my current two becoming obese, its a struggle to keep weight on them!

[jules77]

I have never had a bitch who was miserable during of after their season. I also have a young un neutered male, who loves the ladies, but he doesnt cause me a problem as I dont let my dogs off lead anymore and prefer to exercise them on long tracking leads. We also have a decent sized garden. Everyone I have spoken to with a Rough has had coat problems after spaying/neutering, even my mother in law who had Cavaliers. But I guess it wouldnt be a problem in a smooth coated breed.

I can see the benefits in an older bitch to avoid pyometra, but I definitely wouldnt routinely spay before 7 years old.

[woofgang]

yes our previous dog was very easy going, matey with the ladies but definitely not a sex pest lol. My experience is that unless you are Lynford Christie, exercising HPR's on a tracking lead is a no go

[jules77]

I would love to let them off lead woofgang, But until everyone else has their dogs under control I wont chance it. Yesterday it was a loopy JRT that came running over yapping at us, the day before it was three cross breeds that came charging over. My one bitch can be skittish and panics if she sees a dog running towards her, so off lead is a no no.

[woofgang]

jules you are so right. I take my boys out at stupid o'clock to get them exercise safely. because mine are big, they will always get the blame no matter who starts it.