Neutering at 12 months

[Lexus423]

Hello All,

I have a 12 month old German Shorthair male who we are considering getting neutered in the next few weeks before the start of hunting season. I know there are many debates out there about whether or not to do it but my wife and I have decided to get the procedure for him regardless. My only question is when we should do it, now or later.

Has anyone out there gotten their dogs neutered at this age? My concern is for his development as I can tell he still has a bit of growing left to do, however I have heard that the longer you wait, the more the sexual tensions and dominance that cause him to be a little nuts, will become engrained in his head, and neutering will not matter at that point. I would appreciate any comments and advice as to when we should have it done. Thanks.

[mcbosco]

Much later and maybe you will change your mind. Without a sound medical or behavioral reason, its better to wait. A rowdy pup is not a reason to have a male neutered.

[ezzy333]

Hello All,

I have a 12 month old German Shorthair male who we are considering getting neutered in the next few weeks before the start of hunting season. I know there are many debates out there about whether or not to do it but my wife and I have decided to get the procedure for him regardless. My only question is when we should do it, now or later.

Has anyone out there gotten their dogs neutered at this age? My concern is for his development as I can tell he still has a bit of growing left to do, however I have heard that the longer you wait, the more the sexual tensions and dominance that cause him to be a little nuts, will become engrained in his head, and neutering will not matter at that point. I would appreciate any comments and advice as to when we should have it done. Thanks.

Not sure I have ever seen a mature male that had sexual tensions or dominance that made him nuts but if that happens then we have millions of nutty dogs including the one laying here by my chair and the one that climbs in bed and lays next to me. The other side is there is a lot of evidence showing up that early neutering is causing many health issues that get very expensive to fix if they are even fixable. If you want to neuter for a good reason then it should be done after the dog matures and that means somewhere around 2 years old.

If it is just "male nuttiness" you are concerned about then I would take him back and get a nice female. I don't say that to be harsh but it is what you need to do to be fair to your dog.

Ezzy

[mcbosco]

There are studies that actually show castrated males are more likely to exhibit dominant and unruly behavior, seriously.

[MikeB]

I would wait also. Age and more training calms dogs down. At 12 months he is in the middle of his "teenage" stage of behavior developement. Testing your athority. Being very independent. Doing it his way not your way. All very common in a young dog. Nuetering will NOT solve those problems. Wait till at least 18 months old and then neuter.

[Fireside]

If you have made the decision to neuter him, that is your business and no one else gets a vote... he is your dog. That said, I HIGHLY recommend waiting until he is physically mature. Neutered dogs have the potential to grow larger due to the lack of testosterone (telling the bone growth to stop). This can change the forces exerted on muscles, tendons and ligaments. There is possible link between ACL problems and early neutering.

[Gurgle]

There's a list of links to the pros and cons of neuter/spay on this board at this site on this thread: http://www.gundogforum.com/forum/viewto ... 88&t=23910

Among the topics is the question of what age to neuter at and also the studies mcbosco refers to.

Did you check with your breeder? Neutering too soon might impact the health guarantee your breeder provides.