# should i neuter my dog at 5 month old ?



## Hachi (Mar 3, 2011)

my vet says we should neuter our dog a this age ,but i would like to wait till he's at least 1 year old ... what you guys think ... he is getting pretty big tho he's 4 month old and his weight 47.2 lb :help:


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

Personally.....I would wait till he is at least over 12mos old.
*I don't neuter...but I also don't frown upon others that do*.


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## lisgje (Sep 3, 2010)

I had to neuter Shane at 5 months due to a testicular issue and had to neuter Chance at 5 months due to a recurring penis shaft infection. They both grew to be large dogs. If they had not had health issues that required neutering, I would have waited. If there are no health or serious behavioral issues, I would wait.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I would wait or not do it at all....the dog will be fine behavior-wise, as long as you are diligent in keeping him under control and in your sights at all times. 
I wouldn't know my male was intact if I didn't know better, he has no issues with staying "natural".


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

i wouldnt do it.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Yup, I do not neuter either but if you want to, that's ok, just it is best to wait until the pup is full grown.


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

I don't EVER neuter males and never will unless it is out of necessity for their health. The bottom line is there is NO concrete medical evidence to support neuter in males, but glaring evidence tampering with functions of the endocrine system is harmful. Like humans dogs have generally better health when their bodies have the ability to produce and regulate their hormone levels naturally. Heart problems, risks of certain cancers, and obesity statistically are higher in altered males. Some males who are altered young will never have any of these issues and of course some intact males will....it only reduces the risk Exercise and diet also play a huge role in overall health along with environment.

The most important question is how far are you willing to go to ensure your male will never accidently procreate? 

Intact males do not become aggressive, mark all over the house, hump everything, become dominant, or remain overly hyper....these are training errors and have little to do with hormones, but he will want females in heat so your diligence will be needed for his WHOLE life. My male is 8 and intact, no litters, and I have no problem keeping him away from bitches. If you feel capable of doing the same let the poor boy keep his doggie junk


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Previous threads about neutering: German Shepherd Dog Forums - Search Results


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

I'm with Zoey -- don't do it . If you have to wait till the dog is fully mature , at the very least two years of age. 
Carmen


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

Wait until he is at least 1 1/2 year to 2 years old to neuter. But then again I know some people who have had no issues with their dogs being neutered young. But its best to wait until he is older then neuter.


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

I would wait to neuter or not neuter at all. My boy's not neutered, nor will he be.

A lot of people believe that if you don't neuter your dog, he'll turn into an aggressive, sex crazed, dominant, peeing machine. It's not true. Just train him and you won't have any issues. 

If you do neuter, I'd wait until he's 18-24 months old at least.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i've never had a dog neutered but if i did he/she would be
2 yrs. old or more.


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## EJQ (May 13, 2003)

I believe that most vets that suggest earlier neuter/spay do so with the overpopulation and other like type issues in mind. If you consider yourself to be a responsible dog owner, I would do one of two things.


Wait until your puppy has matured and has established his secondary sexual characteristics.
Don't do it at all.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

I prefer to spay and neuter after 18 months of age with my own dogs. I do spay/neuter all fosters regardless of age upon adoption, and to date have not heard of any issues with this from their adopters. I did let ONE female go (out of ALL my fosters over the years....) under very special circumstances because they were very much trusted and had their vet backing them that they wanted to wait until she was at LEAST 6 months old, if not older, prior to spay. This was a rott/GSD cross and with rotts in particular, there is a HUGE increased risk of bone cancer in dogs altered prior to maturity. I believe it was something like a 24 or 25% increase.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

>>>> i beleive most Vets suggest earlier neuter/spay
for early profits.



EJQ said:


> >>>>I believe that most vets that suggest earlier neuter/spay do so with the overpopulation and other like type issues in mind. <<<<
> 
> If you consider yourself to be a responsible dog owner, I would do one of two things.
> 
> ...


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

I think the problem with many vets is that most of the primary reasons they give to clients for early speuter relate to things that occur with maturity. IE: heat cycles, cancer risk (which is so minor it's laughable that this is even presented as a reason). And other things that are related to TRAINING but vets argue are related to MATURITY such as marking, territorial behavior, escape risk (males) in search of inheat females, dominance, etc...

If the clients dogs grow up and don't have the above issues (outside of heat for females of course) then they are going to begin to wonder what the point of altering is in the first place. thus, the recommendations for early speuter. Scare the masses into it seems to be the tactic, rather than actual education. It's sad. I do believe in speutering, but one should be educated and decide when the appropriate time actually is vs just doing it because the vet told them to do it before the first heat cycle so their dog doesn't die of cancer in two years.

I think many of them also see an astonishing number of accidental litters and therefore recommend speutering to all clients because it can be difficult to tell who is truely responsible and who isn't.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

I am all for early spay and neutering for dogs as the vast majority of the pet owners out there are too clueless to be responsible enough to have an intact dog that reaches maturity. Maybe you don't read all the threads on here of people that can't walk their dogs, can't keep their dogs from jumping up, barking, getting loose, no recall, etc, etc. Any little help with reducing hormones that may contribute to these problems is a good thing. 

And let's not forget how many people with an intact dog start getting ideas about breeding it with the dog next door just so they can have a puppy out of it and so the kids can experience the miracle of birth.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

I would wait until he is 1.5-2 years old.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Elaine said:


> I am all for early spay and neutering for dogs as the vast majority of the pet owners out there are too clueless to be responsible enough to have an intact dog that reaches maturity.
> 
> And let's not forget how many people with an intact dog start getting ideas about breeding it with the dog next door just so they can have a puppy out of it and so the kids can experience the miracle of birth.


I agree with this except that I would like to see them hold off on spaying/neutering until the dog is at least a year old but some people cant handle that. 

I would rather they spay/neuter young than wait and end up purposely breeding or having an oops litter.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Count up all the yays and nays then do what makes the most sense to you.


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## beaderdog (Dec 23, 2010)

I speuter my dogs, but I prefer to wait until they're a year old. My vet won't speuter before 6 months, unless there are overriding health concerns. 5 months just seems a bit early to me.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I think vets are encouraged to promote early spay neuter by humane societies, and even vet schools. 

It is MORE expensive to wait until the dog is full grown because of the cost of anethesia. 

From a business sense though, it makes sense for vets to promote early spay neuter. 

*** I am talking average dog owners, not people on internet message boards. ****

When the puppy is new, people rush it to the vet to get shots, and to talk about nutrition and training. 

The vet makes a series of three or four sets of shots, and then sets up the speuter. 

After the speuter, he may not see the dog again for years, literally. And if they wait a year or more to neuter, they may never neuter.

I think vets encourage it early because they believe:

1. Most people are too stupid or irresponsible to keep an intact dog without increasing the population of unwanted dogs. 

2. That certain undesired behaviors can be avoided by the procedure.

3. That most people would be more willing to pay for a puppy spay/ puppy neuter than the adult price. 

I do not believe vets look at early spay/neuter as a way of increasing their profits down the road, though I do believe it does increase the problems the dog will have.


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## 4TheDawgies (Apr 2, 2011)

I am going to jump on the boat of waiting until after 12 months if you can be responsible and not allow your dog near any intact females in season.


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## DougGeneration (Apr 28, 2011)

There's nothing wrong with neutering your dog at 5 months old, since generally dogs experience puberty by that time. Early neutering also prevents the development of negative behavior patterns.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

DougGeneration said:


> Early neutering also prevents the development of negative behavior patterns.


No, it doesn't. TRAINING is what prevents the development of negative behavior patterns.


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

DougGeneration said:


> There's nothing wrong with neutering your dog at 5 months old, since generally dogs experience puberty by that time. Early neutering also prevents the development of negative behavior patterns.


Looks like we have a believer in exactly what I posted earlier....


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## High5 (Apr 21, 2011)

Would the same "wait period" apply to a female?


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

High5 said:


> Would the same "wait period" apply to a female?


A female, I would spay after her second heat.


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## BRITTani (Feb 10, 2011)

Konotashi said:


> A female, I would spay after her second heat.


Could you elaborate on the reason for that?

I'm not trying to challenge you but I've seen a few people suggest waiting for females and I'd just like to know why.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

My vet must be unusual- she recommends neutering between 18-24 months


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

BRITTani said:


> Could you elaborate on the reason for that?
> 
> I'm not trying to challenge you but I've seen a few people suggest waiting for females and I'd just like to know why.


Well, for starters, early spaying can increase the risk of urinary incontinance.


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## bunchoberrys (Apr 23, 2010)

Elaine said:


> I am all for early spay and neutering for dogs as the vast majority of the pet owners out there are too clueless to be responsible enough to have an intact dog that reaches maturity. Maybe you don't read all the threads on here of people that can't walk their dogs, can't keep their dogs from jumping up, barking, getting loose, no recall, etc, etc. Any little help with reducing hormones that may contribute to these problems is a good thing.
> 
> And let's not forget how many people with an intact dog start getting ideas about breeding it with the dog next door just so they can have a puppy out of it and so the kids can experience the miracle of birth.


Brilliant. Very well said.:thumbup:


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## bunchoberrys (Apr 23, 2010)

Rerun said:


> Well, for starters, early spaying can increase the risk of urinary incontinance.


In all the years I have been working at a vets I have never seen any urinary incontinence due to early spaying. Actually, the more problems I have seen are related to intact females and males. Urinary tract infections in both male and females. Prostate infections, enlarged prostate, seen cases of testicular cancer, bladder infections, etc. I cannot even tell you how many Pyometra cases that we had to do emergency surgeries on, and they were not all older females either, some were barely a year old. And yes, unfortunatley some were in such bad shape that they died before we could even get them on surgery table. Unfortunately, alot of owners are not as passionate about there pets as the pet gets older. Owners start with good intentions but do not follow thru. Once that honeymoon phase is over and cuteness of the puppy is gone, the dog goes on the back burner, and the continued hectic lives of owners continues to trump the dog. Its a sad fact but true. I can understand why vets push the early speuturing, cause they know the odds are that the people wont come back after the first year.


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## BRITTani (Feb 10, 2011)

Either way, my 5.5 month old was spayed yesterday. I've read articles on both sides and I always like to hear peoples reasoning one way or another. I just decided for myself and thats all any person can do.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I do not like the idea of spaying bitches, but I am not worried about oops pregnancies, or heat cycles. 

To PREVENT pyometra, I spayed a bitch one time because she was under, and I was not going to breed her again, and she went downhill from there. She was almost seven. She was under a LONG time because they had a lot of bleeders to tie off. Within months she had her first ever UTI and she became incontinent. And then her thyroid acted up and I needed to give her thyroid meds. Within two years she was dead of hemangiosarcoma. The incidence of hemangiosarcoma increases when you spay early. But it does not necessarily increase when an older bitch is spayed, but then again how would we know? Perhaps the hormones that are generated are for more than just reproduction.

I guess I am now going to spay only as a result of a condition and not as a prevention. I would rather lose a dog to a condition, than to lose a dog because I tried to prevent a condition.


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## Franksmom (Oct 13, 2010)

BRITTani said:


> Either way, my 5.5 month old was spayed yesterday. I've read articles on both sides and I always like to hear peoples reasoning one way or another. I just decided for myself and thats all any person can do.


 :thumbup: I agree, I read all the articles and made the decision that fit in with us the best when I had Frank Neutered.


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

Neutering a dog before he is mature greatly increases the chance of him developing bone cancer. Also if their male/female characteristics have not developed yet, you could end up with a dog that has a puppy looking face for the rest of his life. Two years old is a good age to neuter a GSD.


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

My friend has a unaltered male Shiz tu Mix who has behaviorial and health problems. He is aggressive, he marks the house, he has aggression issues, he humps, and will take off through the front door if given the chance. Of course they barely spend anytime training him and he has a gross lump near his man parts. I wouldn't necessarily say that altered males will be become obese because they are neutered, that is on the owner who should be monitoring what the dog eats and how much. My aunt's altered lab was overweight, but they changed his eating habits and take him for more walks and he has indeed lost some weight.


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## bunchoberrys (Apr 23, 2010)

selzer said:


> I do not like the idea of spaying bitches, but I am not worried about oops pregnancies, or heat cycles.
> 
> To PREVENT pyometra, I spayed a bitch one time because she was under, and I was not going to breed her again, and she went downhill from there. She was almost seven. She was under a LONG time because they had a lot of bleeders to tie off. Within months she had her first ever UTI and she became incontinent. And then her thyroid acted up and I needed to give her thyroid meds. Within two years she was dead of hemangiosarcoma. The incidence of hemangiosarcoma increases when you spay early. But it does not necessarily increase when an older bitch is spayed, but then again how would we know? Perhaps the hormones that are generated are for more than just reproduction.
> 
> I guess I am now going to spay only as a result of a condition and not as a prevention. I would rather lose a dog to a condition, than to lose a dog because I tried to prevent a condition.


I don't understand "I spayed a bitch one time because she was under, and I was not going to breed her again, and she went downhill from there."? What was she under for? And when you say "bleeders", was she in heat or was she in the begining stages of pyometra? With a normal spay, there is no "bleeders", but when a bitch is in heat, pyo, or c-section there is occasionaly bleeders. I'm just confused how you have worded it. Not trying to cause a ruckus.


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## bunchoberrys (Apr 23, 2010)

Germanshepherdlova said:


> Neutering a dog before he is mature greatly increases the chance of him developing bone cancer. Also if their male/female characteristics have not developed yet, you could end up with a dog that has a puppy looking face for the rest of his life. Two years old is a good age to neuter a GSD.


Kane was neutered at 12 months. I did not wait til he was 2. He doesn't look puppy-ish. Nor does he look feminine.









I believe when people say such things that your dog will have these certain characteristics if you neuter to early. I don't think they take in to effect that there are different kinds of GS out there. You have the WGSL, WL, Amercian Showline, etc. And each is built differently. Now if you were to neuter a male American line GS. I can see where people may perceive the feminine look. They are definatley more stream line than the other shepherds, there heads are smaller, and they are more leggier than compared to the WL, WGSL. But, every dog is different. Genetics play a key role. IMO. 

"greatly increases the chance of him developing bone cancer". I have not read nor seen concrete studies of this. Actually I have seen an intact Great Dane, and an intact English Lab that had developed bone cancer. Never a neutered dog.


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## CassandGunnar (Jan 3, 2011)

I had Gunnar neutered at 6 months, per our rescue/adoption contract. He was a litter runt and was part of 8 puppies surrendered at 5 1/2 weeks old! I wasn't sure about having him done so early, but I honored the contract. I was told by several people (and I admit I thought the same thing) that he would turn out to be a smaller dog. (Tiny runt and early neuter)
Well, at 4 1/2 years old, he now weighs 88 lbs and is tall, long and lean.

I agree that you should get the available information and make your own decision. I'm betting that there is medical AND anecdotal evidence to support both sides of the coin in both sexes of dog.


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

My Brighid, spayed before her 1st heat died of bone cancer. A friend had 2 neutered males & a spayed bitch die of bone cancer. Another friend lost 2 neutered males to bone cancer, both neutered before 1 yr of age.

I always spayed & neutered ~1yr of age but the objective information I've read has convinced me that's not the healthiest course for most large to giant dogs. Djibouti at 3 is intact & will remain intact unless there's a compelling reason to neuter him. He hasn't been bred & he won't be bred.

My vet has always opposed early speutering & was very supportive of my decision to keep Djibouti intact. His own are also intact & won't ever be bred.


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