# When to neuter?!



## alyssamarie (Feb 23, 2012)

Hi, i am a first time GSD owner. Gabe is a pretty well behaved 5month old GSD. I do not plan on breeding him. My Vet has recommended getting him neutered around 6months of age. I have heard that it is best to wait until they are 14 months old. I have heard that when their testosterone production goes into full gear at 6months they can develop behavioral issues and changes. Please keep in mind that i am a full time college student that lives in the city of Grand rapids. On that note, please do not think that Gabe doesnt get sufficient exercise or attention, he is my whole world. Any help would be great, im really stuck on when to neuter him.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Oh boy.
Did you try the search feature? This has been discussed a lot here.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Yeah, this is one of those topics that turns into 40-page threads and ends with people not speaking to each other.

Suffice it to say there are several different opinions,all of them very strong.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

I've always preferred neutering them between 18 and 24 months.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i've never had my dogs neutered and i've
never had any problems with them. if
i were going to neuter i would wait untill
my dog is 2yrs to 2&1/2 yrs old.


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## jetscarbie (Feb 29, 2008)

My answer would be...depends on what type of person YOU are. 

My BIL is one of those people that lives around tons of non-fixed females in his neighborhood. He travels a lot and is forgetful. He doesn't always take his dog to the vet after the first couple of initial visits. I would advice him to fix his dog ASAP. He's the type of person that....after the new wears off, he is no longer interested.

You sound like the opposite type of person. You sound like you care about your dog very much. That's awesome. I would read all the negatives and positives about both sides. There are many opinions on the subject.

IMO...and this is just my 2 cents..I don't think it really matters all that much.

Also, at my vet....when I got my male neutered, he was almost 2. My vet charged me more. If I would have done it when he was the 6mths old...it would have been cheaper. That may be something you want to talk with your vet about (if money is an issue)

Good luck in your decision.


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## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

I think it's definitely a personal issue. When we got Joey last year, he was almost 6 years old and not neutered. 

We had an appointment set up with the vet. The family member we got him from said Joey had a bad reaction to anesthesia a while back. Also some of the fellow Schutzhund trainers said it would change his personality if he was neutered.

We decided, mainly because of the anesthesia issue, not to neuter him.


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

HI and welcome. 

There is a sticky at the top of this health forum which you may find helpful: http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/health-issues/172560-best-age-spay-neuter.html

Hopefully you'll find some helpful information there to guide you. As others have mentioned it's not a clear cut type of decision. 

Since you are doing the research that indicates you are a responsible dog owner...so you know that if you decide to wait just remember to be really, really careful to prevent your dog from contributing to accidental breedings/unwanted puppies. 






alyssamarie said:


> Hi, i am a first time GSD owner. Gabe is a pretty well behaved 5month old GSD. I do not plan on breeding him. My Vet has recommended getting him neutered around 6months of age. I have heard that it is best to wait until they are 14 months old. I have heard that when their testosterone production goes into full gear at 6months they can develop behavioral issues and changes. Please keep in mind that i am a full time college student that lives in the city of Grand rapids. On that note, please do not think that Gabe doesnt get sufficient exercise or attention, he is my whole world. Any help would be great, im really stuck on when to neuter him.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Gwenhwyfair said:


> HI and welcome.
> 
> There is a sticky at the top of this health forum which you may find helpful: http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/health-issues/172560-best-age-spay-neuter.html
> 
> ...


I would recommend the same, and also trust your vet (he or she knows you and your dog better than we do!).


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

I think this is a question that causes stress to pet owners. It did me because I wanted to make the right choice & not just follow the default answer given by most vets.

This is an elective surgery I elect not for my male. _However_, if nueter is the right choice and you _can_ I think the best age is close to 24 months.

Good luck and I think it's awesome you are doing your own research


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

Yup (and as a side note,* not* directed at the OP) 

....and as an owner of an intact female (who just finished her last heat before spay). If I feel like I need to be reminded of my responsibility with her I just go to the 'urgent' section of rescues. It helps remind me why I must be so careful with my intact dogs.


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

No one here can tell you what is best for your dog. Having said that, I would wait until my dog finished developing before I cut him (if I was planning on it at all).


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

Do whats best for you and your dog.

Tanner was neutered around 6-8months and doesn't look girly at all and filled out rather well, plus he is from a shelter. Otherwise I would wait until the dog is 18-24 months to neuter. 

But in the end its up to you to decide what is best for YOU and YOUR DOG.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

if you're a responsible owner and it sounds like you might be, I would recommend waiting until your boy is done growing usually 18 months -2.5 years old. 

My girl turns 2 May 5th and she's being spayed on monday. She's done growing. I wanted to wait until i was sure she was done growing before we messed with her horomones. 

Its really your preference but its believed that not altering until the dog is finished growing is more beneficial.


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## Sevastra (Mar 19, 2012)

KZoppa said:


> if you're a responsible owner and it sounds like you might be, I would recommend waiting until your boy is done growing usually 18 months -2.5 years old.
> 
> My girl turns 2 May 5th and she's being spayed on monday. She's done growing. I wanted to wait until i was sure she was done growing before we messed with her horomones.
> 
> Its really your preference but its believed that not altering until the dog is finished growing is more beneficial.


This is what I have decided to do with my male. My vet said he would do it at 6 months, but told me to think about letting him finish growing, told me it would be better for his growth and bones. And with the bred and hip/elbow problems i really want to give him the best chance i can.


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

I planned to neuter Djibouti at 2. He's so easily managed I simply decided against doing it at all. I discussed it with his Breeder & she was both encouraging & supportive. He hasn't been bred & he won't be bred. 

The only change is that he's not allowed in the yard by himself. IF a bitch in heat is out & about, or living nearby, I don't want to risk him going over the fence looking for wild women.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I've had many dogs and all except one(which technically was my sisters dog) spayed or neutered before they were 6 months. The one that wasn't was done at 2 years of age and she had a very rough recovery time. It took her a long time to heal and she was in a lot of pain..I felt so bad for her Years ago the belief was that spaying/neutering prevented cancer. I don't think it prevents it but it does reduce it statistically. So instead of worrying about the dog's growth I opted to not have to worry as much about illness. My golden retriever is now two and he has grown into a beautiful well built dog with no problems. He maintains an ideal weight and has a good temperament. The same goes for my 7 year old mix breed. I can only hope that the same goes for the german shepherd in a couple years Its a personal decision and I find that vets, animal shelters, etc recommend the earlier age and breeders tend to go with the 18-24 months. I chose to go with my vets recommendation


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

Llombado, that's valid but I'd push the vet as to why they're making that recommendation. My vets all preferred after the dog/bitch matured, ie at least 1 yr. A new vet asked about neutering Djibouti. I stated that I wasn't planning on neutering him. She looked utterly shocked & demanded, "Why ever not?" I explained that it was due to the health benefits, especially regarding breeds prone to hemangiosarcoma, bone cancer & HD." She nodded & didn't say another word about it.

I knew this vet from an earlier practice. I suspect that on a risk benefit analysis she realized that while neutering confers benefits, keeping them intact very possibly confers even greater benefits.

Note, keeping them intact is (IMO) acceptable for pet owners only if the owner is absolutely confident the dog will never escape & will never have an accidental breeding. IF that's not true, then neutering is the only responsible thing to do.


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## stoli2003 (Aug 24, 2011)

Okay I have read all the threads on this neutering subject and have made a corp. decision to keep Zore intact. Chances are very slim he would ever get away from his home and creating a non-wanted litter of pups. I will Keep him healhy and strong and I will deal with any health problems if I made the wrong move later on.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Gwenhwyfair said:


> Yup (and as a side note,* not* directed at the OP)
> 
> ....and as an owner of an intact female (who just finished her last heat before spay). If I feel like I need to be reminded of my responsibility with her I just go to the 'urgent' section of rescues. It helps remind me why I must be so careful with my intact dogs.


Craigslist is a good reminder as well.
In rescue we get those reminders daily. I've turned away puppies twice today, and had to turn away a C-section girl that was probably euthanized after I hung up.
It freaking sucks.


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