male neutering?

Question

I have an 19 month old boisterous male 'intact' german shepherd, what are the goods and bads about having him neutered now?
It has become financially possible for me to get him the operation.
Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

I would add to the above that he will no longer be able to add to the unwanted pet population. The number of unwanted dogs put to sleep every day is enormous.

Answer 2

Talk to your vet about this, it is certainly a good idea to castrate a male dog as it is better for them health wise! IE, it prevents things like testicular cancer, and of course he won't be interested in female dogs in heat, but it doesn't always calm down a boisterous dog, I have a 14 month old GSD dog, he was neutered at 9 months and he is still as nutty as he was before his op! If a dog is aggressive on the other hand it can be very beneficial in calming that down but boisterousness not so much.
Just a quick edit.
My last GSD male wasn't neutered, he didn't wander, was not aggressive, didn't fight and certainly didn't lose weight or fail to gain weight because of hormones, he was boisterous until about 15 months old but he calmed down (grew up) then and lived very healthily until he was 13 years old! Remember they need a LOT of firm handling/training!!

Answer 3

If you are in the UK you can get help with neutering costs from the PDSA or the NCDL (Dogs Trust)

We got our 1 year old Collie/Labrador cross neutered last month. He's VERY boisterous and destructive and were told it would calm him down.

He does seem slightly calmer, although we've been told it can take a while for the full effect to take hold.

Really, unless you plan to breed from your dog there is no reason not to have them neutered. Unneutered make dogs scent mark (ie pee) all over the place, they go off looking for females and get run over or lost/stolen, they get into fights, they are neurotic and boisterous and find it hard to put weight on with all the hormones in their systems. Having them neutered calms them down and makes them much better pets.

Shame we can't get our men neutered too eh???!

Plus neutering your male dog prevents the rescue shelters from having to deal with loads of unwanted puppies being dumped in litter bins etc!

If you're in the UK and on a low income check with the PDSA. They may neuter your dog free of charge if you're on benefits, or if you're on a low income you can get a neutering voucher from the Dogs Trust so the operation only costs about £20.

Answer 4

GOOD - it's helps to calm them down aggression/boisterousness-wise as the testosterone is nipped in the bud so-to-speak (didn't work in my dogs case), you're cutting down on the risk of yet more unwanted puppies (there's enough homeless animals out there), it cuts the risk of testicular cancer same as ovarian/mammory cancer in bitches (not sure of spelling), he won't pull you off your feet whenever there's a ***** nearby in heat or dissappear on you.

BAD - He can't breed & you won't make any money from studding him (only advisable if KC registered/with papers)

At the end of the day weigh up the pros & cons - what means more to you, having a happy dog or making money from him...?

***** There is a chemical injection ,such as Tardak, that dogs can be given which basically does the same as castrating them but only as a temperary measure, it wears off after about 3-4wks - might be more suitable to your needs/situation? He's still a young dog so you might want to give it awhile longer, remember it's 7 canine years to 1 human year = a typical horny 14yr old lad lol *****

Answer 5

neutering at 19 months may calm him down although not necessarily 100% as after 12 months some of it is learned behaviour. I would strongly recommend that you get him done but have done the pros and cons for you

The pros there are massive health benefits to him as an older dog he is more likely to get tumours in his testicles, prostate gland or around his bottom which could be very painful and ptentially life threatening. There are other conditions that occur predominantly in entire male dogs which will be avoided.

He will be less likely to roam.
He will have less drive to be aggressive or be seen as a threat to other male dogs and therefore less likely to fight
He will not become frustrated if he can smell females! In some cases dogs can go off their food and can be really affected (it sounds daft I know but its true)
Rescue Homes are full of unwanted dogs already, you eliminate the risk of contributing to unwanted puppies


Cons The risk of the anaesthetic, no anaesthetic is 100% safe bit he is a young dog and it is a relativey simple operation. It would be better for him to have it now rather than at aged 10 because he got a tumour.
He may put on weight after the operation, he doesn't have to just feed him less as his energy requirement will be less


I hope this helps, I have seen older dogs that have had problems and I know myself as ten years ago sadly lost my golden labrador because he got a tumour in his testicle and I wish my vet had recommended that he was castrated when he was younger!

good luck

Answer 6

Neutering does not correct bad behaviour. This is only corrected through proper training.
Neutering will reduce your male dogs desire to roam because he doesn't need to search for a female. It will also reduce the risk of testicular cancer in the future. (obviously as they won't be there!)
It will also alter the dogs metabolism which may lead to weight gain but this is easily managed with a balanced diet.
Hope this helps!

Answer 7

The only con is you will never have pups by him.
However unless you are willing to spend a bunch on testing and x-rays you should not breed him anyway.
The pros
He will not get and enlarged prostate
He will not get prostate or testicular cancer
He will be a better more focused pet.
He will not be motivated to look for love all the time.
He will be the same dog you had before the surgery and nothing will change except he will be missing some tissue.
Get it done.

Answer 8

I have found that my neutered/spayed animals live longer and are much healthier. The only down side that I experienced was TRYING to keep them from gnawing on their stitches during recovery! I tried the Elizabethan collars but those were a pain in the tuckus! I would definitely recommend neutering or spaying your animals. Good luck!

Answer 9

http://www.gsdcofgrraleigh.org/Sentinel/The%20Sentinel%20-%20April%202006.htm

Before I start... yes it is a very good thing to control the pet population by spay and neuter. There are too many dogs in shelters.... Take some time to read the attached study. It talks about neutering your dog too early. Just read and make your own decision. Nineteen months is getting close to a good time.

Answer 10

there are no bads as far as I can see. Neutering will stop any chances of testicular cancer, will stop hormonal problems like aggression, running off to find females etc. I have lots of dogs and the nicest ones are always the neutered boys. They are laid back and affectionate and obedient, but still able to guard and bark at strangers. Get it done.

Answer 11

basically it's better for his health. There is less chances of him getting testicular cancer, which is very common with dogs. Our dogs stopped having 'fun" with all my stuffed animals. The cons, they can possibly get depressed or become obese. My Chihuahua gained 5lbs (which is a lot for such a small dog) after his operation, but my other two little guys didn't seem to be bothered by it. Also in some cases, they will stop marking their territory. I would advise you do it if you don't plan on breeding him for health issues, cancer treatment is very expensive for dogs.