SHould I get my puppy fixed?

Question

My puppy is four months old... hes a very hiper pup (miniture dachshund) I was wondering when I get him fixed will there be a big difference in his hiperness? Will he calm down a lot.. or is the change not that big of a difference? By the way how old does he have to be to get fixed?

Answer 1

To dispell a popular myth first...spay/neuter does NOT change a dogs personality, does NOT make it mean or any other such thing.Personality is what it is...attitude is made by socialization and training.Any negative changes that occur do so because of age and trying the limits and being allowed to get away with it,improper socialization and/or training not because of spay/neuter. Spay/neuter will eliminate hormonal driven desires/behaviors. It will help your dog become more attentive and focused and easier to train.Their minds will be directed at you the owner, not on mating & hormones.
Spaying will dramaticly reduce the risk of mammary cancer and eliminate reproductive cancers & pyometria (a very serious often fatal uterine infection). Neutering will dramaticly reduce prostrate cancers &. infections, eliminate testicular cancer and almost eliminate anal fistulas.
Some vets do pediatric spay/neuters as early as 8 weeks of age, most however don't spay/neuter until a puppy is 4 months old. Get your puppy neutered he will be happier and healthier for it and he will be easier to train.

Answer 2

Getting animals fixed has MANY advantages. Unless you're planning on breeding in the future, neutering is the best option. Personally, every animal I've had (and they're all fixed) have calmed down after their surgery. Of course it's not a GUARANTEED thing but I had a hyperactive kitten and since she's been spayed she's calmed down a LOT. Plus he'll be less inclined to leave a little present for you to find.

I would wait a few more months before deciding to have the surgery. I found this information on PurinaONE's website (which is GREAT for information on this sort of thing, I definitely recommend checking it out):

Traditionally dogs and cats were spayed when they were about 6 months of age. The goal was to spay them before they reached sexual maturity and had unwanted litters of puppies and kittens. Recent research has explored the concept of early spaying and neutering where puppies and kittens are spayed or neutered quite young, 8-12 weeks of age. There seems to be very little risk associated with the surgery and the animals do well. Many of these puppies have been followed for several years and they are no different behaviorally or medically from their counterparts who were spayed or neutered at the traditional age of 6 months. The timing of surgery is a decision to be made with your veterinarian, but it is a procedure that should be done to prevent unwanted puppies.

Best of luck!

Answer 3

None really. Young puppies aren't common in shelters up here. Older puppies, yes. We adopted an 8 month old gsd. Someone mention raw not being appropriate for puppies. It's perfectly fine for puppies. Better than the crap sold in stores. Many breeders start off feeding raw right from weaning. Inclusing raw Pomeranian feeding breeders. Like I said, if puppy doesn't eat tomorrow, get him to a vet. His not eating may have nothing to do with diet. Could be he got into something and has an obstruction. bi-mar/Pomeraninan_Barf.aspx Edit. Puppies are common everywhere anyone has intact animals. I'm sure thousands in your area have intact animals, pet stores, etc. They just aren't common in shelters. You must mean puppies aren't common in shelters where you live.. not that puppies aren't common where you live.

Answer 4

My puppy just got fixed.. she is around 7 months old now and there wasn't a big difference at all. for the first three or so days, all they do is lay around but after that they basically go back to normal and you have the same dog.. i would do it so you dont have to deal with puppies since there are already a lot... there isn't that much of a change at all dont worry

Answer 5

As I told another person with the same question (only it was a cat) the earliest you should get them neutered is 6 months. Males need the testosterone to allow their urethra to grow fully. If neutered to young it can lead to blockage and painful (and expensive) catheterization in order to urinate (though more common in cats neutered to early.) Neutering also reduces the risk of prostate cancer and other problems in the future. Unfortunately nuetering may not effect his hyperness. My 3 year old spayed golden retriever is still as energetic as she was at 3 months.

Please anyone who reads this dont spay or neuter any earlier than 5 months (females) and 6months (males). Yes technically it can be done earlier but most of the time it is not healthy for them in the long run. Thanks

Answer 6

Yes, for the love of all things, get your animal fixed. It won't change his personality that much, though he will be docile for a few days. Vets vary on the age, but generally, neutering is done between 4-6 months.

Answer 7

its not that big of a difference but for the first week or so the puppy may be a tad slugish but wait another 2 or three months or a least until 6 or 7 months old

Answer 8

Sometimes neutering animals does calm them down a bit, but regardless, he's a puppy, so he's going to act like a puppy for a while. You should be able to get him fixed now, just check with your vet.

Answer 9

He should be AT LEAST 6 months old. Sometimes they tend to calm down, and sometimes they can become mean. My grandma's dogs were fixed and one became mean and the other one stayed the same. If you know that your dog won't be breeding with another dog and are too afraid to risk changing it's personality, then you don't have to get it fixed.

Answer 10

It depends. If he is a pure bred you might could get some money from breeding later on if you take good care of him. If you don't want that, just get him neutered. Since you probably live in the city, take him to the vet. On the farm we neutered our male dogs to keep them from roaming. Your dog will still be active.