DOGGIE DOG BLOG

Posted by:  David Harris

I often get questions about neutering.  When, why, how old, and how will it effect behavior.

This is a questions I received today:

Hello there, have just read your article on crate training and thought it was brilliant, there is so much bad information out there.
My question is, would you get a male GSD neutered at 6 months of age or later? I don’t want a full on dog, just one that would guard by instinct, I’ve only ever had a female GSD, who was the best behaved dog that anyone could own, but she passed away 4 yrs ago and I now have a 12 wk old male GSD, who is getting a bit naughty but will be starting Schutzhund training shortly. I do not want to end up with a dominant dog, he’s very good just now though and learning basic commands. Your advice would be most welcome as everyone I have spoken to has their own opinion! By the way none of these people I have spoken to have never owned a GSD or been trainers! Thank you so very much for your time and patience and I do look forward to hearing from you when you have time.

Yours Sincerely,

Marion

Later. Much later.  This is a very personal decision, but coming from a training point of view I feel that neutering has very, very little effect on behavior.  I have nothing against neutering as long as you let the dog develop normally first.  The hormones involved will have an effect on the dogs physical stature.  Chest, head, torso development will all be very dramatically stunted by early neutering.  So, I am recommending waiting until the dog is at least one year of age.

If you train your dog properly neutering will play no role in his behavior.  I have owned GSD’s for well over twenty-five years and have kept as many as seven unaltered males together freely with no incident.  I have personally had much more problems from spayed females than intact males.

I have seen many, many neutered dogs that roamed, were aggressive to other dogs and people, had extreme sex drive, were disobedient and in general just a nuisance.  Neutering alone had no effect on these dogs.  But, training did.  Each of these cases was solved not by surgery, but rather with proper training.

There is a lot of medical advice for and against neutering.  I am not a vet and will not advise you medically.  I can only speak to my own personal observations.  I have owned many, many stud dogs over the years and they all died of old age with their testicle intact.  I have never owned a male dog that had cancer issues related to testicle’s or otherwise.  I don’t know if I have been just lucky or the whole cancer/testicle connection has been blow out of proportion to serve the needs of some other agenda.

Once again I have nothing against neutering or spaying a non-breeding dog.  But, I do not like it being sold as a cure all for behavioral issues and I am a skeptic when it comes to connected medical issues.

Marion, training will solve your puppies behavioral issues.  Lop off those body parts or don’t based on when you want to do it, not when you have been told it MUST be done.

Please feel free to make comments and ask questions.  That is the purpose of the blog.

David Harris
Owner
Animal Resorts & Training Center
www.animalresortstc.com

502-223-5208 Kennel
502-542-9747 Mobile