Sticks1977 Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 Firstly my apologies if this subject has been done to the death... if it has could someone please point me in the right direction - perhaps another thread or topic on the subject? Our chocolate labrador (Fraser) is currently 7 months of age and both his "boys" have both come down fine and I remember hearing that an appropriate time to desex would be around the age of 6+ months. Since he is now at that age, I am really unsure whether to get him desexed or not. We are probably not looking to breed him at all as we are not affiliated with any breeders and do not know of any personally that we would consider breeding him with. Part of me doesn't want to get him desexed as I would like him to stay pure and untouched - I sure as hell would not like my nuts chopped off! But then I get thinking if we do not desex him, will he become stronger and perhaps more aggressive as he gets older? At the moment I can have him under control but I am sure he will have another growth spurt to come along shortly. I guess what I am after is whether it is a good idea or not to get him desexed and any positive/negative comments on the procedure and the behaviour of the dog afterwards. I am guessing that they actually remove the testicles completely, they don't just cut the chord supply? Lastly would he actually be aware that if he was desexed that he would have had his testicles removed/cut? And would he have any anger towards us for having him undergo that operation? I have never had a dog before that has been desexed and have never been in the position where I have had to decide. Thanks to all for reading and look forward to some replies. Regards, Shaun (sticks1977) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 Hi.. Trust me..he will not 'know' that he no longer is not an entire male It won't change his basic personality, but in all probability will make him a lot less likely to be involved in fights, go looking for bitches in season and being driven by his hormones! He will/can not resent you for getting the op. done They don't think like that . he will retain his good nature.! he won't smell the place out with stinky urine marking getting him castrated..yes there's THAT word Now I bet you're cringing and taking him to some sort of obedience classes will help you all to have a long and happy association.] Book him in ASAP ! :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklabrador Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 I've had male dogs done at 18 months, and two at 12 months. Plenty of rescues done as well with absolutely NO change in personality. They aren't attached to their boy bits like human males are There would be no sense of loss for them and they still have that little bit of loose skin to lick. I dare say they are happier if they no longer have the urge that they can't fulfill. I can GUARANTEE he will not be angry towards you. Dogs just aren't that smart. He will be sore for a few days but you will be surprised at how quickly he recovers. He will still be pure (which is a human concept, not a canine one). You will find very soon that his pee starts to smell from the hormones he is producing. He will also start lifting his leg on anything upright. I had an entire rescue here a few weeks ago that peed on everything including my Pomeranian puppy! He has now been desexed and his new owner is carefully training him out of the habit of peeing on everything (he was even doing it inside!). You also have the problem of him wanting to wander to find a girl and being very restless if there is a girl in season nearby. Get em off - it will benefit him and your family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 According to my vet, a Labbie that is desexed before 1 year may end out a bit lankier (more bone elongation) than one who is desexed later. Not a health problem. If you don't want to breed from him . . . and he's not on main register and a pup that the breeder thinks is of breeding quality . . . I'd recommend eventually getting him "done". In my experience in boarding kennels, desexed males are the most happy-go-lucky of all the sex categories and far easier to manage than sexed males (who are at the mercy of all sorts of urges that they rarely if ever get to fulfill). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaCharlie Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Yes Yes Yes, for doGs sake, Yes!!! The last thing we need is more poorly bred labs running around the place. Who was his breeder? What do they think you should do? Well, firstly dogs don't hold grudges so he isn't going to be angry with you. If he was to be at angry at someone it would be the vet and Ive had to drag dogs out of the clinic after desexing because they didn't want to leave. I haven't noticed any behaviour changes after the surgery, they go straight back to running around like lunatics (although border collies are not exactly known for taking it easy). With males it is even easier than with females. It is not as invasive, there are not many stitches and mine have had dissolvable ones so you don't even have to go back to the vet to have them removed. The primary reason for desexing is one that you haven't even mentioned. To stop him producing puppies. Pay a visit to the local pound and have a look at all the faces behind the bars. Have a look in the rescue section of this site and see the never ending dogs coming through. Many of these dogs are in this position because people were not responsible enough to desex their animals. There are too many unwanted puppies in the world as it is, dont contribute to the number. You can be as careful as you like, dogs still have a way of getting out of the yard if they smell a bitch in season. Once they are mated prepare for a big change in your dog. Many will start marking in the house and housetraining goes out the window. I know a lady with an elderly dog that was desexed a few years ago once his breeding obligations were over. He marks absolutely everything in sight. She cant walk him through crowds or he pisses on peoples legs as they walk past. Training has reduced the behaviour but she knows it will never be completely gone and that there is still the chance he may do it. I know of plenty of people who had very well socialised dogs, put in a heap of effort with them as puppies, only to find that they hit the 9-10 month mark and suddenly started showing aggression towards other dogs. One particular lady is stuck because she cannot desex him as the breeder wants to use him in the future, but she cant really train him as he is overly aggressive towards the other dogs. Desexing at this age may also be soon enough to stop the "must mark every tree we walk past" behaviour which can drive you insane. Will also stop some of the humping behaviours and you wont need to give him his own humping pillow to stop him leaving stains on yours The longer a dog has his testicles the more higher the chance of him developing cancer. There are a lot of other health problems that could present in an entire dog, do a search on the net. Even breeders dogs are often desexed as soon as they are not needed anymore to reduce the chance of health problems. Im pretty sure that everyone who replies is going to say the same thing. Please, please, please desex him. Dogs should only be bred to improve the breed and Im assuming that if you have no connections to any breeders then he is not of exceptional conformation or anything. Generally the owners of the female do the searching around anyway, so if you were to breed you would have to wait until someone came to you because they saw what an unbelievably great specimen he was. Im guessing that isn't going to be happening in this case, so yes desex him as soon as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poodle wrangler Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Most of our dogs over the years have been desexed males- no problems, highly recommend it. The standard poodle was desexed about 6 months ago- at 6 months of age and it's a simple op. He was sleepy and a bit sore for < 24 hours only! He's a bigger dog, too. Other advantage is that council registration is usually very much less for a desexed dog- ask vet for a certificate to take to council. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westiemum Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Yep absolutely - get 'em off - and the sooner the better. I've just desexed my 2 year old foster less than a week after he arrived - and he's as adolescent and gorgeous as ever from a personality point of view but even after two weeks his behaviour has improved - now he's the perfect inside dog - and I'm sure he doesn't even miss them!! Cheers, Westiemum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sticks1977 Posted December 31, 2007 Author Share Posted December 31, 2007 Im pretty sure that everyone who replies is going to say the same thing. Please, please, please desex him. Dogs should only be bred to improve the breed and Im assuming that if you have no connections to any breeders then he is not of exceptional conformation or anything. Generally the owners of the female do the searching around anyway, so if you were to breed you would have to wait until someone came to you because they saw what an unbelievably great specimen he was. Im guessing that isn't going to be happening in this case, so yes desex him as soon as possible. Thanks to all for your replies and thank you to DeltaCharlie for the rather long and informative post, I feel much more at ease and understand the whole idea behind desexing a bit more after reading some of the posts. After we have gotten over Christmas and have run into some money I will book Fraser into the local veterinarian to get the operation done - I might even have the day off work to make sure that when his operation is complete he can come home for some TLC. Thanks again to those who have replied - just looking at Fraser now he is asleep on the kitchen floor, I think he is a bit warm (like I am) at the moment in this Melbourne heat! Happy New Year everyone! :rolleyes: Sticks1977 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westiemum Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 I will book Fraser into the local veterinarian to get the operation done - I might even have the day off work to make sure that when his operation is complete he can come home for some TLC.Thanks again to those who have replied - just looking at Fraser now he is asleep on the kitchen floor, I think he is a bit warm (like I am) at the moment in this Melbourne heat! Happy New Year everyone! biggrin.gif Sticks1977 Good for you Sticks!! You won't regret it - and he'll be much more cruisy (if thats possible for a lab!!). In case it helps, I booked my last two for desexing in on a Friday - that way I had the weekend to keep a close eye on their recovery - and in both cases (one male recently and a female six months ago - so a much more exyensive op) they both went very well - bit quiet for 24 hours (loved their time on the lounge with me and the blankies) and then they bounced back like nothing had happened. Hope you can keep cool - its terrible here too - 41,5 yesterday and the hottest overnight Dec temp on record last night - we all here had a very restless night, even with the aircon!!! So Happy (much cooler) New Year to you too!!! Cheers, Westiemum :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 As westiemum says- book it in for a Friday, or have the day off following the surgery because that's when you'll be worried to leave him, and taking off the day of surgery has no purpose because he'll be at the clinic for most of the day. As others have said, I can highly concur with the hormones may equal aggression as they mature. I now have first hand experience, and the problem is that once they get into a few scuffles, it becomes a learned behaviour very very quickly and difficult to undo even with desexing. You are much better off to desex before the thought of challenging other males ever enters his little chocolate head. :rolleyes: Mel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leema Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 I would strongly recommend you read these two articles before desexing: http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHea...euterInDogs.pdf The responsible thing is to not breed (not produce more dogs). You can achieve this without desexing. However, if you think that you won't be able to do this, then please do get your dog desexed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog_Horse_Girl Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 I've always ended up desexing my dogs. For me, it's the right thing to do, for my own dogs but also looking at the bigger picture. Every day in this country, countless dogs, cats, pups and kittens are killed for no reason other than they are "unwanted". Many of them come from litters that were never planned nor intended, and from animals owned by people with "good intentions" but not enough ability to ensure unwanted pregnancies did not occur. Not only that, but in the individual animal, desexing will help the animal become a more settled and balanced companion. Why? Imagine being an entire male dog. The hormones produced by the animal ensure it is driven to mate with any bitch that seems receptive. A male can smell a bitch in season for at least one kilometre. So your dog can smell bitches that he can't see, and he wants to mate with them b/c that's what his biology and physiology is telling him to do. So he gets out of the yard and goes in search of these bitches. In doing this, he has to cross busy roads (and if really unlucky, he will be hit and badly injured but left by the road-side b/c the driver doesn't think to stop), run the gauntlet of other males also with sex on the brain, perhaps getting into a fight or two over territory, and possibly then being harmed by a person in defence of their bitch (which is understandable). If this doesn't sway you, then imagine this: you have your bits intact, you're a teenage male, you've been shown a beautiful naked woman who is standing on the opposite side of the room to you, and then you are told: you can look, but you can never touch, you can never have sex, but you're free to keep the testicles that drive this sexual desire. Do you think that would be an enjoyable life? Because keeping a male entire when you have no reason to have him mate is doing just that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 imagine this: you have your bits intact, you're a teenage male, you've been shown a beautiful naked woman who is standing on the opposite side of the room to you, and then you are told: you can look, but you can never touch, you can never have sex, but you're free to keep the testicles that drive this sexual desire. Do you think that would be an enjoyable life? Because keeping a male entire when you have no reason to have him mate is doing just that. Oh for goodness sake That comment reminds of me of all the those male dog owners who refuse to desex because they think it is a threat to their own masculinity! These are dogs, not humans, and desexed dogs still have sex drive, whether it is driven by hormones or instinct. Lots of breeders have desexed dogs who act as ovulation detectors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KOE Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Desexing is the responsible thing to do, if you do not show your dog. I have a dear friend who shows and rarely breeds her older male is now 9 years old and is having his spleen removed tomorrow he also has prostrate problems. Get rid of the bits he doesnt need and it will more than likely save you some heartbreak and loads of cash down the track. I have a 2 yo desexed at 4 months and thee aint a thing wrong with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog_Horse_Girl Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 imagine this: you have your bits intact, you're a teenage male, you've been shown a beautiful naked woman who is standing on the opposite side of the room to you, and then you are told: you can look, but you can never touch, you can never have sex, but you're free to keep the testicles that drive this sexual desire. Do you think that would be an enjoyable life? Because keeping a male entire when you have no reason to have him mate is doing just that. Oh for goodness sake That comment reminds of me of all the those male dog owners who refuse to desex because they think it is a threat to their own masculinity! These are dogs, not humans, and desexed dogs still have sex drive, whether it is driven by hormones or instinct. Lots of breeders have desexed dogs who act as ovulation detectors. A trusted vet put it to me that way. No need to roll your eyes...it helps some people to understand why desexing is preferable. Are you also implying that dogs aren't driven by their hormones when left entire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 (edited) Are you also implying that dogs aren't driven by their hormones when left entire? Can't you read? How on earth did you come to that conclusion? Edited January 1, 2008 by gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog_Horse_Girl Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Are you also implying that dogs aren't driven by their hormones when left entire? Can't you read? How on earth did you come to that conclusion? Yes, I can read. I didn't come to any conclusion, but I did pose a question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 (edited) edit as this is stupid Edited January 1, 2008 by gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pawsaroundoz Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 As a Labbie owner for a few years now I say 'get em off' ! Carlin was desexed at 7 months and was as right as rain from the very next morning! No doggy problems even though he was shaping up to have a few...good temper all round, and no male health problems to date. A lovely boy to take travelling. My old Lab (rainbow bridge now) was not desexed as his breeder still udes him after he became my dog however he was the most 'undoggy' entire male I have ever met and I have met quite a few over the years! I had none of the usual 'dog' problems with Crash but I think that is fairly unusual. If not showing or breeding I would always have a dog desexed. Annie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annedal Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Of course everybody has their own opinions on desexing. I have a 9yo Dalmatian who i had desexed when he was 1yo. Before this he was constantly wondering off(at the time was living on non dog proof fenced property). His personality has not changed. Not long after my first dally was desexed I got a 3yo entire male Dalmatian. I did not get him desexed. This dog did sire a few litters after I got him. This dog sadly has just passed away at 11yo due to cancer. Dogs that are kept entire are more prone to prostate cancer and bitches kept entire are also more prone to getting ovarian cancer. Of course the decision is up to you to desex or not. It depend on the dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now