Should I Get My Pup Desexed?

[ACD4EVA]

Hi,

We have a male 12 week old ACD puppy. My partner and I have been discussing whether we get him desexed in the future or not. He will not be showed, or be used for breeding, he is a family pet.

I know that its a common procedure but I still get worried for him.

I get concerned that he won't be the same after the operation.

What are peoples views about getting a dog desexed?

I know I'm a big sook.....

[poodlefan]

If you have no intention of showing him then get him desexed.

Just wait until he's matured before you do it.

[ACD4EVA]

If you have no intention of showing him then get him desexed.

Just wait until he's matured before you do it.

How come we should wait until he is matured?

I know a few people when they got their pups at 8 weeks they were already desexed, and they seem fine.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I read if you don't desex them early enough they will still hump and spray even after being desexed?

Is there anyone who had their pup desexed younger then mature age?

[poodlefan]

If you have no intention of showing him then get him desexed.

Just wait until he's matured before you do it.

How come we should wait until he is matured?

I know a few people when they got their pups at 8 weeks they were already desexed, and they seem fine.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I read if you don't desex them early enough they will still hump and spray even after being desexed?

Is there anyone who had their pup desexed younger then mature age?

Early desexing won't stop that from happening.

Lots of people have their dogs desexed as babies. Lots of people wouldn't ever do it. IMO, the more you know about the process, the more likely you are to wait. Desexing isn't a substitute for training like some folk seem to think it is.

[Janba]

Undesexed male dogs don't neccessarily hump, escape to find bitches etc etc, it depends on the dog and how you have trained and reared him. They will mark their territory as will desexed males but an entire male's urine smells a lot worse.

Hormones do play a part in normal growth and early desexing can lead to things like elongation of the long bones in the legs ect. He will be mature at 12-18 months when he finishes growing - an ACD person will know better than me on the time frame.

[whiskedaway]

A DOLer I'm friends with has a pedigree Siberian Husky who is three months older than Akira. Now the pedigree dog was desexed at 8 weeks, whereas Akira was desexed at 5.5 months, and she was close to sexual maturity at that age (vet believes she would have come into season in a month if she hadn't been desexed). The differences between Akira and the pedigree dog are HUGE - Akira is a lot smaller (she's within the Siberian Husky standard, whereas the pedigree dog is not) and her coat is not as large. It has been joked MANY times that if you asked a stranger to pick which dog was pedigree and from a registered breeder, everyone would pick Akira. We both believe this is because the pedigree dog was desexed very young. There has been research that has shown that dogs that are desexed earlier can be bigger and have larger coats - there was a discussion about this in the breeders forum not long ago which was very interesting. Dogs need their hormones for growth and unfortunately if you remove them early, it can upset their growth patterns.

ETA: Second post in, Ellz talks about the research: http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...208386&st=0

Edited November 23, 2010 by whiskedaway

[fuzzy82]

My puppy was desexed at 10 weeks, before I got him (because he's from a shelter) and he still humps and occasionally lifts his leg while peeing. He's very active (I joke that he's on speed) and I don't think it has had any negative effects on him at all.

All shelters desex puppies before rehoming them, so any growth or health issues from it can't be very common, because then they wouldn't do it.

Even if it does lead to the dog being smaller or not having the nicest coat, what does it matter if you're not gonna show it?

[sllebasi]

i dont know anything about this subject and would be interested in learning more. As a person who doesnt know anything shouldnt the question be "why shouldnt i get my puppy desexed" or is it a question of age that we are discussing

[Remarkabull]

I have 3 male dogs, one desexed (he is almost 3) and 2 entire (they are 9 months and 18 months). All 3 mark and cock their legs. none of them have ever tried to escape to get to a bitch in season and none of them have male to male aggression.

I won't be getting my 2 entire boys desexed unless and until I ever got a female pup that I intended to show. Both my girls are desexed so no worries there and I also beleive that it is not in the best interest of the dog to have it desexed at such a young age.

I have seen plenty of Dobermanns that have beed desexed too young and they are the tallest, lankiest looking things I've layed eyes on with hardly a hint of decent muscle and bone structure. There is no way I'm doing that to my dog. I am going to give him every chance to be everything he should be physically, after all I have a Dobe partly because I love the way they look and I purchased a registered dog from lines that I researched and liked so it doesn't matter if I show him or not, I still want him to look the way he is supposed to.

[whiskedaway]

Even if it does lead to the dog being smaller or not having the nicest coat, what does it matter if you're not gonna show it?

It's normally taller and finer. Finer bones often mean less dense bones, which is something that matters for a pet owner because it means more possibility of fractures and breaks. And a big thick coat can be unmanageable - how many dogs get rehomed because the owner can't deal with the coat? I'm certain there is a lot.

Rescues desex at a young age because they want to stop every possibility of that dog having puppies that could end up in the same situation as that dog was in. For them, the pros of desexing outweigh the cons. However, for an owner who might want to do dog sports like agility or flyball with their dog, desexing early can be a massive con.

[koalathebear]

Is there anyone who had their pup desexed younger then mature age?

Elbie was desexed at 10 weeks and so far is fine. He is definitely a little lanky but his coat seems fine and he seems well proportioned and healthy. We would have preferred to wait until he was older but as things were, because he was going to have anaesthesia administered because of a cut to his paw anyway, the vets recommended that he be desexed at the same time to reduce the number of times he had to be put under. Hoover is scheduled to be desexed at six months. He is a bit humpy sometimes so it would be great if he outgrew that bad habit

Elbie was a bit humpy when he was younger but thankfully no longer disgraces himself.

[OSoSwift]

I definately think desexing is best then there is no chance of accidental litters. I would also leave it to 12 to 18 months before doinf it.

My male is entire he never humps unless it's a bitch in season which of course is allowed, does cock his leg occasionally but usually squats and is VERY clean in the house and does not cock his leg inside at all.

Training and what you allow deem if they pee everywhere and are properly toilet trained. HUmping only happens if it is allowed

[Guest]

Our Lab was desexed by the AWL at nearly 7 months he is ok but since we have had our shepherd, he did try to hump her a couple of times but we put a quick stop to it as soon as we noticed, he still isn't cocking his leg yet to pee and he is now almost 15 months.

I think if he is only going to be a pet then in my opinion only I would have him desexed, you would probably get a good Idea at what age if you looked on some vet sites, or just type in google, what age to desex male dog.

lablove

[Aussienot]

Should you desexed your pet? Most science says yes. There are a lot of positive health benefits and some behavioural improvements, and management of the pet is much easier.

What age to desex? Much more controversial. Read a lot, pick the argument you like best.

Edited to add: At 12 weeks, he won't be the same next week. He's a puppy, he will change rapidly whether you desex or not.

Edited November 23, 2010 by Aussienot

[Lindainfa]

Desexing is best, whether it be at 5 months or 12 months. If your not showing, I think it should be done.

It will NOT change his behaviour. It is a simple simple operation for a male, he will most likely be bouncing around as his usual self within a day.

[~Rumour~]

If you have no intention of showing him then get him desexed.

Just wait until he's matured before you do it.

How come we should wait until he is matured?

I know a few people when they got their pups at 8 weeks they were already desexed, and they seem fine.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I read if you don't desex them early enough they will still hump and spray even after being desexed?

Is there anyone who had their pup desexed younger then mature age?

My boy wasn't desexed till about 8 months and he has never humped or cocked his leg. Our friends dog who was desexed at around the same age marks everything he possibly can outside and occasionally tries to hump. Its just an individual thing.

[matilda1]

Personally I think it should be LAW to desex unless you are a registered breeder or show.

Just my own humble opinion.

[aussielover]

A DOLer I'm friends with has a pedigree Siberian Husky who is three months older than Akira. Now the pedigree dog was desexed at 8 weeks, whereas Akira was desexed at 5.5 months, and she was close to sexual maturity at that age (vet believes she would have come into season in a month if she hadn't been desexed). The differences between Akira and the pedigree dog are HUGE - Akira is a lot smaller (she's within the Siberian Husky standard, whereas the pedigree dog is not) and her coat is not as large. It has been joked MANY times that if you asked a stranger to pick which dog was pedigree and from a registered breeder, everyone would pick Akira. We both believe this is because the pedigree dog was desexed very young. There has been research that has shown that dogs that are desexed earlier can be bigger and have larger coats - there was a discussion about this in the breeders forum not long ago which was very interesting. Dogs need their hormones for growth and unfortunately if you remove them early, it can upset their growth patterns.

ETA: Second post in, Ellz talks about the research: http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...208386&st=0

Ummm it's letting them have a season that helps them reach full "maturity" due to hormone effect etc. There is no difference between de sexing at 8 weeks and de sexing before the first season at 6 months.

[whiskedaway]

A DOLer I'm friends with has a pedigree Siberian Husky who is three months older than Akira. Now the pedigree dog was desexed at 8 weeks, whereas Akira was desexed at 5.5 months, and she was close to sexual maturity at that age (vet believes she would have come into season in a month if she hadn't been desexed). The differences between Akira and the pedigree dog are HUGE - Akira is a lot smaller (she's within the Siberian Husky standard, whereas the pedigree dog is not) and her coat is not as large. It has been joked MANY times that if you asked a stranger to pick which dog was pedigree and from a registered breeder, everyone would pick Akira. We both believe this is because the pedigree dog was desexed very young. There has been research that has shown that dogs that are desexed earlier can be bigger and have larger coats - there was a discussion about this in the breeders forum not long ago which was very interesting. Dogs need their hormones for growth and unfortunately if you remove them early, it can upset their growth patterns.

ETA: Second post in, Ellz talks about the research: http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...208386&st=0

Ummm it's letting them have a season that helps them reach full "maturity" due to hormone effect etc. There is no difference between de sexing at 8 weeks and de sexing before the first season at 6 months.

I said closer to being sexually mature, not that she was sexually mature, plus Akira has grown maybe an inch if she's lucky since she was desexed. Most of her growth was done by the time she was desexed, other than the filling out side of things. A lot less growing is done after six months than after eight weeks.

ETA: Just measured her. She was 20" tall when she was desexed at 6 months, now three months later she's 21" tall.

Edited November 25, 2010 by whiskedaway

[luvsdogs]

If you have no intention of showing him then get him desexed.

Just wait until he's matured before you do it.

How come we should wait until he is matured?

I know a few people when they got their pups at 8 weeks they were already desexed, and they seem fine.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I read if you don't desex them early enough they will still hump and spray even after being desexed?

Is there anyone who had their pup desexed younger then mature age?

After reading this article I would not take the chance of doing early s/n. In the past all our dogs were done at 6 mths which used to be the norm until the designer revolution.

http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html