How To Calm Down Your German Shepherd So You Can Live With Him
You cant expect to neuter your dog to change him from a wild child into a canine good citizen all by itself.
Your dog is smart, and hes learned over his life how to act, and hes likely to continue to keep acting the same way whether you want him to or not.
You can help him by training him to behave, and insisting that he acts the way you want him to at all times.
How effective your training is will depend in part on how old your German shepherd is when you start training him.
It is possible to use positive training methods to get excellent results from very young puppies, as is demonstrated by the video by the trainers at Assertive K-9 Training.
Find a good puppy training class to get involved in. If hes older, look for something suited to his age.
Training your dog young to behave will go a long way toward giving you a dog you can live with, but if hes not neutered you may still find that he is overly active.
It may take a combination of neutering and training to give you the results you seek. You need to be consistent in your training so your dog will understand your expectations of him.
How Do You Punish A German Shepherd
To discipline a German Shepherd, redirect unwanted behavior, such as destructive chewing, by distracting your dog and offer an interesting chew toy instead. Use positive reinforcement by rewarding good behavior with treats or toys. Dont use physical punishment, yell, or encourage bad behavior.
Should I Neuter My Male German Shepherd
The most important finding in German Shepherd Dogs is that there is no advantage of neutering or spaying before 12 months of age. Waiting until a dog is 1-year-old to be neutered or spayed is a simple way to help prevent the risk of these disorders. 1 Percentage of Dogs That Are Spayed or Neutered.
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Spay And Neuter Your Gsd
You really need to spay and neuter your GSD if you havent already. If your female dog is spayed before her first heat cycle she will have almost azero chance of developing breast cancer later in life!
Concerning male dogs, the process of neutering helps to prevent prostate enlargement as well as cancer down the road as your dog matures.
It also often cuts down on the need to wander by many male dogs and many other territorial behaviors. But first, it is important to understand exactly what happens whenever you spay or neuter your German Shepherd puppy and what to expect during the process.
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Neutering German Shepherds Too Early Can Harm Joints
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German shepherds are often the preferred breed for police and military work, and are also popular as service dogs and family pets. But joint disorders are a big concern.
Neutering or spaying German shepherds before 1 year of age triples the risk of one or more joint disordersparticularly for cranial cruciate ligament, or CCL, tears.
Debilitating joint disorders of hip dysplasia, CCL and elbow dysplasia can shorten a dogs useful working life and impact its role as a family member, says lead investigator Benjamin Hart, professor emeritus in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis. Simply delaying the spay/neuter until the dog is a year old can markedly reduce the chance of a joint disorder.
To prevent pet overpopulation or avoid unwanted behaviors. dog owners in the United States typically choose to spay or neuter their dogs prior to 6 months of age.
For the study, published in Veterinary Medicine and Science, researchers examined veterinary hospital records over a 14.5-year period on 1,170 intact and neutered German shepherd dogs for joint disorders and cancers previously associated with neutering. The diseases were followed through 8 years of age, with the exception of mammary cancer in females, which was followed through 11 years.
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When Should You Neuter A German Shepherd
A recent study in veterinar y medicine and science suggests that it is healthiest to neuter GSD after they have reached full maturity sometime between 18 to 24 months of age. German shepherds neutered before the age of 1 have a significantly higher risk of cranial cruciate ligament tears or ruptures.
When is the best time to neuter a male German Shepherd? The researchers suggest that the best time to neuter a male German Shepherd is around 16-18 months, or at least 12 months old. Neutering of German Shepherd Dogs and Associated Joint Disorders Neuter Age
Should I neuter my German Shepherd? German shepherds neutered before the age of 1 have a significantly higher risk of cranial cruciate ligament tears or ruptures. Neutering is a serious decision, but one supported by the American Veterinarian Medical Association. Of course, what age you neuter your dog could have a significant effect on how your dog develops in the future.
When should I neuter my Dog? Dog owners in the United States typically choose to spay or neuter their dogs prior to 6 months of age, in large part to prevent pet overpopulation or hoping to avoid unwanted behaviors.
Health Benefits Of Neutering:
According to the Animal Cancer Foundation, around 6 millioncompanion dogs are diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States alone.
In addition, a study published by the Journal of Comparative Pathology in 2008 revealed that 27% of unneutered dogs develop at least one testicular tumor.
Based on the research by the National Canine Cancer Foundation, testicular tumors make up 90% of canine cancers related to the male reproductive system.
Apart from preventing testicular tumors and cancer, neutering your German Shepherd would also prevent prostate problems as he ages.
Neutering is also believed to reduce the risk of diabetes as well as perianal fistulas, a medical condition thats relatively common among German Shepherds.
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How Long Does It Take For German Shepherd To Recover After Spaying
Normally, a successful spay takes less than a day for your German Shepherd to recover. However, complicated ones can take a longer period. Upon recovery, you will have to reduce your dogs activity for 10-14 days. Within this period, you are expected to monitor and watch out for swelling, bleeding, bruising, or discharge. Your vet should offer you antibiotics and pain management and possibly a discharge summary.
Is Spaying Or Neutering Painful For A Dog
A dog will not feel any pain during the surgery to get him or her neutered or spayed. This is because the veterinarian will administer an anesthetic that will cause the dog to go to sleep throughout the entire procedure. After the procedure, the veterinarian will administer an injection that will prevent the dog from feeling any pain for at least 8 but up to 12 hours.
It is also common for a veterinarian to provide specific medication for any lingering pain for the next several days after surgery. Always remember to give your dog only the veterinarian prescribed medication for pain, as human pain medications can sometimes be poisonous to a dog.
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When Should I Have My German Shepherd Spayed Or Neutered
Whilst recommendations vary, vets typically suggest that you should have your German Shepherd spayed or neutered between the ages of four and nine months. There are various reasons for such a broad timeframe, although some vets suggest that timing can have positive effects on your German Shepherds behaviour, dependent on their sex.
Although there is no 100% definite answer, it is often suggested that you should have your male German Shepherd neutered after he has reached the age of puberty. This is thought to have long-term health benefits, as well as helping to prevent behavioural traits, such as marking and aggression.
For female German Shepherds, there is no dead set answer as to when you should have them spayed. Whilst some recommend spaying before first heat , others suggest that this can increase the risk of mammary tumours. We would always recommend consulting your vet for a personalised opinion.
Some studies have said that spaying and castration can prolong the life of dogs and possibly reduce future problems later on in life. Castrating a male reduces the risk of prostate and testicilar cancer.
Why Neuter Or Spay A German Shepherd
You might not believe it, but there are actually plenty of reasons why you need to neuter or spay a German shepherd.
One of the most common reasons involves overpopulation.
Overpopulation is found to be one of the most significant reasons why German shepherds are euthanized. After all, birth can be laborious and youll be surprised how many puppies dont make it.
This is the number one reason why neutering and spaying were introduced. However, there are other benefits that come from the procedure:
- Spaying a female German shepherd may prevent breast tumors and uterine infections.
- Neutering a male dog can lower the chances of prostate and testicular disorders.
- A spayed female German shepherd will no longer feel the need to attract mates. Actions such as urinating continually and yowling will be prevented.
- Male German shepherds that are neutered will not put effort into going outdoors to search for females.
Of course, other effects come when you neuter or spay a German shepherd, and we can say that its not all good. There are risks, too, which leads us to the next topic.
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What Are The Benefits Of Spaying
Most dogs not only German shepherds become more affectionate after this process they are often friendly to other animals and even untrained stop spitting urine around the house.
Because spayed pets remove their ovaries and uterus, these organs are not subject to cancer or other diseases.
Of course, spayed dogs cannot get pregnant, which could be a comfortable option for new pet owners who do not wish to have puppies.
This will reduce the population of dogs, making the shelter more likely to adopt pets and find loving homes.
How Much Shedding Is Too Much
If you notice your German Shepherd shedding more than normal outside of their seasonal coat blows and you cant identify the cause from the above list, its always a good idea to get a professional opinion from your vet about whether your dog is shedding too much.
If you notice any bald patches, excessive scratching, visibly inflamed skin, or dry/brittle fur, its definitely time for a vet visit.
You are your dogs best advocate, so its up to you to keep an eye on shedding levels and take action if you suspect a problem. However, as weve said time and again, German Shepherds shed prolifically, so dont be alarmed when you can pull out gobs of fur with your hands during shedding season.
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Will Getting A Male German Shepherd Neutered Calm Him Down
Neutering your german shepherd can help to calm him down, but the amount of change you see in your dog and how fast you see it will depend on multiple factors. Some dogs may continue to be hyperactive despite being neutered, but you can help him to make the changes youd like to see by spending time training him.
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What If I Want To Breed My German Shepherd Before I Neuter Him
Its not a good idea to casually undertake to breed your dog. You may think hes wonderful and there should be more like him, but thats usually not a good idea unless you know what youre doing.
Dog breeding should only be undertaken by people who know what theyre getting into. Theres a lot more to it than just putting two dogs together and welcoming a batch of puppies 63 days later.
When you breed your dog, youre contributing to the millions of unwanted pets that fill the shelters at any given moment.
Your dog shouldnt be bred before you neuter him, either. You may be teaching him to desire breeding even after hes neutered because hes learned that he likes it, contributing to his problem behavior.
Without a clear understanding of the potential genetic problems of any puppies your dog might produce, such as hip dysplasia or spinal degeneration, you may end up helping to create puppies that carry on these negative traits instead of helping to breed these traits out.
You also need to have a solid grasp of what your dogs ancestry is, what the strong points versus weaknesses in his background are, and whether or not hes likely to pass those down to his progeny.
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What Age Should You Spay Or Neuter Your German Shepherd
Studies have shown that German Shepherds have increased health risks if spayed or neutered too early.
In their latest study, they evaluated nearly 1,200 German Shepherds over a 14.5 year period. They wanted to determine if those spayed and neutered early had more or less joint disease and cancer, which cost German Shepherd pet parents on average $2,683 in 2018 according to Petplan claims data.
The results were surprising:
- Dogs spayed or neutered before 1 year of age had three times the number of joint disorders.
- Breast cancer was diagnosed in 4% of intact females, compared with less than 1% in females neutered before 1 year of age.
- Instances of other cancers were not higher in the spayed and neutered dogs than in intact dogs.
- Urinary incontinence, not diagnosed in later spayed or intact females, was observed in 7% of females neutered before 1 year of age.
The trend of several studies is becoming clearer: Early spay and neuter may increase the risk of joint disease. Other studies have shown early sterilization may also increase pet obesity and subsequent joint disease and other problems.
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Misconceptions Aboutspaying And Neutering
It is not immediately effective.
After neutering, it will take some time before a GermanShepherd male is completely infertile. Keep a newly neutered male away fromfemale dogs for approximately 2 to 4 weeks to avoid unplanned litters.
It is not a quick fix for aggression or behavioral problems.
Some people decide to spay or neuter their German Shepherds when they begin to see signs of aggression, thinking that sterilization would offer an easy fix.
However, aggression could be caused by a number of factors including genes, environment, poor training, improper socialization, and illness.
It does not make your German Shepherd overweight.
Studies show that spayed and neutered dogs are less energetic. This causes people to think that sterilization makes them prone to obesity. However, this is easily controlled through proper food portions and ample exercise.
It doesnt leave your dog with an identity crisis
Dogs dont feel that they are less masculine or feminine after sterilization. This is because they dont have the same social beliefs about gender as human beings do. Accordingly, spaying or neutering doesnt leave them with a gender or identity crisis.
It doesnt make your German Shepherd less protective.
German Shepherds are naturally protective of their homes and families regardless of whether or not theyve been altered. Protectiveness is an instinct thats not affected by the presence or absence of reproductive parts.
Its still important in single-dog homes.
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Contact Us For Help In San Jose
If you are thinking about having your dog neutered, contact our team at Willow Glen Pet Hospital. We will perform a complete exam to get your pet prepared for the procedure. We are committed to providing the highest quality of care for pets in San Jose and the surrounding areas. Give us a call to see how we can help you and your dog.
Can Neutering Or Spaying A German Shepherd Be Reversed
Unfortunately, once a dog is spayed or neutered, the process cannot be reversed. This is because when a dog is sterilized, either complete castration or in the case of a female, an ovariohysterectomy is performed, which removes the ovaries and uterus, or some variation of this.
Both of these procedures remove a dogs gonads , which produce ovaries, sperm, and hormones. Once these are removed they cannot be restored by any method. This differs from human sterilization which is reversible due to the gonads being left in the body.
Once a spay or neuter procedure is completed, a dog will no longer be able to be bred and produce any offspring.
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When To Spay A Femalepuppy
Conventional beliefs state that female German Shepherds should be spayed before they go into first heat, around 6 months of age.
This is because studies have shown that spaying at this time would practically eliminate the risk of breast cancer and the uterine infection called pyometra.
However, there are various other factors to consider before making the decision to spay.
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Spaying at younger than 6 months old gives your German Shepherd the highest risk of developing at least one type of cancer. Based on cancer risk, the best spay age is between 6 months and less than 2 years of age.
Taking into account the risk for joint disorders, female-specific diseases, and associated cancers, the best age to spay a female German Shepherd is around 1 year old.