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When Should German Shepherds Be Neutered

Spaying And Neutering Case Studies And Data

German Shepherd sad after getting neutered

There are few case studies which have officially tracked dogs throughout the entirety of their life after having a spay or neutering procedure, and tracked their health and behavior.

But, Petmd put together a very interesting article by way of the AKC Canine Health Foundation, which is called When Should You Get Your Dog Spayed or Neutered?.

In this article they have data from several individual studies where they provide feedback on:

Why dogs are usually spayed or neutered at 6 months to 9 months of age

Effects of spaying or neutering on health

Effects of spaying or neutering on behavior

If you look at page 2, there are some interesting results for the German Shepherd breed when it comes to the chance of Mammary Neoplasia and Hip Dysplasia both decreasing and increasing respectively after spaying and neutering.

Leema kennels also has put together some data regarding German Shepherd spaying and neutering.

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The study population was 35 intact males, 33 neutered males, 28 intact females, and 46 spayed females for a total sample of 142 cases. Just one intact male had a joint disorder, and other than this, no joint disorders were reported in intact females or in neutered males or females. None of the intact males or females had any of the cancers followed. There were no noteworthy occurrences of the cancers in neutered males or females. There were no occurrences of MC in either intact or neutered females, and a 7 percent occurrence of PYO in intact females. The occurrence of UI was 14 percent for females spayed at < 6 mo. and 6 percent at 6-11 mo. Lacking a noticeable occurrence of increased joint disorders or cancers in neutered males or females, those wishing to neuter should decide on the appropriate age. However, for females, one could consider delaying spaying until a year of age to avoid the risk of UI.

What Are The Standards For Breeding A New Gsd

Typically before you begin breeding a new German Shepherd, there are a few things one must account for to make sure their dog is fit for breeding.

Below is a short list for you to check off before you take your dog to be bred.

Have you

  • Found a proper stud for your GSD?
  • Checked out your GSDs Genetic History?
  • Taken your GSD to the vet to be screened for Hip and Elbow Dysplasia?
  • Gotten your GSD titled?
  • Taken your GSD to training?

The most important thing for you to consider when breeding your GSD is your dogs health.

As the breeder, a person will want the healthiest puppies possible, thus they should be making sure that their dog has the best genetic traits to pass on to the next generation.

A breeder should also be understanding of the genes carried by their dogs potential mate making sure there will be no hazard to the health of any and all future puppies.

Consider speaking to some experienced breeders to get their opinions on the dogs you plan to breed.

If need be, fill out the necessary paperwork and make the proper agreements about the puppies you will be whelping if you plan to work with someone to acquire a stud for your GSD.

Studding your GSD may take time and could require some money depending on the agreements that are made between owners.

All in all, make sure to get the opinions of professionals such as vets and experienced breeders before taking any action in mating a German Shepherd that is new to breeding.

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German Shepherd Spaying And Neutering Behavior Change And Aggression

Spaying or neutering just decreases the level of sex hormones in your dog, but doesnt eliminate it altogether.

Females wont go into heat, while males may settle down and decrease territory marking by urination, mounting and sometimes aggression problems.

Generally, there shouldnt be a long term behavior change in a dog after spaying or neutering as far as the personality of the dog goes.

Whilst the genital area could be slightly sore to touch immediately after surgery and this could be a trigger point for short term aggression this should go away after the area heals.

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Deciding whether to spay or neuter your German Shepherd is ...

The study population was 42 intact males, 78 neutered males, 50 intact females, and 70 spayed females, for a total sample size of 240 cases. Although these are two breeds, they vary only a little in size, so these two breeds are combined for statistical analyses and display of data. The occurrence of at least one joint disorder in intact males was 5 percent and for intact females 6 percent. There was no significant increase in this measure in males or females with neutering. This is one of the breeds where intervertebral disc disorders are a concern, and in 3 percent of intact males and 8 percent of intact females, IDD was reported. In males neutered before 6 months, the occurrence of IDD reached 18 percent, and in females there was no increase with neutering. The occurrence of one or more of the cancers followed was 5 percent in intact males and 6 percent in intact females. In neutered males and females, there was no evident increase in cancers. For females left intact, the occurrence of MC was 8 percent, and there was zero occurrence of PYO. There was no diagnosis of UI in spayed females. The suggested guideline for age of neutering for males, given the increase in IDD with neutering at < 6 mo., is beyond 6 months. Lacking a noticeable occurrence of increased joint disorders, IDD, or cancers with neutering females, those wishing to neuter a female should decide on the appropriate age.

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How Can Breeding Age Affect My Gsds Puppies

The eventual goal of breeding is to have a healthy litter of puppies, right? If that is the case, then the breeder first needs to understand how a healthy pregnancy resulting in healthy puppies can be achieved and how age will affect the goal they have in mind.

Breeding at a Young Age

For any German Shepherd, Male or Female, breeding too young can bring serious consequences to the puppies.

However, it is really the result of breeding a female too early that brings about a greater number of problems.

The risk to both mother and puppy increases when a mother is younger than when she is older.

A young mother is not fully developed herself, and as she tries to carry out a full term pregnancy, her puppies can be a drain on her and she will have an increased risk of stillbirth and miscarriage.

With mothers as young as a year old, a German Shepherd could easily die during the whelping process as her pelvis is not fully developed thus endangering the lives of her puppies as well.

Breeding at an Older Age

Now that a female German Shepherd is of age, what happens when he or she is too old to be bred?

Chances are, there will be much more risk involved if the mother is bred at an older age.

For older German Shepherds, a mother has an increased risk of stillborn births and miscarriage than she would at a more proper age.

Even beginning to breed a German Shepherd as at late as four years old can cause some serious consequences and difficulties in the whelping process.

Will Neutering A German Shepherd Calm Him Down

When Will My German Shepherd Calm Down After Neutering? Generally speaking, as long as a German Shepherd has no preexisting behavioral issues, his behavior will slowly calm down over the course of a few months after being neutered. However, in some dogs, this process can take several years to have a noticeable effect.

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When Do German Shepherds Lose Their Puppy Coat

The GSD puppy coat doesnt shed all in one go. Instead, it sheds and changes continuously from birth to around 6 months. During this time, the appearance of your German Shepherds coat will change drastically.

Once your German Shepherd turns 7 months old, the changes to their coat color will be more subtle. Nevertheless, it will continue to transform until they become adults at around 2 years old.

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Spay And Neutering Early Increases Joint Disorders In German Shepherds

When to spay or neuter your dog with German Shepherd Man

When a puppy should be spayed or neutered is a common question for new dog owners.

For years veterinarian medicine has pushed spaying females before their first heat cycle and neutering males before they turn one.

Shelters spay dogs six months and younger to prevent overpopulation through accidental litters.

If you have a German Shepherd puppy, you dont plan on breeding you need to be informed about the potential health risks caused by spaying and neutering early.

A decade-plus long study conducted by UC Davis concludes that spay and neutering German Shepherds before maturity increases the odds of joint disorders, among other health issues.

Keep reading for details.

Renowned for their intelligence, obedience, and loyalty, German shepherd dogs are often the preferred breed for police and military work, as well as popular service dogs and family pets.

But as most handlers, breeders and veterinarians are aware, joint disorders are a big concern in these animals.

A new study in the journal Veterinary Medicine and Science finds that neutering or spaying these dogs before one year of age triples the risk of one or more joint disorders particularly for cranial cruciate ligament, or CCL, tears.

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.

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When To Neuter Your German Shepherd

There are a lot of ethical reasons to neuter your dog. Overcrowding in animal shelters is a serious issue. Each year, over 2.7 million animals are euthanized in US animal shelters alone.

Puppies are cute, but birth is taxing to a mother dog and can be fatal if the mother doesnt have the strength to take care of her litter. And most people cant afford to take care of a mothers litter and end up donating the pups to a shelter anyway.

You can end a lot of animal suffering by neutering your dog before he goes off and has children. But what is the best age to do it and are there any health risks associated with neutering?

Until recently, there was a common consensus among veterinarians and breeders that it was best to neuter a German Shepherd after 8 weeks but before 6 months.

Neutering before a dog reached full sexual maturity would cause less growth problems and would prevent deadly prostrate cancers from developing. Or so the reasoning went.

Recently, however, a new study recently published in the veterinary journal veterinary medicine and science finds convincing evidence that that might not be true.

German Shepherd dogs neutered before the age of 1, the study finds, have a significant increase of cranial cruciate ligament tears and ruptures.

The CCL is one of the most important stabilizers in a German Shepherds knee and damage to it is one of the most common causes of hind leg lameness, pain, and knee arthritis.

Considerations For Spaying Or Neutering Your German Shepherd Puppy

In the not so long ago past spaying and neutering dogs when they were young pups was not uncommon. Spaying females before their first cycle and neutering undescended males was an accepted practice. It was routine to take your puppy into a veterinarians office and schedule the surgery in the not too distant future. A lot of time has passed since then, and current research points towards slowing down and waiting awhile. But how long should you wait to spay or neuter your German Shepherd Puppy? Lets find out.

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Neutering And Testicular Implants

To some people, this might seem like a strange concern, but lots of dog owners worry about how losing their testicles might impact their dog. For this reason, testicular implants were created, or neuticles as they are sometimes known. Some people worry that male dogs might be emotionally impacted by the loss of their testicles. If you are worried about this affecting your dog, you might choose to give them testicular implants.

These implants arent cheap, and for this reason, it is arguable that they exist more for the owner than the dog. Most dogs arent phased by the loss of their testicles as they dont really do much, but a lot of owners struggle with the loss of this masculine feature.

If you are phased by your dogs lack of testicles and want to get implants for them, then this will cost you around $500 on top of the cost of the neutering surgery. The neuticles are made using silicone and look just like regular testicles, so once they are in, you wont be able to notice the difference.

What Are Some Benefits Of Neutering My German Shepherd

Spay and Neutering Early Increases Joint Disorders in ...

One of the biggest benefits to neutering your german shepherd is that he will lose the drive to seek out a mate. Instead, hell stay home. He wont be digging, climbing, crawling, or sneaking out of your yard to fulfill his drive to breed.

This means your dog wont be at high risk for the dangers that the world at large may hold for him.

Hell stay home, safe from fighting with other dogs, safe from cars that can easily kill him, and safe from people who might throw things at him or even shoot him with BBs, shotgun pellets, or bullets.

Your german shepherd also wont howl or whine if a neighbors female is in heat, something that can sometimes happen even if the female lives some distance away.

A neutered male wont focus solely on his awareness of a receptive female and lose touch with everything else in his life until her cycle has passed. He will be calmer in general and easier to live with.

Neutering means that your dog wont be contributing to the problem of pet overpopulation.

According to the ASPCA, millions of animals are euthanized in the United States each year because there arent enough homes for them. Neutering helps to cut down on these numbers.

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What Are The Disadvantages Of Neutering Your German Shepherd

Although there are many great benefits to neutering your german shepherd, there are also some disadvantages you should be aware of. Heres the other side of neutering that you need to be aware of.

Theyre At A Higher Risk Of Hemangiosarcoma

Hemangiosarcoma is a particularly aggressive type of cancer that can affect all dogs. However, its been found that dogs are at an increased risk of suffering from it if they get neutered or spayed too early.

Its believed that the sex hormones that come from staying intact help prevent hemangiosarcoma.

They Are More Likely To Suffer From Dementia

As a german shepherd gets older, theyre often more likely to suffer from a disease of the brain similar to dementia. Its known as geriatric cognitive impairment, and when they suffer from it, they often see places and people such as your family and home unfamiliar. They can also forget all the training theyve had such as potty training as well.

However, when you keep your german shepherd intact, youre going to help reduce the chance of them suffering from geriatric cognitive impairment.

It Doesnt Always Change Their Behavior

While there are lots of reported cases of certain behavior improving after a german shepherd has been neutered, it doesnt mean its going to happen every time.

You may get your pup neutered only to find that theyre still acting in the exact same way afterward.

A Slightly Increased Risk Of Urinary Incontinence

Their Coat Can Often Be Affected

Risk Of Complications

Evidence Or Opinions Against Early Spaying Or Neutering At A Young Age

So, we do know it is up to a dog owner and their vet

But, we do know most pet owners get their dog spayed or neutered at around 6-9 months of age and this is generally considered the industry standard.

But, is there any evidence AGAINST getting your dog spayed or neutered this young, or at all?

You might like to check out this video by Dr. Karen Becker, who discusses her experience in spaying and neutering dogs.

In particular, at around the 9:50 minute mark, you will hear her speak about her experience with a female dog of hers who she got from a rescue, and she only spayed her at 7 years of age that dog went on to live to 17.

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Should You Desex A Male German Shepherd

Summary: The Best German Shepherd Spay & Neuter Times The authors advise deferral of desexing to 2 years of age. A look at the data shows that by age 1 the risk of joint problems in males is not very different to intact males, and is at baseline in females. Therefore, desexing at age 1 seems appropriate.

How Old Should My German Shepherd Dog Be When I Neuter Him

What is the BEST AGE to Neuter a MALE GERMAN SHEPHERD – ask me anything

The question of how old your dog should be when he is neutered is one that experts are divided on.

Some insist that your german shepherd should be neutered before puberty so that he wont develop any of the bad habits that come with reaching a certain age.

Other experts suggest that there can be problems associated with neutering your dog too early. According to the American Kennel Club, there have been findings that show that dogs neutered before puberty may end up shy and insecure.

Several large, long-term studies agree and indicate that very early dog neutering is not a good idea. Psychology Today detailed several negative effects of neutering, such as increased aggression and anxiety.

Neutering also did not resolve many bad behaviors, but instead made them worse. The younger the dog at neutering, the more problematic the behaviors were.

The best thing to do is to talk to your pets veterinarian and discuss any concerns you may have. Your dogs vet knows him the best, so he should be able to discuss with you his thoughts for when to neuter your dog and why you should do so at that age.

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