When Is It Too Late To Neuter
You might be wondering if there is a point when it is too late to neuter your dog but it turns out that there really isnt one.
Older German Shepherds can benefit from the effects of neutering just as much as younger dogs.
I know that a lot of German Shepherd owners wait until their dog is at least 2 years of age before they take them to be neutered. The reason being they want to make sure their dog is completely done growing before hand.
While this is a good sentiment, most experts agree that it is unnecessary. As long as he is at least a year he should be fine.
If you have an older German Shepherd that you are considering neutering, take him into the vet. You can run a blood test to see if your dog is healthy enough to be neutered.
Older dogs that are neutered are reported to be more docile and obedient. Although you can certainly have an obedient dog that hasnt been neutered with proper training.
How Will Neutering Affect Your German Shepherds Behavior
Contrary to popular belief, neutering isnt going to calm down your german shepherd. It will only help reduce common sex-based behaviors. Primarily, youll notice your german shepherd is a lot less likely to mount things or mark their territory.
The only other part of them that may be affected is their weight. However, if youre paying attention to what youre feeding them and how much exercise they get, then theyll normally stay at a good weight.
German Shepherd Dog Discussion
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Hi Everyone,
Today I would like to discuss whether to neuter and more specifically when to neuter. Today, more pressure is brought to bear concerning neutering your German Shepherd Dog. Your veterinarian more often than not wants to neuter your German Shepherd Dog puppy as early as six months of age. However, you should hold on and think about it before proceeding.
The Testicles produce growth hormones and are instrumental in proper development of your German Shepherd Dog puppy. It is quite simple, if you neuter before your German Shepherd Dog is physically mature, they will not grow right and they will never reach their genetic potential. For example if by disease or accident a human male child is castrated before puberty that child will never reach his full height or grow a beard unless the hormones produced naturally by the testes are replaced. The same is true for your German Shepherd Dog puppy. Therefore, if you plan on neutering, you should wait until age two to ensure that your German shepherd Dog has reached physical maturity. Actually, there is research that shows neutering your German Shepherd Dog before maturity may make them susceptible to various disease processes later in life.
Neuter! WHAT?
Tomorrow, I will continue this discussion focusing on what exactly neutering does to the mentality or personality of your German Shepherd Dog and what type of physical changes that you could expect.
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How Long After Spay Does Dog Calm Down
For these, it often takes two to three days for dogs to return to their normal selves after a spay and one to two for a neuter. Dogs over three years of age may take a day or two longer to recover. In many instances, older dogs can take up to a week to feel completely better after a spay or neuter surgery.
Neutering Increases The Risk Of A Deadly Cancer Called Hemangiosarcoma
Apparently the reproductive hormones offer some protection against this cancer.
Hemangiosarcoma is much more common in certain breeds, especially the Afghan Hound, Belgian Shepherds, Bernese Mountain Dog, Bouvier des Flandres, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Bulldog, Doberman Pinscher, English Setter, Flat Coated Retriever, French Bulldog, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Greater Swiss Mtn Dog, Labrador Retriever, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rottweiler, Saluki, Scottish Terrier, Skye Terrier, and Vizsla.
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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.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Neutering A German Shepherd
- An effect in reproduction
Neutered dogs cannot sire any more
- Bone disorder
Dogs neutered before the age of 1 year may get joint disorders
- Tend to be aggressive
According to a study done by the University of the Pennsylvania School of veterinary medicine-neutered dogs are more aggressive towards people and other dogs than intact dogs . This is against a belief that most people believe that fixed dog breeds are calmer than intact dogs.
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What Is Neutering Or Spaying
Neutering is the removal of the reproductive organ of an animal. This can be either partially or totally to the reproductive organ.
This is commonly done to pets, especially dogs. After all, neutering is an attempt to prevent overpopulation.
While you may think that neutering is done with males, it actually involves both sexes. It can be done to male AND female animals.
However, since this misconception is a bit prevalent, spaying was introduced.
Spaying can be considered as neutering but only done with females. Technically it refers to the removal of ovaries of animals.
While it may be a common practice nowadays, you cant help but wonder the reason behind the neutering or spaying of a German shepherd.
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Will Neutering A German Shepherd Reduce Aggression
A lot of people neuter their german shepherd because they think it can reduce their aggression. And up until very recently, many researchers believed this to be true. However, now they think this may not be the case.
Its been found that german shepherds that have been neutered can often be more aggressive to strangers that try to approach their house. And it wasnt just people either. Other animals and dogs also caused neutered dogs to become more aggressive on average.
And if they werent acting aggressively, sometimes their fear-based behavior was seen to increase. Once again, this was more likely to happen around strangers, but it also happens when theyre put into new situations or theyre around objects theyve never seen before.
They also appeared to show other types of undesirable behavior as well, such as eating poop and rolling in it. And lastly, they were often more excitable.
So it does appear that in some cases, aggression, fear, excitement and unwanted behavior would increase after being neutered. This is one of the reasons its so important to consult your vet before neutering to see if its right for your pup.
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Where Do We Stand
As you know, we at Roches German Shepherds are one of the premier breeders of pedigree GSD puppies. We take pride in our dogs and work with numerous dog professionals. Our primary veterinarian, Dr. Marty Greer, is well regarded in the industry for her special interest in pediatrics and reproduction . Through numerous discussions and research, we recommend waiting a minimum of one full year before spaying or neutering your German Shepherd puppy. For female GSD puppies, we advocate spaying after they have gone through one heat cycle.
When To Spay Or Neuter
When the best time to spay or neuter your puppy can be a tricky decision, complicated by new research, old veterinary traditions and recommendations, and your own personal situation. For these reasons, we at Moorland German Shepherds do not require you to spay or neuter your puppy at any particular age but do make strong recommendations based on our experience and study of the subject. There are also incentives offered for following these recommendations although as long as the puppy is not allowed to breed, we do offer the new owners leeway in making the decision. Here are some of the factors you want to consider:
Practical Reasons If you travel a lot, such that your dog must board in the care of others or if you utilize services like dog walkers, doggy daycare, etc, if there are other intact dogs in your household or an abundance of stray dogs in your area- those are major reasons why you should consider spaying or neutering your dog. However, we still urge you to wait until AFTER your dog is physically mature to do this, which may mean that you need to consider alternate boarding or care arrangements until sterilization is complete.
The larger the breed, the later they mature. German Shepherd Dogs mature around 17 months of age.
Links for further reading:
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The Best Time To Neuter Or Spay A German Shepherd
There are many veterinary organizations that support neutering or spaying of German shepherds. However, they admit that there are risks in the procedure.
Thats precisely why they try to recommend pet owners the best age to neuter or spay a German shepherd.
Depending on the age of a German shepherd when it was neutered or spayed, they may have higher or fewer chances of developing health issues.
Spaying Your Female Dog Before She Has Her First Heat Cycle Reduces Her Chances Of Developing Mammary Cancer To Almost Zero
If she is allowed to go through one heat cycle, her odds of developing mammary cancer shoot up to about 8%, and if she goes through two cycles, it increases to 25%.
Spaying also eliminates the chances of ovarian and uterine cancer, as well as the risk of pyometra â a sometimes life-threatening uterine infection that often occurs in middle-aged unsprayed females.
As an added bonus, spaying females eliminates heat cycles, which can be messy at best and downright annoying at worst.
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Are There Other Alternatives Other Than Neutering
If you are not comfortable with surgically removing the testicle of your dog, you can consider other alternatives like a vasectomy. Often this condition involves cutting and sealing the vas deferens. Such dogs will still produce testosterone like other fixed dogs. However, the difference comes in that these dogs cant sire.
Problems With This Study
In the original paper, the authors appear to make some recommendations based on very limited evidence. I have published the original study data so you can see the actual numbers involved and decide for yourself.
The authors also do not mention the well-known increase in lifespan associated with desexing male and female dogs, which tends to counteract most concerns about specific cancers. The following comment in the paper is a clue that it might also have been true for this population:
Across all breeds the mean age of last entry in the record for neutered males was 5.5 years , for neutered females 5.7 years , for intact males 4.9 , and intact females 4.7
The study tries to also look at the rates of mammary cancer & pyometra in females, but cannot give an accurate assessment for two reasons:
Regardless of any concerns, the authors are to be applauded to bringing into focus one of the most common questions from dog owners. For the German Shepherd at least, theyve made the decision a lot easier.
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Is It Safe To Neuter A Golden Retriever
Previous studies have found that neutering or spaying female golden retrievers at any age increases the risk of one or more of the cancers from 5 percent to up to 15 percent. Dog owners in the United States are overwhelmingly choosing to neuter their dogs, in large part to prevent pet overpopulation, euthanasia or reduce shelter intake.
When Will My German Shepherd Calm Down
Some people have this perception that neutering will help calm their dogs entirely and instantly.
Some dogs may calm down after 4-8 weeks after this procedure, whereas it may take longer for other GSDs. However, if you had a poorly socialized dog or trained, dont expect sudden behavioral change. Such dogs can even take years before you notice any significant behavior change.
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When To Spay And Neuter A Von Rothhaus German Shepherd
Von Rothhaus German Shepherds. Spaying before 5 years of age will eliminate that concern. Pregnancy Most German Shepherds will not go through a heat cycle until they reach AT LEAST 8 months of age. Many of my shepherds dont come into heat until after 1 year of age. It is very important that you dont let your shepherd get fat.
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How Long Should You Wait To Spay Or Neuter Your German Shepherd Puppy
A recent American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation sponsored research study found that holding off a little while can offer long-term health benefits to your GSD puppy. How long? Until after a puppy has gone through puberty. The study found that waiting until after a dog goes through puberty can result in a benefit orthopedic health, breed-specific cancers, and provide potential behavior benefits . Additionally, it showed that spaying and neutering early increased bone growth, resulting in a taller pet, creating concern for proper joint alignment. Considered the first study of its type, and while it did have many veterinarians surprised by the results, future research is planned to further our understanding of this very important topic.
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How Can You Tell How Big A German Shepherd Will Get
Not all German Shepherds are built alike because not all of them are bred alike. While most GSDs reach their full height by the third year, you cannot sit in suspense wondering what your dogs final size will be. Fortunately, you dont have to.
You can tell how big a German Shepherd will get by first considering the parents genetic makeup and looking at the parents size. You can also refer to a GSD growth chart and check for consistent lag or lead. Additionally, paw size can be an indication of future size, although this is unreliable.
If your dog has consistently been an inch shorter than the charts standard, then you can assume he will be an inch shorter than the charts projected final size.
This also applies to the weight category as well. If your dog is a few lbs over the standard weight, he might weigh as much more by the third year. Weight fluctuates even past the complete development, though.
And that brings us to the alternative scenario: what if your dog is not consistently smaller or bigger than the projected growth chart?
If you notice that your dog is an inch smaller at one stage and half an inch smaller at the next, chances are, your dog is experiencing regular growth spurts as any other German Shepherd except that he is shorter by a set percentage.
In that case, you should refer to the percentage of full weight or height in the German Shepherd growth chart. The chart says that a GSD is at his 50% height by 4 months, for example.
Here they are
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
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Will Neutering My German Shepherd Calm Them Down
German Shepherds are intelligent and curious dogs who tend to be active, especially when young. From birth to around six months of age, a German Shepherds testosterone levels are low, but as he reaches puberty, these levels skyrocket, which changes the dogs behavior. When male dogs reach puberty, they take increased risks, roam in search of mates, and become more dominant or aggressive.