I have a 9 1/2 month old gsd. I would like some input. I'm not sure whether or not to have him neutered. If I neuter him, which age is best? What are the pros and cons concerning this situation?

This seems to be an age old questions-to snip or not to snip. Pros to neuter are that they won't be as likely to run off to sprend their seed, they won't mark territory, they tend to calm down,and they won't get testical cancer.
Con's well there is only a few, you can't breed them, there are certain AKC events that you will not be allowed to participate in, and with EVERY surgery that is undergone there could be certain complication that could occur.

It will NOT change how your dogs protect-which seems to be a common misconception. Appropriate age is generally 6 months or after the testicals have both dropped. Some people wait till they are a year some do it right when they hit a a certain monthly age-that one really is up to the individual. Some people get what I call "fake balls" that is once they take out the testicals they replace them with some sort of fake balls-you can pick the size you want him to have-IMO it is sick an only benefits the owners needs not the dogs-dogs don't feel less manly because they don't have their nuts but that is just me andto eachs as own.

Thanks for your response. I don't want to impede his growth by having him neutered too early. I'm thinking if I wait until he's two years old he'll be fully developed, and neutering him shouldn't present much of a problem. Of course, if I decide to breed him, then that's a different issue. Haven't decided yet. Again, thank you.

I heard (not sure if it is true or not) that a male dog will actually grow larger if neutered because testosterone causes them to mature earlier, therefore limiting their growth.
Again, not sure if this is true. Of course, the testosterone would give them the masculine look by encouraging more musculature. I believe that it also affects factors like head size and perhaps the thickness of the bones.
Food for thought I guess <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

It causes the growth plates to close sooner, that's what it was that I heard about it.

Dee Dee wrote: "It will NOT change how your dogs protect-which seems to be a common misconception."


Bullshat, I would not neuter a working dog till he is an adult.


Sexual maturation and the traits one likes to see in a powerful working dog are certainly linked. I have no doubt about that and have experience with a number of males, neutered and not.


There is no misconception.

One con to spay/neuter that no one thinks about until it is too late is sale at a later date. Sure, in a perfect world you can keep a dog for his/her entire life, but you never know when I circumstance may arise that you may need to part ways. If a dog is neutered, reguardless of bloodlines or abilities, he is devauled a bit and basically a pet. If on the other hand you have a nice male and he is intact with good blood, you may have better options for placement. I am not talking about PETS, but working dogs.

Not to mention you should read your contract before doing it.... you may actually exclude yourself from the guarantee entirely by spay/neuter.

Originally posted by Elisabeth Barber:
It causes the growth plates to close sooner, that's what it was that I heard about it. Actually, it causes the growth plates to stay open longer, causing the dog to be a bit taller but without the development of secondary masculine features when neutered very young.

Robert, that's what I was thinking. I felt if neutered too soon, he might be less aggressive and lose some of that great drive he has. It seems like I remember Ed saying something about waiting until the dog is two years old before neutering.