Lynn Ballard wrote 05/29/2007 09:49 AM Spay my Schutzhund prospect #143259 - 05/29/2007 09:49 AM
Lynn Ballard Webboard User Reg: 04-29-2006 Posts: 138 Loc: Southern California Offline	Hi everyone, I did a search and couldn't find anything. Sorry if this has been brought up before. I have a 16 month Dobe who is very promising for Schutzhund. I don't want to breed her and would prefer to spay. However, I'm a bit worried about it impacting her drive. Will she become a couch potato or does one have nothing to do with the other? Has anyone had experience with this and am I just being paranoid? Thanks, Lynn
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Kimberly Bunk wrote 05/29/2007 11:15 AM Re: Spay my Schutzhund prospect [Re: Lynn Ballard ] #143263 - 05/29/2007 11:15 AM
Kimberly Bunk Webboard User Reg: 05-04-2006 Posts: 384 Loc: PA Offline	Hi Lynn, If you do a bit of searching on here I think you will find that most people recommend waiting until the dog is 2 years to spay or neuter if they compete or hope to compete in dog sports. I spayed my gsd at 6 years of age and she still is very much ball driven. Hope this helps. Kimberly
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Natalya Zahn wrote 05/29/2007 11:34 AM Re: Spay my Schutzhund prospect [Re: Kimberly Bunk ] #143265 - 05/29/2007 11:34 AM
Natalya Zahn Webboard User Reg: 12-22-2006 Posts: 1824 Loc: Cambridge, MA Offline	Quote: kimberly bunk If you do a bit of searching on here I think you will find that most people recommend waiting until the dog is 2 years to spay or neuter if they compete or hope to compete in dog sports. Yep, that's the concensus from those who are open to spay/neuter (some aren't at all). I can't figure out how to post a link the short way, but if you do a search on "spay" there is a thread here titled "Spayed Bitches" that poses your question exactly. I have a male, not a female, (he's a Rhodesian Ridgeback) but we neutered at just about 2 years and I don't think it's changed his drive one bit - he's still a lunatic after critters in the woods... not sure if that would have changed if we had done it earlier, but I'd wait for your girl to mature a little more before you spay. Good luck with her, ~Natalya
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Mara Jessup wrote 05/29/2007 11:38 AM Re: Spay my Schutzhund prospect [Re: Kimberly Bunk ] #143266 - 05/29/2007 11:38 AM
Mara Jessup Webboard User Reg: 12-28-2005 Posts: 2316 Loc: Offline	Lynn, I had my high drive Border Collie spayed when she was 6 y/o. Did not affect her drive one bit. And I had my high drive 2 y/o male BC neutered a couple months ago. No difference in his drive either. A high drive dog will still be a high drive dog after spay/neuter. However, I'd also wait until your dog reaches the 2 year mark to spay. Spay/neuter age has been discussed alot here, so a search will yield you with lots of good reading on the subject! K-9 Knitter
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Katie O'Connor wrote 05/29/2007 12:14 PM Re: Spay my Schutzhund prospect [Re: Kimberly Bunk ] #143270 - 05/29/2007 12:14 PM
Katie O'Connor Webboard User Reg: 01-09-2007 Posts: 556 Loc: Upstate NY Offline	Hi Lynn, There are threads and articles here that address neutering/spaying working dogs. If I can find some I will post again. Most I believe support not neutering/spaying or at least waiting until 2-3 years of age for a working dog -- except of course for medical reasons. I am in a similar situation and am choosing not to spay my female. Not necessarity because I think it will impact her drive -- she is either going to have that or not. I am choosing not to spay because I want her to achieve her full physical and mental maturity. She is 21 months now and if I think back over the last 4-5 months I can say that she has further matured during this time -- especially in her mental capacity. I am sure some of what I am seeing is a combination of training and maturity ...but that's my impression. SG S'Eliana vom Kraftwerk IPO3,AD,CGC,KKL1 Jaya von der Olgameister AD, CGC Pierre, the Poodle!
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Mike J Schoonbrood wrote 05/29/2007 12:40 PM Re: Spay my Schutzhund prospect [Re: Katie O'Connor ] #143275 - 05/29/2007 12:40 PM
Mike J Schoonbrood Webboard User Reg: 04-30-2005 Posts: 2784 Loc: Toronto, ON Offline	If you spay a female too young they become very puppy like in their adult temprement, its like they never fully grew up. Most people dont care about this in a pet, but you need full maturity to have a working dog. If you insist on spaying, which I would reccomend against regardless of age, do it after 3 years old. The 3rd heat cycle is generally where the females become fully mature, but 3 years old is better IMO. Or never.... just stick some doggy diapers on her twice a year and keep the boys away
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Lynn Ballard wrote 05/29/2007 12:51 PM Re: Spay my Schutzhund prospect [Re: Mike J Schoonbrood ] #143276 - 05/29/2007 12:51 PM
Lynn Ballard Webboard User Reg: 04-29-2006 Posts: 138 Loc: Southern California Offline	Thanks everyone for the advice. She has had 2 heats and I was going to spay right before the 3rd but after reading all this, I think I'll wait a bit longer. I'm so concernced with health problems if I wait until after 2 years old, and maturity issues if I do it before then. UGH! A pet dog is so much easier (but not as much fun!). I'll search some more on this forum for more info. Thanks again. Lynn
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Kristine Velasco wrote 05/29/2007 01:26 PM Re: Spay my Schutzhund prospect [Re: Lynn Ballard ] #143279 - 05/29/2007 01:26 PM
Kristine Velasco Webboard User Reg: 11-27-2005 Posts: 297 Loc: Offline	I thought what you should be concerned about if you spay too early is lack of aggression for protection work--the type that comes with maturity--rather than drive? Or correct me if I'm wrong.
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Mike J Schoonbrood wrote 05/29/2007 01:30 PM Re: Spay my Schutzhund prospect [Re: Kristine Velasco ] #143280 - 05/29/2007 01:30 PM
Mike J Schoonbrood Webboard User Reg: 04-30-2005 Posts: 2784 Loc: Toronto, ON Offline	I wouldnt worry about drive, but yes the aggression, but not even that, simply the way a dog learns to deal with stress during protection work. I have seen alot of 18 month old females that were spayed at 6 months old that just don't seem to comprehend what the appropriate reaction should be. The maturity to understand the situation isn't quite there, I don't know how better to describe it. But generally when you watch a dog grow up, there is a clear point where the dog starts working, everything from obedience to protection to the way the dog is in the house, in a more mature understanding way.
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Lynn Ballard wrote 05/29/2007 02:23 PM Re: Spay my Schutzhund prospect [Re: Mike J Schoonbrood ] #143288 - 05/29/2007 02:23 PM
Lynn Ballard Webboard User Reg: 04-29-2006 Posts: 138 Loc: Southern California Offline	Thanks everyone, I will keep her intact for awhile. Glad I didn't throw away her undies. :-)
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