i was discussing on another forum w/someone about the impact neutering would have on a dog if done under 12 months of age, say in the 6-9 month range.

(it started from dumb comments ppl make about GSDs, and i mentioned how i hate it when he's called a girl, b/c he's not, and it just reinforces how he's lacking in a lot of secondary sex characteristics and that, to me, someone made a decision when he was young that really impacted who he is, and not only physically....she says it would have no impact on his personality.

obvs. i love him regardless, and i don't think it's a bad thing he was neutered, i just wish it had been done later.)

i know ed says this keeps them in a puppy state - i think this is true physically, but is it also true mentally?

doesn't exposure to certain hormones make them more aggressive at times? i'm not saying over-the-top aggressive, but just more so.

i would think too that lacking those hormones would change their behaviour patterns overall.

does neutering at a young age change, or shape, who the dog becomes?

Neutering younger delays the closing of growth plates so they usually become a little bit taller than they normally would.

I personally could not tell the difference between a male and a female dog of any breed without seeing its abdomen. Maybe someone could enlighten me of what the differences are?

I mean it is well known that a dog neutered before it stops growing will be taller than it would naturally have been, but what are the other physical effects? and not compared to how the dog would have been individually but compared to a typical example of its breed? Like how do we know, just by looking, if a tall dog of one breed was neutered early or if it is just a tall dog?

 Quote: Angela Burrell

I personally could not tell the difference between a male and a female dog of any breed without seeing its abdomen.

A lot of the time you're right, and this may be partially because for so many years everyone has been spaying or neutering their dogs so young.

I have four kids, 3 boys. If you look at the development of a boy, they are very lean and lanky during their pre-teen and teen years. Then suddenly, the hormones kick into full speed and they rapidly fill out and bulk up. They look like men, not boys.

I think this applies to a lot of other species as well. If they don't get the benefit of the hormones, nothing tells their bodies and muscles to mature and bulk up. They will never get that full adult male physique. They will be nice dogs but will never be exactly what they would have been with the benefit of fully maturing with hormones intact.

At least this is my thinking and opinion.

From my own, non-expert, observation with my breed intact Labs seem to have the bigger, classic blocky heads....both in the English and American lines. Neutered Labs tend to be narrow-faced and (if they're thin :wink narrow, less-muscled bodies.

I can't tell the difference between altered females and males, either. An intact male does a certain *look*.

that's very interesting, makes sense.

altered dogs, esp. if done young, basically have an asexual look, if i'm getting that right.

....i just wish all the people who call luc a girl - and it happens at least 3X/week - would stop sounding so surprised/taken aback when i say he's a boy. hmph. (i'm always like 'HE'S VERY MANLY!!!').

Hmm... yeah it does make sense. I have seen Golden Retrievers with those blocky, mastiff type heads and they were always intact males.

Everybody seems to be talking about males. And I must admit the physical impacts you're commenting on are enlightening news for me. I prefer females myself. Are the consequences the same as the male?
Spaying or neutering extending puppyhood is a given in either case though isn't it?

If I'm not learning, my dog and I both lose.
Randy

You'll be overlooking a huge source of info and discussion if you don't search on the forum, because this subject has been covered many times, at length, and recently.

Just a helpful hint. :>

Not saying "Don't ask" ... just saying that often long-time members don't reply to the same question when they did it recently.

http://www.google.com/custom?domains=leerburg.com&q=spay&sa=Google+Search&sitesearch=leerburg.com&client=pub-9352112989043417&forid=1&channel=8149920423&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&safe=active&flav=0000&sig=XaJqMPqToCkex0QJ&cof=GALT%3A%23333366%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23999999%3BVLC%3A336633%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3AFF9900%3BALC%3A333366%3BLC%3A333366%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A666666%3BGIMP%3A666666%3BLH%3A86%3BLW%3A100%3BL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.leerburg.com%2FPhotos%2Fheadlogo.jpg%3BS%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.leerburg.com%3BLP%3A1%3BFORID%3A1&hl=en

Funny story about "perception."

My wife and I have a Maltese (yes, they DO all look like girls!) However, when we got Uga, who is male, a "butch" little bandanna the comments about "Oh, what a darling girl" changed to "Oh, what a darling BOY."

So, if you get annoyed at folks not being able to read the dog as well as fanciers of the breed can, get Luc a manly bandanna!

-J