Hi everybody -

The newest member of my pack is currently unneutered. He's about 5 and 1/2 months old and seems to be a lab/shepherd mix. I don't think he's going to be really big - maybe 65 lbs. I've had him for a few months now and I am coming up on the shelter-mandated 6 months of age time limit for neutering. My vet recommends waiting until at least 8 months. I'll be in violation if I wait past Jan 31 (a misdemeanor) but the shelter is in a different county so it's not like they'll be tracking me down.

My questions are: 1) what is the best time for neutering? I've heard everything from "early" (before 6 months) to 14 months, to 24 months.

2) The longer I wait, what are the behavioral issues I am likely to see? I have 2 neutered males (one is 10.5 yrs old and the other is 22 months old), and 1 spayed female, 6.5 yrs old. They all get along well currently.

I plan on training him in agility like my other dogs but don't have any plans for bite sports or personal protection.

Thanks for your assistance and advice. I have little experience with unneutered males but I'd like him to grow as healthy as possible while also not having a bunch of headaches managing him.

You may not get the same answer from all of us and that's not wrong.

First, what is shelter-mandated?

Like a home owners association?

My thoughts

I'm not a fan of spay neuter although I have done it based on health issues a few times over the past 60+ yrs.

I take my responsibility to keep my dogs from running loose and/or breeding very seriously.

It's been shown that spay/neuter can create as many health issues as it fixes.

There are still good reasons to do so and IF I absolutely had to I personally would wait till the dog reaches 18 months minimum.

The younger the dog the more issues it can possibly create.

There will be other opinions on this and I do respect most all of them.

Thanks Bob. The shelter I got him from lets you take the dogs and cats unaltered (unlike all the other shelters around here, because this one is really small) but they had me sign a form agreeing to neuter him by the time he's 6 months which is the end of Jan. There was also a $25 deposit which is refundable upon proof I got it done on time. Not having it done by then is a misdemeanor but I don't live in that county anyway.

Do you have the option of 'Zeutering' in your area? I don't know that much about it, just that an acquaintance chose that for their rescue dogs. Could be something else to consider.

https://www.embracepetinsurance.com/waterbowl/article/zeutering-vs-neutering

Maybe there's already been a debate on the board about it and someone can provide a link.

I've not seen that but I "suspect" many vets dislike of it is money.

Spay neuter is good money for the vets and that shot is pennies compared to most.

Giving the dog a shot compared to surgery is "repulsive" is pure foolishness.

"IF" its been shown to be safe then I see no problem with it.

I have also heard of having a vasectomy on dogs.

That wont have any behavioral effect on the dog but "FOR ME" that's a training issue easily avoided with common sense and training.

I've been looking up Ovariectomy for Greta but the only place that offers it in our city wants a referral and a medically necessary reason...

I had adopted a dog way back when from our local shelter. He also had the mandatory neuter by 6 months clause in his contract. However, upon examination at 6 months, the vet said that his adult teeth weren't fully in and they wanted to wait for that before proceeding (BTW this was my very first dog, so I knew zilch about neutering animals).

I had the vet write me a letter stating their findings and that they recommended waiting until the dog was 9 months and doing a re-check. That letter was then forwarded to the humane society. I didn't ask permission to extend the clause in the contract - my vet recommended it. They are not vets, and therefore have to go with what my vet recommends. Any chance you can get a letter from your vet to allow you to extend it to 8 months at least?

I don't neuter any of my dogs unless medically necessary. In the last 12 years, that is 1 dog who had a retained testicle. He was neutered at 18 months. He is a mix and never intended to be anything other than a companion. He is also 7 lbs. But I still wanted him to reach his full growth before removing those hormones.

I can see where the rescues/shelters are coming from - why they want the dogs desexed before they have a chance to reproduce. I just wish that ovary sparing spays and vasectomies were more common place and accessible to owners. And also that vets were encouraged to learn and master these procedures by offering accessible, specialized training in this area.

I have a retired girl that is going for her ovariectomy next month - she will be the first female I have owned in 12 years that will be, for the most part, neutered (Her uterus will remain intact). It is a REALLY hard choice for me, but with limited accessibility (and a lot of risks if the OSS isn't performed correctly), this is the best choice for her. Sometimes all we can do is our best