To castrate or not

[Dawnraider]

I had my now six month Large Munsterlander booked in next tuesday for castration but had a panic attack on he's behalf and cancelled it,i'm not sure if i'm doing the right thing at such a tender age.Is it going to affect his growth,is he going to get fat,i dont want to mess a good dog up if i can help it.I've always had bitches and never had any of them spayed and never had any problems with them,the only problem i have now is i still have a bitch who's eleven and she only comes into season once a year but i can keep them apart if necessary.At what age should i have him done if at all,are there any downfalls with castration i don't know about,what are your experiences good or bad.
Cheers Neil

 

[finnbear270]

You be careful now!, you never know what you might come back as!

 

[Dawnraider]

Steve i had the snip years ago then had it reversed after 14 yrs the only thing i'll come back as is a mug.

 

[jimbo123p]

I had my dog (Springer) done at six months. He never realised what happened. Never put him up nor down. As for weight you cut back on feeding after castration about 30% as they don't require so much feeding. I would say go ahead. It will not affect his working ability one iota.
Jim

 

[merlin]

I had my springer (now 10) done when he was about 7mnths old; we had no plans to breed from him, and didn't want him wandering, plus with a young child at the time we didn't to take a chance on any aggression surfacing, or over-protectiveness.

He bounded out of the surgery as though he'd had nothing done, and was so boingy I was genuinely concerned that he'd bust his stitches and spill spaniel giblets all over the floor!! It didn't seem to affect him one jot - he's always had plenty of (too much?!?) energy, didn't pile on the pounds (just balance diet & exercise accordingly), and has worked enthusiastcially for a good number of years now. Just having to think of retiring him - I think his hearing is on its way out - not just 'selective obedience' - and one of his hips seems to be starting to give him a bit of gyp. ...

Anyway - no regrets about the decision to castrate him, and no signs of untoward after effects.
ATB,

Merlin

 

[cockerdog]

I had my lab snipped when I only had one cocker, and as they were both living indoors at the time I didnt want crossbred pups. It never bothered him and I have always controlled his diet to stop weight gain.
The down side was that he would have been a cracking stud dog and I lost alot of cash from the requests to use him for breeding.

Cockerdog

 

[BuckarooUK]

Don't do it.

I much prefer keeping and working dogs, keeping only the occassional bitch if she shows exceptional promise.

You'll kick yourself if he proves to be one of the great ones and could have taken a pup from him.

 

[Dawnraider]

Thanks for the replies guys,i'm probably being over concerned about the whole thing,i doubt i'll ever want to breed from him but you never know i suppose.He really is a good natured dog so i think i'm unlikley to have any behavourial problems with him, i just can't help thinking that i should let him mature a bit more before i make any decision,he still squats like a girlie at the minute and i seem to remember reading something that suggested that they shouldn't be done untill they start cocking their leg.I think i'll give him a reprieve for the moment and see how we go,i'd still be intrested to hear anybodys views on this though.
Thanks again Neil

 

[merlin]

Hi Neil - I know what you mean; I ummed and aahed a bit before deciding once and for all. Max - my springer - was still squating when he was done, but wasn't showing any signs at all of 'cocking'. After he was done, sometimes he squatted, sometimes he cocked.... Didn't seem to be any pattern to it, so I didn't let it bother me!

You're doing exactly the right thing taking your time to think it through - as Scotsgun said, you'll kick yourself if you do it and decided in the future that he was the dog to end all dogs, or it may be that like myself, you've no plans at all for breeding.

Good luck whatever you decide.

ATB,

Merlin (...with my springer lying fast asleep at my feet!! )

 

[shortshot]

The spaniel I had castrated became fat lazy and wooly coated as a result. It also did little to change any aggressive or domination he displays.
If you do it to a youngster before he is mature you will never know the adverse effects because you have no entire comparable but you will only have half the working dog you could have had. (imho)
Why choose a dog pup if you are going too remove its masculine characteristics?

 

[david1976]

I have a terrier which I had castrated about 5 years ago because he had a tumor on one of his testicles. Had it not been for this I would not have had it done. From personal experience, the only difference I have noticed in him since is that the no longer humps the cushions on the couch .

The vet said that he may become less agressive as I used to work him and he is a bit feisty however although he is no longer worked he is still the same temperament as he was before.

I previously had a labrador and a spaniel both of which were very well bred and when I stopped keppering fopr a living I gave the spaniel to my parents and the lab to a friend. Both dogs were a year old. Both got the bitches speyed and both have since regretted it as numerous people have seen them working and asked for puppies.

Only you can decide what to do as it is your dog but if you have any reasons to doubt it at the moment as you may want to keep the breeding line going etc then wait a few months and have a rethink.

If it is not for a medical reason then you dont have to make such a decision at such a young age.

 

[Dawnraider]

Thanks again everyone,i guess my main reasoning behind having him done is to stop him being a sex pest a bit later down the line,my bitch had her last season about 6 weeks ago now and he was showing a bit of interest then and is still getting a bit fruity with her now even though she's stopped.I can live with that and it gives me some time before she comes into season again to make my mind up,i really deep down don't want to do it to him unless i have to poor sod,my misses thinks its a good idea then she would!.
Cheers Neil

 

[widows son]

Correct me if I'm wrong Why castrate a dog ,I just don't get it ,Ive got 4 bitches and 1 dog all springers I'd never contemplate castrating or spaying any of them, I take a litter of pups once in there life thats only to keep the line going there after there left alone .

So why would you knowing you have a bitch introduce a dog into a house or kennel that you knowingly know that the bitch is going to come into season once or twice a year, why not just buy another dog or a bitch .

I just don't get it some one put me in the picture please .

I can however see the force of it through a medical problem, if it is genuinely a medical problem not the bitch bleeding on the floor.

 

[Dawnraider]

Widows son the situation is that i've had lurchers for the last 30 years,i used to work them years ago my first one was out of Dave Plummers Merle and ever since they've been the only type of dog that i would ever have.For some years now they have just been family pets,never worried about them bleeding all over the house and never had one spayed something as i said earlier i don't believe in so i don't see what your point is there mate.Anyway because of my new found love of stalking i felt the need to get a breed of dog that can track so i settled on the Munster spoke to a few breeders that all said the same that the dogs were more biddable and made the better working choice plus the bitches were prone to phantom pregnacies and could be a pain,so thats why i decided on making a change and getting a dog.Perhaps i choose unwisley,it would appear from what youv'e got to say i have but i'm stuck with my choice now and i think its been a good one,castration seemed an obvious solution to the situation i now find myself in, just wanted to know how people had got on with it as its something i've never had to think about before and as you can probably tell i'm not keen and a bit worried about doing it.
ATB Neil

 

[merlin]

Thanks again everyone,i guess my main reasoning behind having him done is to stop him being a sex pest a bit later down the line,my bitch had her last season about 6 weeks ago now and he was showing a bit of interest then and is still getting a bit fruity with her now even though she's stopped.I can live with that and it gives me some time before she comes into season again to make my mind up,i really deep down don't want to do it to him unless i have to poor sod,my misses thinks its a good idea then she would!.
Cheers Neil

If your missus thinks castration is a good idea to stop a bit of friskiness, you want to make sure your garden shears are under lock and key the next time you think you're on a promise!!!

(As with most things, there probably isn't a right or wong answer - just a number of pros and cons that will be different for you and your circumstances than they would be for the next guy.... and that is reinforced by the different views and experiences of the respondents to your original question. .)

 

[Dawnraider]

Hi Merlin one things for sure i want to now give it some time before doing anything rash,i lost the sister to the bitch i have now when she was 9 and lost her mother new years day aged 14 so who knows what might happen over the next year.I'll just see how it all pans out at the end of the day,it seems there is no right or wrong age to be doing it from what i can make out,the vet suggested 6 months so that was what i was going on,so for the minute its on ice.
Cheers Neil

 

[dieseldan]

A woman will cut the the balls of any male species if she had the chance,

beware.