# To neuter or not to neuter



## Smooches (Dec 6, 2010)

Hello, I have a 7-month old male vizsla, that I don't plan to show, but my fiance and I are still unsure if we should neuter him. I would like to hear from those who have or haven't had the procedure to get a better idea of what's best for him. Thanks.


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## doglover (Aug 4, 2009)

Clyde is 18 months and still intact, only because my husband thinks "it is just not right." Clyde is still ON like 24/7. Never stops! I can come hone from work at 2 AM, let him out of the kennel and he is IMMEDIATELY ready to go, looking for any late night shadows on the wall. Here I thought I got a "velcro dog" who would lay next to me when I come home late at night but he never stops long enough to be a velcro dog. I had him at doggy day care last week and they mentioned that he is excessively hyper for a V and suggested getting him fixed. Plus, I know there is a health component. I am glad we waited until he is fully grown. Our breeder recommended waiting until after he was done growing but I am ready! Unfortunately, my husbands not. I just brought it up again tonight and he said "don't ask me to spend another cent on that dog!"... (we just got Invisible Fencing a couple weeks ago) Not sure if I was helpful but that is my story.


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## Chestersmum (Jun 21, 2010)

Our male V is also 7 months. My boyfriend refuses to get him neutered whereas I was set on getting him 'done'. 

I'm now of the opinion that we will leave him unless there is a health or serious behavioural problem. Now at 7 months we don't see any dominance or aggression. He sniffs a bit out on walks and occasionally cocks his leg but if he is on the lead I don't allow this behaviour. We had a short spate of humping but this has stopped now.

I don't feel we need to get him neutered and I think he's prob still too young anyway.


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## Mercutio (Jan 18, 2010)

Just for a different perspective... Merc was neutered at just under 6 months, which I know a lot of people would consider young. Our breeder also said she didn't think neutering was worth it with vizslas because there is such a little difference between the boys and girls. However he was quite a handful and both our trainer and vet suggested getting the snip to remove any possibility that hormones were having an effect. We always intended neutering him at some stage as we were never going to breed from him (and personally I think it is mean to leave them entire and expect them to live as monks but that's just my weird ideas).

Anyway, I can't see that it has had any I'll effects on him. He is quite heavy for a V and maybe that had something to do with it but it didn't alter his personality, he hasn't gotten fat and he never shows any interest in the dog next door when she comes into heat. Plus our registration fees are much less. So I'm all for neutering, my husband had a few second thoughts but he could see the advantages and as merc is primarily "my" dog it was "my" decision.

I think you will find there are just as many arguments for as against, certainly all I've said is just my opinion with no real amount of experience to go on. Good luck


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## BamBam (Feb 14, 2010)

our male V was neutered at 7 months and I am now glad we got him done. He has never been dominant anyway, but I feel by neutering him we have prevented this from ever happening.
When I have been on Viz whizz's theres always a group of 'big boys' who havent been neutered together abit too boisterious for my liking. 
I never have to worry if we are out and a big dominant entire dog comes up to us, as I know they will always be fine with wiley, where as I think if you have an un-neutered dog you have to always watch out and be careful. 
As for when to neuter I really dont know when is the best time in regards to growing. 
Again these are just my personal experiences!


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## BamBam (Feb 14, 2010)

Also I suppose it depends abit on where you live- I live in London and there is loads and loads of dogs at our local parks, and so life would be much harder with an un-neutered dog. I guess if you lived somewhere where you rarely met other dogs out on walks it wouldn't matter as much.


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## Tulip (Feb 14, 2010)

We waited until 11 months, we were'nt going to do it, but at 10 months his behaviour became suddenly and rapidly bad. He was peeing about 99 times on every walk and the dogs in the park that he used to be so friendly with, he was suddenly trying to domnate, barking, humping the male dogs from the front (!?) even though he had never showed any sexual behaviour at all, running off. A total nuissance basically! The actual day of the op was horrid, but I don't think he was given enough pain relief/sedative, so make sure the Vets give you plenty as everyone else has said it was fine. Other than that, a month on, I am 100% sure we did the right thing, he's already back to his old self, one or two wee's on each walk and things are much better in the park. Having said that, he was always brilliant when it was just us and he was off lead etc., so if you don't have much cotact with other dogs, maybe you don't need to worry so much? Good luck with your decision.


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## 19Delta (Jan 20, 2010)

Strider is at the 7 month age, we have already received a letter in the mail from our vet recommending it back at the 6th month. Our breeder told me that in her opinion males that get 'snipped' before they're 1 often lack that Vizsla muscle tone and bone structure that the male hormones help create. Her advice would be to do it at 18 months or later if we chose to.
As of right now, he will be keeping all of his bits and pieces, but we shall see what the future holds.

Tim


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

I am thinking I will wait at least til Kobi is fully grown to even consider it. He's going to be a running dog, and we will run lots. I want him to have a healthy body!


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

No problems here at 7 months. I don't need to fix what ain't broken!


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## gmk (Dec 21, 2010)

There is no reason not to spay or neuter. However is should wait until the dog is mature. If they are neutered young they often don't develop both physically & mentally as they should. If possible you are better off waiting until they are at least 18-24 month before alteration. 
On a side note, humping isn't about reproduction. It is how a dog show dominance. And generally neutering will not affect humping one way or another.


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## Kailua (Feb 12, 2009)

Funny that this topic came up again. We have two males at home. Snickers, (2 1/2 years old) was a show dog. After the contract was fulfilled we could do whatever we wanted to do with him. He never displayed any aggression and always seemed to be an "old soul" even as a puppy. On the other hand, Peanut (8 month old) is full of energy. The breeder recommended that if we chose to neuter him-that 18 months of age would be best (having reached maturity). I would've waited for Peanut to hit 18 months, but he had to get his baby tooth extracted, so I chose to get him neutered at 8 months to avoid paying more in bills. Both dogs were neutered yesterday and will be coming home today. 
On a side note...Snickers is pretty big for the Vizsla standard with a deep chest and very muscular. I wonder how Peanut will look at 2 1/2 years old? 
Good luck with your decision.


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## maxxie (Jan 3, 2010)

Bentley is now 11 and a half months old and had his ginger nuts removed today bless him. (I even watched the op!). I work at a vets and am therefore up to date on the views of the vets here. The advice they give is neutering at approximately 1 year, allowing the growth plates to form. The only time we would consider doing it earlier would be because of dominance or aggression, but still explain that these still require training to help cure the problem as the snip is not a magic wand for all behaivour. From a health point of view, castrating or spaying is a good thing, preventing many cancers forming in adult life. If you are not showing or breeding from them, then it is a good thing to do. It makes them cleaner too.
At the moment, Bentley is snuggled up in a quilt on the settee next to us, having lot's of Mummy and Daddy love, but I am sure he will be back to normal tomorrow. We have 10 days of lead walks to endure, but hopefully this gives us plenty of time to do some refining in his training until he can run amoke in the snow again. Hope this helps.


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

LOL Ginger Nuts... funniest thing I have read on here!


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## Vlicked (Jun 19, 2008)

Tulip said:


> the dogs in the park that he used to be so friendly with, he was suddenly trying to domnate, barking, humping the male dogs from the front (!?) even though he had never showed any sexual behaviour at all, running off.


This was the case for us. But in reverse. At some point, around when Loki was 12 months, I noticed at the dog park other dogs that he normally got along well with were ganging up on him and trying to dominate. These other dogs were even fixed. And, at some point, Loki was starting to mount supline dogs. Loki is defintitely a bottom of the totem poll kind of dog so this was really odd behavior to us. We had already decided to get him fixed and so did it a couple months after that when we found out we were pregnant. We no longer have these issues.

I shouldn't think neutering is going to decrease a dog's energy level, however. Loki had the same amount of spunk. I think energy and drive have more relation to age.


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## Cavedog (Oct 21, 2010)

I had not planned to have our boy Dax neutered until he was at least a year old, but shortly before he turned 7 months he began having behavior problems.

At the dog park he was becoming much more aggressive and began humping other dogs. He also started marking in the house. The final straw was when he began trying to hump the grand kids.

We had the laser surgery done on him. There were no complications and he never bothered his incision.

The aggression, humping and marking all stopped. He even appears to be a little calmer. 

I would have preferred to have waited, but circumstances prevailed and I have no regrets having it done when we did.


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