Hi,

I would very much like to hear opinions on this subject. I have a nine month old male Lab - my first male - who was sold to me with a limited registration. I do plan to have him neutered, but it's a question of when! My vet says he can be neutered any time now, but I've had other people tell me that if I neuter him too young, he will not look "masculine". Others tell me that I shouldn't neuter him until he's about a year old and has his full skeletal growth. Still others suggest waiting until he is two years old. If I neuter him now, will he still develop a nice masculine head and body?

Thanks!
Connie

What were your breeder's instructions? If you bought from a reputable breeder, you need to do what they recommend.

I belong to my local lab club, as does the breeder of my pup, and at a recent meeting we discussed this but there were many different opinions on the subject which still left me puzzled! What I found during the discussion was that a great many of the people who have males, have them to use at stud and therefore, of course, they are not neutered. I just couldn't get a concensus on if there really is any definitive difference in his eventual adult appearance determined by when he would be neutered. It's really not so much that I'm actually worried about how he will look if I neuter him soon, although he is VERY handsome (LOL) but now I'm just really interested if the age at which a dog is neutered does affect eventual appearance.

A friend of mine who breeds Belgian Sheepdogs insists that she can identify, by looks, dogs and bitches that have been neutered and spayed young because the dogs look too feminine and the coat of a spayed bitch is diffferent from an intact bitch.

I guess I'm really more curious than anything!

Thanks!

Coats on females who are spayed do look different. They are very soft. It's like they are all undercoat.

Boys that are neutered young have a narrower head and the bones are longer.

Just my observation.

I would wait until 12 - 18 mos.

Thank you!

I recomend as close to 18 months as possible. Yes, there is a difference in bone and head.

If you wait until the growth plates are closed on the long bones- around 18 months, you will lessen the chance of a taller rangy dog and also lessen the chances of prostrate cancer later on. The hormones are needed to produce the bone and muscle. Wait a bit- you won't lose anything by waiting until 18 months of age.

Geez, there are LOTS of reasons to wait until he is 18 months and none of these have to do with appearance.

In their rush to prevent an imagined pet overpopulation, it seems that vets and dog owners are in a rush to alter their dogs ASAP without giving pet owners a balanced perspective of both the risks and the benefits. The reproductive organs are there for a reason and are integral to balanced emotional, psychological and physical growth. Here is a summary of the physical risks and benefits of neutering your dog at any age. Certainly, the orthopedic risks are elevated when he is neutered prior to growth plate closure (around 18 months):

On the positive side, neutering male dogs

• eliminates the small risk (probably <1%) of dying from testicular cancer
• reduces the risk of non-cancerous prostate disorders
• reduces the risk of perianal fistulas
• may possibly reduce the risk of diabetes (data inconclusive)

On the negative side, neutering male dogs

• if done before 1 year of age, significantly increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer); this is a common cancer in medium/large and larger breeds with a poor prognosis.
• increases the risk of cardiac hemangiosarcoma by a factor of 1.6
• triples the risk of hypothyroidism
• increases the risk of progressive geriatric cognitive impairment
• triples the risk of obesity, a common health problem in dogs with many associated health problems
• quadruples the small risk (<0.6%) of prostate cancer
• doubles the small risk (<1%) of urinary tract cancers
• increases the risk of orthopedic disorders
• increases the risk of adverse reactions to vaccinations

How long is it safe to wait for a male with only one testicle, or no testicles?

Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to answer my question. I admit that I bought into it being medically / physically safe to neuter and spay at young ages - I didn't even know about the health ramifications! Because of the wonderful information and good advice that I received, I will definitely wait until he is 18 months to two years old, and I will, of course, discuss this with his breeder. With that being said, I am an extremely conscientous owner and will not allow him to father any puppies in the meantime.

Again, thank you everyone! This forum is such a marvelous place to be able to come for help.

Good for you Connie!! I have found that most, if not all, of my puppy buyers these days are very willing to listen and make their own choices based on the breeders input and documented research!
I applaud you for being such a great dog mom!

BTW - I agree with the 18 months or older decision!

One word of caution....intact male dogs can go OVER 8' board fences (higher if it's chainlink) if there's an intact female in heat within a mile or so.

Thanks for the word of warning, CM. Generally, he does not go outside without me - his choice - so I will be sure to keep an eye on him for any signs of escape over my fence.

Breeder,

Thanks for your nice words. I love my "little" guy and want to do what is best for him. I've really had my eyes opened on the matter of early neutering and spaying!