Pros and Cons of neutering??

[Rylie, Crystal and Marcel]

I am trying to decide whether or not to neuter my 5 month old doodle. Currently, neither of his testicles have descended. If they don't ever descend, then I know I will have to neuter him because he will be more at risk for testicular cancer. (Btw, does anyone know what the timeframe is for testicles to descend) However, if they do descend, should i still neuter him? I am having a hard time feeling comfortable with the idea of castration, anyone have helpful information?? Thanks!! :)

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Neuter.

No Discussion from me but if you do a search on DK you will find more than enough information already posted on this subject.

[Rylie, Crystal and Marcel]

Thanks, I am still new to this site, I will definitely do a search

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

sorry hope I did not sound rude. I did not know you were new. Looks as though your responses are now coming in now to help you make your decision. I can only hope though, you do neuter.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Dogs are not people, and it is not cruel to neuter or spay them. Quite the opposite...since the dog will hopefully never be allowed to indulge his sexual drive, it would be cruel to leave him intact. In my opinion, it is irresponsible to keep a pet dog intact. Many breeders spay or neuter their puppies before they go to their homes, to prevent people from breeding them. Other breeders sell puppies on spay/neuter contracts to ensure that this is done. It is irresponsible to even consider breeding a dog who has not been fully health tested.
Intact male dogs can be much more aggressive, dominant, and difficult to handle than neutered males. This can be a problem at dog parks and other settings where there are groups of dogs. "Marking" in the home is much more common in an intact male dog than a neutered male. In addition, many training programs will not allow an intact male in the class. I strongly urge you to neuter your puppy.

[Rylie, Crystal and Marcel]

Thanks, i found your response very helpful!!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Just to add to Karen's response....we neutered Murphy a little earlier than what is traditional. My Vet suggested that we not wait until he was six months because he was already acting "hormonal", and his "sex drive" had already started to kick in. We took her advice, and I am very glad we did. He began to calm down right away, and there were no more "sexual displays" (if you get my drift). He had been in an aroused state way too often for my comfort, and we have young children in our home very frequently. They just didn't need to see this. Every dog is a little different, but that was my experience. I have also noticed that whenever there is an intact male at our training facility, the entire "pack" of dogs is thrown off. They are not allowed in my trainer's classes, but sometimes they are in the facility for other events, and it always totally changes the environment. I know that I wouldn't want this in my home. For breeders that's a whole different story, but I'm not comfortable with it for my family pets. My oldest Doodle was neutered while still at the breeders (six weeks), and so we never had to be concerned about it with him...from my perspective, that was great. Good luck with your research, and let us know what you end up deciding.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I know some others don't feel this way, but I think pets should be neutered as early as possible. I know there is some controversy about growth, but they are pets so if the actual size is a bit different than the projected size, so what. I feel that the possible behavior and health issues fall on the side of neutering.

[Adina P]

I used to be adamant that everyone but professional breeders neuter/spay their pets. I still think the average Jane/Joe should, but I'm less dogmatic about it and there are non-breeders who are good enough handlers/trainers to keep their intact males from causing any trouble or impregnating any females. One man I know through trainer friends (and who I met at a training seminar) had an intact male airedale and intact female pit living together for 8+ years--- NOT a single accident ever occurred.

BUT...and this is a huge "but" -- the owner had fully trained dogs and he was a very strict handler. This is not something that would be remotely easy for the average person or even the average doodle owner here on DK. If you want a semi-relaxed lifestyle with your doodle and aren't the type who is HUGELY motivated to put in intense training for complete off-leash control of your dog.

If you also want the perks of going to dog parks and doodle romps and other such things...well better to neuter than to risk rumbles and pregnancies. Another thing to think about is all reputable breeders have a spay/neuter requirement in the contract you sign when you buy your dog. So...if you keep your dog intact without express permission from your breeder, you will be breaking your contract and will ruin your own reputation as an honest and trustworthy individual worth selling a dog to in the future.

If your breeder did not provide you with such a contract, then ... you for sure don't want to risk breeding this dog because its parents were probably not health tested or carefully screened. So...neutering is a good idea.

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

try googling "why neuter dog" and you will find some good articles written by DMVs and other canine experts on neutering. You can also discuss the procedure with your vet if you have questions about the surgery and possible side effects.

[Rylie, Crystal and Marcel]

Thanks everyone for all your input, after consideration, we have decided to neuter our Rylie, it seems to be the best choice.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I really don't think you'll be sorry about that decision. I respect you for giving this careful thought and doing your research. I'm looking forward to hearing more about Rylie (and I love that name).

[Kyoko]

Neuter, please. My old chow is not neutered, thanks to my ignorance. He is now 16, and is on high risk for getting the tumor on his rectum, vet said. Plus intact males are more aggressive.....