dog vasectomy?

[StaceyW]

So I was talking to a breeder about the pros and cons of early neutering and she gave me an article to read that discourages neutering before one year. Lots of interesting reasons but the thing that caught my attention was the implication in the article that a dog could get a vasectomy so they become infertile but not get the parts chopped off? Ollie is now 5 months and has an appt for bbb (bye-bye balls) at 6 months but we are balking . . .Thoughts? Can a dog get a vasectomy?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I would have to read the article before I could form an opinion. A lot depends on the source & accuracy of the information with a decision this big.

[HANNAH 8/2/07 & HONEY 7/2/08]

a vasectomy still leaves the male open to the biggest killer in male dogs...Testicular cancer, by neutering the risk of testicular cancer decreases. I don't see any Vets really recommending a vasectomy...mine perfers neutering so your dog does not get cancer.

[StaceyW]

the breeder I spoke with makes the argument that you should neuter at 12-15 months - after the dog's testosterone gets to adult levels and that it is better for the dog's growth pattern etc.

[Tammy & Gracie]

Sounds to me like a vasectomy would just make the dog infertile. It would do nothing to curb behaviors caused by hormones such as roaming, humping, etc. I don't really know.......I've always heard that you want to neuter before these behaviors have become a habit to the dog?

[StaceyW]

though Ollie doesnt mark or hump so far . . . but maybe its too early - he is 5 months

[HANNAH 8/2/07 & HONEY 7/2/08]

I have seen dogs both male and female neutered and spayed under the age of 1, some under the age of 6 months, and they still hump everything in site, it didn't make a difference. Issue should be what is the real benifit, does it help your dog to be spayed and neutered at an early age, and/or is better for them developemental wise to be spayed/neutered at 1 year of age.

[Adina P]

What is THIS article: http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html ?

If so there is another newer article that offers a useful counter argument. I think, that in general, there isn't much evidence to show that early spay/neuter or spay/neuter before full sexual maturity hurts dogs...there is lots of speculation and guesswork though. Some minute height changes that aren't even noticeable to the naked eye just aren't enough for me to skip spaying/neutering. Plus the hormones are STILL there the entire time and might make living with an unneutered male dog a bit more difficult.

[StaceyW]

that is the article she gave me.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Another thing to consider is that vasectomies are not !00% successful in making men infertile so I would think the same might hold true for dogs.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I can't imagine wanting to live with a male dog who still has all the hormones that can cause him to be aggressive with other dogs plus the instincts and urges that I assume would be very frustrating, to put it delicately, if he is not allowed to act upon them. The only thing vasectomy would affect would be his ability to sire a litter...wouldn't prevent him from wanting to try, lol. Unpleasant for the dog, and a possible behavioral nightmare to live with. Certainly, it would make training more difficult and visits to dog parks, doodle romps, etc. might not even be possible. I believe a lot of doggy daycare facilities and many training classes don't allow intact males, for the above reasons, not because they're worried about the dogs contributing to the overpopulation problem.
If it were that big a concern to me, I would just wait until the dog was older before neutering him.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

We waited as long as we could to neuter Spud. We even tried to wait the 12-14 months recommended by some research articles. We did this for many of the reasons that we felt were relevant for the health of our dog.

We made it 8 months and 3 weeks and 2 days. I would have liked to wait longer but NO FREAKING WAY could I take it any longer. It is almost impossible to live with a dog who stops and pees on every single mailbox on a 3 mile walk. He also stopped to mark a lady in a dress, and a few men. He humped anything and everything from garbage cans to my poor old cats. It worked so great I even thought of NEUTERING my 22 and 20 year-old sons!

In 2 days, he completely stopped all of the above and then some. IMO, neuter the dog if you are going to go as far as a vasectomy. I like my dog so much better now, I would neuter him twice and pay for it all over again.

[Heidi]

I can't stop laughing, that was so funny about your thought of neutering your boys, I have three. So very funny! Still laughing!!! I probably will all day. :)