Getting Mace Castrated..

Mace is being a sod at the moment mum has two girlies in season ..and he is desperate to get to them I dont ever remember having a cresteds interested so young! Its not so much of a problem as he doesnt have to be anywhere near them, but when hes near them he barks to get into the room with them
im just thinking about later on in life Mace is going to need to be castrated, hes not a breeding/show dog - so it doesnt matter. what age would you have it done? Although im certainly not thinking any time soon and is it likely to affect his coat? Mum had Fable done when he was nearly two, and I cant say we saw a difference in him!
I just worry as Karma is still entire as im not yet decided on my plans for her! (although we could keep them apart when needed, I just think it best to not have that worry)!
Zani is spayed!

I never recommend neutering prior to puberty unless there are overwhelming environmental reasons to do so, eg no fences, entire bitches in house etc etc.

Neutering prior to puberty affects the closure of the growth plates so animals grow taller, it can also affect the angle between the upper and lower hind limbs and is thought to be one of the reasons there appears to be more cruciate ligament injuries in dogs neutered early.

It can affect the hair, have you considered the superlorin implant?

I know several competition dogs who have had this done with great effect.

im with sb

I not get him done until he is two ish. His coat wont develop properally, his hread (shape) wont develop properally, he may be very slow to mentally grow up.

If I'd read this and other posts above a year ago I never would have believed it but had my pup neutered at 10 months (planned it to be later but long story) and he just appeared to stop developing mentally. He's very tall and leggy, completely wrong in looks really. He also seems to be an eternal puppy and is not a very secure dog at all.
I kick myself for this and will always wonder if he would have shown these 'problems' had I waited.
Shiloh is 14 months now, but I've noticed he's just not developing in the same way his sister did or our other dog, Ruby.

In summary, I would wait. My boy is a sheepdog so may or may not be relevant to you with Mace being a BC.

same thing.. one is registered with the kc the other not

It is the same for all dogs.


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


Spay/neuter of immature dogs delays the closure of the growth plates in bones that are still growing, causing those bones to end up significantly longer than in intact dogs or those spay/neutered after maturity50. Since the growth plates in various bones close at different times, spay/neuter that is done after some growth plates have closed but before other growth plates have closed might result in a dog with unnatural proportions, possibly impacting performance and long term durability of the joints.

Spay/neuter is associated with a two fold increased risk of cranial cruciate ligament rupture51. Perhaps this is associated with the increased risk of obesity30. Spay/neuter before 5 ½ months of age is associated with a 70% increased aged-adjusted risk of hip dysplasia compared to dogs spayed/neutered after 5 ½ months of age, though there were some indications that the former may have had a lower severity manifestation of the disease42. The researchers suggest “it is possible that the increase in bone length that results from early-age gonadectomy results in changes in joint conformation, which could lead to a diagnosis of hip dysplasia.” In a breed health survey study of Airedales, spay/neuter dogs were significantly more likely to suffer hip dysplasia as well as “any musculoskeletal disorder”, compared to intact dogs52, however possible confounding factors were not controlled for, such as the possibility that some dogs might have been spayed/neutered because they had hip dysplasia or other musculoskeletal disorders.

Compared to intact dogs, another study found that dogs neutered six months prior to a diagnosis of hip dysplasia were 1.5 times as likely to develop clinical hip dysplasia.53 Compared to intact dogs, spayed/neutered dogs were found to have a 3.1 fold higher risk of patellar luxation.54

I was advised by the great people of Dogsey to let Louie keep his bits til he is a year old if not older - give him some time to grow up but we have a bitch an entire one who her owners have tried to breed (against my advice) and she tunred down several males throughout her season so except recall from a bitch in heat - I dont really have any problems to deal with. Let him grow up a bit first, as Vicki_ann says - letting them have their hormones for a little helps rather than hinders

Bobtailed Welsh Sheepdog I meant lol not working sheepdog

ahhh!