confused

i may well have asked this before but its more important now and i need to make a decision. my vet my trainer and all my friends and family think max should be castrated asap. i really dont know what to do for the best. i know people say that the vets just want to make money but surely they wouldnt do it if it was totally detrimental to him? surely?? He does get a bit rampant but nothing we cant handle and am not convinced he would stop if he didnt have his bits anyway. he is not dominant or aggressive so thats not an issue. there is the argument that when his sisters come into season he wont be able to see them which is a shame cos he adores them and sees one or the other nearly every day. i would never stud him as i wouldnt want him to have pups cos i would have to steal them and also he has an overbite. My mum thinks its cruel for him to have them and all the hormones that go with them if he is never gonna do it so to speak! ahem! so all in all i am in a quandry. what do you lot think??

ooh forgot to say he is 7 months old and they are upsettingly huge!

Katy, I think castration is a personal choice. If you're not going to breed from him, then I'd say go for it.

It all depends on the dog. Even some castrated dogs can still show an interest in bitches, so it's swings and roundabouts.

Get him castrated because it's what you want, not because everyone else has influenced you.

but thats why i am so confused wolfie as i dont know what i think if you know what i mean i know i am going to be worried sick leaving him at the vets for the day and him having an operation just for the sake of it but i feel it may be the right thing to do so there is no chance of any accidents with his sisters. also my friends boxer is entire and he does the off over 6 foot fences when he smells a bitch in season i cant be doing with that!!

couldnt agree more Wolfie

Katy my last male lived to the grand old age of 14 and a half and was entire No problems whatsoever
If there are any specific problems that may cause you to think he should get the "chop" then fair enough but dont do it just cos someone else tells you to
Its different if you have a bitch in the house but at present you dont .......


I will only get Gus done if it becomes too much of an issue having a bitch and a male in the house together

but he sees one of his siters everyday and i think he would really miss them

When Shaan was entire, he never bothered trying to escape when bitches were in season. He just used to mount us

The op isn't as bad for a dog as it is for a bitch. Shaan was recovered and raring to go the day after.

do they have to be kept in after the op? do they have to wear a lamp shade? i know nothing really!

Shann didn't wear a lampshade, and he was given lead walks until his stitches were taken out.

To be perfectly honest with you Katy, unless there's a health issue, or his behavior changes, then wait a while. Or at least until you're 100% sure it's what YOU want.

Kingsley was castrated aged 7, because of medical problems.
Before then, the only reason we never had him done, was because it didn't come up in conversation!

He was never really interested in females, although we did use him as a stud once, but the little lady didn't fall pregnant, then was involved in an RTA, so couldn't me mated again.

It didn't change Kingsley's tempremant at all. He's no less active/hyper/interested etc.
He still 'mounts' things (mainly sheets/blankets - as he always has), but not very often.

I'm glad I did have him castrated, as it will save him from ever getting testicular cancer.



EDIT: Kingsley didn't wear an lampshade, he didn't even realise he'd had an op! We just kept him quiet for a few days, then he was running in the garden as usual!