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Feb 2017
6:54pm, 18 Feb 2017
3,033 posts
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Alice the Camel
I don't know about not castrating at all, but my vet recommended leaving it until around a year old to allow for Charlie to finish growing. He was "done" at about this age because he was marking constantly (including inside) and also humping anything he could get his leg over. I probably wouldn't have had it done if he hadn't been such a randy little bugger.
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Feb 2017
7:18pm, 18 Feb 2017
9,416 posts
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D2
Sounds like it was the right thing for Charlie AtC!! Did it stop that behaviour?
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Feb 2017
7:38pm, 18 Feb 2017
3,034 posts
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Alice the Camel
Instantly, D2. I was surprised what a difference it made.
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Feb 2017
9:39pm, 18 Feb 2017
19,839 posts
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Red Squirrel
This is going to be an issue when I look at rehoming. The rehoming organisations usually insist on neutering and I wouldn't want my dog to have this done for the sake of it.
I'm probably going to get a male dog to start with, then a companion later which could be female or male. I would be unhappy to put a well-adjusted boy through that procedure.
I looked after a very anxious cocker spaniel once - I had him with me for 5 days. It was heartbreaking to see how bereft and confused he was when his owners dropped him off, even though I'd met and walked with him and owner previously. After a couple of hours of full-on anxious behaviour, he settled right down and we had a lovely time with him velcro-ed to me at home  and out walking with my friends and their dogs. I wondered how he'd been before being neutered and if that had affected him. I should've asked the owner at the time.
I did know what I was getting into with the spaniel and was confident he'd settle. Sometimes you just know, don't you? He was completely adorable and it made me so happy to see him relaxed and happy around my other day dogs.
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Feb 2017
10:34pm, 18 Feb 2017
9,417 posts
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D2
I shall wait and see how it all pans out with Indi, he's not there yet!
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Feb 2017
4:31am, 19 Feb 2017
4,291 posts
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Helegant
"the health benefits of castration are minimal and are far outweighed by the dog’s need for testosterone for bone growth etc." This is exactly the reason why we waited until Jet was fully grown before having him castrated.
In our case the risk of Jet coming to harm if he got a scent of a female was too great - we lived in an area with rat-run drivers and the boundaries of our home were secure up to a point, but not, I susect secure enough for a randy dog with a good sense of smell. We knew we wouldn't breed from him despite his pedigree because he's not a field trial dog.
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Feb 2017
8:07pm, 19 Feb 2017
8,258 posts
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Rosehip
As I've said before, Ralph is "entire", not originally by design.
I don't have issues with him absconding to search for ladies - but my vet is keen to keep an eye out for prostate issues as that is more likely to be a problem with non-neutered dogs.
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Feb 2017
8:07pm, 19 Feb 2017
17,547 posts
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LazyDaisy
My sister's first Lab was left entire. He was not only a scrapper (especially with GSDs after one went for him and nicked a piece out of his ear :-() but his desire to meet the laydeez of the parish led to him being an inveterate escaper. How he never came to grief on the very busy nearby A52 was nothing short of a miracle.
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Mar 2017
10:01am, 1 Mar 2017
6,298 posts
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BaronessBL
I know I spend quite a lot of time in this thread banging on about how good Wanda has been about something - mainly it's not because I want to show off but this thread is a good reminder of how far she's come!
Two things in the last 24 hours. Last night for supper we had a chicken and mushroom pie - there was enough to have it again for supper tonight but as I was putting it in the fridge the dish slipped out of my hand, smashed on the floor - chicken pie and bits of dish everywhere I put Wanda in her bed in a down stay and although it was clearly a big challenge for her she stayed there until I had cleared it all up - and only after I had 'given her permission' did she get up and go and have a good sniff round the fridge to check I'd been thorough in my cleaning. That would not have happened probably even a year ago.
This morning two other dog owners were on the playing field - one is a man who until about six months ago (I wonder who he has been talking to in the village ) always used to make a point of telling me what a wonderful job we had done with Wanda's training and what a credit to us she is. This morning his off lead dog charged over to Wanda (on the lead) - she barked at him - and his reaction was to shout that I should make sure she didn't bite him. I called back that I was worried when his dog came over that it was going to bite her - he replied (appalled) that of course HIS dog would never bite. This is the same man who asked for details of where we go to training because his dog was so unruly and whose previous dog regularly bit him and his wife.
So I went to the bottom of the field - (well away from them) let her off the lead to scratch at some mole hills and then did her morning training routine of off lead walking to heel, recall and stop the dog. Next I am going to teach her to make a V-sign with her paw!!!
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Mar 2017
10:59am, 1 Mar 2017
3,035 posts
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Alice the Camel
Your last sentence made me laugh out loud, BBL!
Wanda sounds like a wonderful dog and I wish Charlie could meet her for a play date. I'm particularly impressed by the chicken pie story - there would be no chance of Charlie keeping his nose out!
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