I'm guessing that most people neuter dogs to avoid the behavior issues that come with having intact males - escaping, marking etc. The puppy thing is really not what they're worried about (I know I'm not!).I dont neuter. If I was worried about unwanted pups I would go with a vasectomy so the big boy hormones would still be there. Dont understand why a simple vasectomy isnt done more often than cutting things off.
With a Newfie your looking at 18 to 24 months till the growth plates close, full maturity is generally 3 to 4yrs. With a male it is pretty easy to manage.I'm guessing that most people neuter dogs to avoid the behavior issues that come with having intact males - escaping, marking etc. The puppy thing is really not what they're worried about (I know I'm not!).
The next dog I'm looking at (newfoundland - finally found a good breeder and I'm on the list), the contract says that you can't neuter until the dog is 1. I might make it 1.5 as long as it's manageable (don't see why not). My main issue really is that I'm worried that an older dog won't heal as fast as a 6 month old puppy... but with large breeds I can definitely see why you want to wait until the dog is mostly grown.
Yeah I'm not worried about it at all. Might just leave him intact if there's no issue.With a Newfie your looking at 18 to 24 months till the growth plates close, full maturity is generally 3 to 4yrs. With a male it is pretty easy to manage.
Marking has zero to do with intact or not, also Newfie's are not really a wondering breed so as long as your not leaving them outside alone all night your pretty safe there. Saints, Newfies and EM's want to be with there people 24/7 and do not do well being alone for long periods.
Unfortunately, neutering is only a guarantee that the dog can not produce offspring. Humping is typically an excitement behavior and isn't necessarily sexual. Many young dogs do it, neutered or no. Marking is also not something that is eliminated by neutering. My dog humped and still marks everything upright (outside and non-human, luckily), and he was neutered at 5 months old.My thoughts in regards to Neutering have always been, if it aint broke, don't fix it. And if you are going to get it done, wait til they're fully mature mentally and physically.
Now, here's the kicker... I got my Jack Russell, Nugget, done 2 weeks ago, he is now 7.5mths old. I made and canceled that appointment a dozen times, as i was struggling to bring myself to neuter such a young dog.
Here are my reasons for getting him done:
- He was Humping everything in sight. Male/female entire neutered/spayed, as well as humans.
- Stopping to talk to people on our walks became stressful as he would cock his leg and pee up their legs. They must of thought i was so rude, as i was honed in on Nugget watching for signs of impending peeing and not really paying attention to anything they were saying lol
- Aggression toward other puppies, ALL puppies. Which made obedience school a nightmare, as we were still in puppy class.
(Secondary reasons were, he had a Hernia that needed to be fixed asap, as well as a retained baby fang tooth which was causing him bother. I didnt want to put him through 2 operations..)
Bottom line was, his drive to do all of the above behaviours was stronger than my training/ him trying to please me.
I'm not expecting neutering to be a magic bullet, and turn my unruly dog into the perfect specimen. I will still need to concentrate hard on training and his social manners, but i am "hoping" the lack of testosterone, will make it easier on both us. Only time will tell...
Yes, he is vocal/growly whilst playing with other dogs, but other puppies are a whole different level, it is aggression, not enough to do any damage, but rough enough to frighten the object of his attention, he pins them down,paws on back and shoulders and growls, differently to his friendly play growling. At obedience school, half way through class they get an off leash play with each other... Nugget got a time out within 2 minutes after he pounced on and bullied a poodle puppy, So we had to stay on the other side of the gate for 5 minutes. We were then allowed back in and he ran straight up to the biggest pup there, an English springer spaniel and started humping his back leg furiously.Unfortunately, neutering is only a guarantee that the dog can not produce offspring. Humping is typically an excitement behavior and isn't necessarily sexual. Many young dogs do it, neutered or no. Marking is also not something that is eliminated by neutering. My dog humped and still marks everything upright (outside and non-human, luckily), and he was neutered at 5 months old.
The humping pretty much completely went away at around 1.5, and if he was about to mark something inappropriate, you know, like my rose bush or the A/C unit, I would redirect and reward for marking on a tree, or a post, or a weed, or whatever, lol.
The "aggression" may be reactivity, either frustration, excitement, or fear based, and won't necessarily be fixed by a neuter. Also, every Jack Russel I've met has been kind of growly and loud when they play, so make sure you aren't mistaking regular, but loud, play for aggression.
