Looking for advice about the best age for neutering a male Tervuren. Due to visit the vet soon to discuss if this should be done before he reaches 1year but wondered if any other Tervuren owners had already had the procedure done and the outcome. He is a lovely gentle boy but now showing some signs of puberty starting.
I personally wouldn't neuter at all with a male, but if it is something you want to do certainly not before physical/mental maturity at around 2 + years old. You might find this useful - http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...h6ivSEFo2R1pc9ISPfpsQA&bvm=bv.113943164,d.bGg but of course the decision is very much your own to make.
With the exception of one, Ive never had any of my males neutered and had no problems temperament wise, most dogs go through the bolshy stage but that can be worked through, do loads of research before making a decision and should you decide to go ahead then as previous post suggests i would also wait until hes at least 2yrs, even though vets try to persuade you otherwise.
As the others said, if you must castrate him wait till he is at least 2 even 3, he is going to go through the bolshy stage regardless of being intact, so many people think neutering is the answer ( sadly vets will enforce this view ) to adolescence , and have their dogs done to soon.
I only have one dog but lots of males/females in the area. Know of dogs running off after the scent of a bitch in season when out on walks etc and heard of potential for increased aggression to other dogs. Also, no intention to breed from him so aware this could cause him distress if a bitch in heat is nearby.
All dogs are different and the choice is yours, but I personally never had any of the problems you mention. As for aggression it is usually learnt as a response to a situation, neutering is unlikely to have much effect, and in some cases can make it worse. http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/neutering-what’s-behaviour-got-do-it
Thanks to all for the posts and links on the subject. It seems a complicated topic and I think I need to do more research.
There are risks involving neutering, one being the annisetic some dogs react badly to it & can die why being on the operating table, another risk of neutering young male dogs under 1 year old is their testicles, some dogs might not be fully dropped, therefore the vet will have to hunt around for them, which means your dog will be under the annisetic for longer, then there's the dogs that are anxious/fretting when separated from their owners, this could not saying will but could change the behavior of the dog, also neutered dogs can still hump & will mate with a bitch that's in season - just won't get the bitch pregnant. But after saying all that I have always neutered my previous male dogs after they had been retired from show ring & my JRT's hooligans when they were 2 years old & their dad at 4 years old.
