To Neuter or not to Neuter?
Neutering
What? The removal of the reproductive organs.
Aim: For health and behavioural benefits for a happier healthier calmer more responsive dog and thus a better relationship between you and your pet.
When? Please speak to your vet for breed specific timings but as a general guide neutering is best done around 6 -7 months/ sexual maturity/ when males start lifting their leg and before females first cycle and before health or behaviour problems arise. Waiting till 3months after the first season for females is also popular but leaving neutering till much later in life, for both sexes, is theorised to reduce its benefits because behaviours which may have been hormonally initiated are now learnt.
When not to?
Do not spay a bitch during or coming out of her heat cycle! Best is mid season but speak to your vet.
Speak with me first before neutering your dog if you think they are displaying fear based reactivity (aggression), anxiety. In this case it is sometimes advised to keep your dog in tact whilst we work through the issues as that extra testosterone can help with confidence.
Overview: There are pro’s and cons to neutering and it is not a substitute for training. Some people speculate neutering will change their dogs character but I have seen no evidence of this. However hormones /homeostasis certainly have an impact on behaviour. Overall, I think in the city it is particularly helpful to you and your pet to have them neutered. There is however evidence to suggest an anxious dogs aggression can increase with neutering. Thus, my overall opinion is Yes Neuter, Early. However, if you already have a nervous, reactive dog then we may want to do some work to calm your dog before neutering. I also feel the argument for neutering males is clearer than females in terms of behaviour but avoiding Pyometra by neutering females is a big argument in favor of it.
Male Benefits:
· Castration can increase serotonin levels in the brain leading to less aggression without loss of guard dog behaviour and a calmer better focused & responsive dog.
· Reduced chance of cancer and other diseases so less vet bills.
· Control of urine marking.
· A calmer better focused & responsive dog.
· Reduce hypersexual behavior developing.
· Other dogs generally respond better to them, meaning your dog is less likely to learn to be reactive towards other dogs.
· Intact males smelling an on heat female can cause them a lot of stress and a number of other problems including extreme attempts to try to escape to them. Not eating. Extreme vocalisation. Diarrhoea.
· I know your dog might be lovely but the way the others react to them in the group and the risk factors above mean, I and other companies will not always be able to offer care to intact males over 7 months or will charge a premium for the added risk and work.
Male counter argument:
· Intact males may be more likely to resource-guard, Intact males not necessarily harder to handle or train.
· Intact males are not inherently more aggressive.
· There may be a trade-off with other conditions, especially obesity and diabetes mellitus.
· Neutering too early can produce a dog with a rangier appearance. Legs tend to be longer and thinner overall compared to dogs of similar breed or build. This change can bring an increase in growth-related disorders of the connective joints, for example, hip dysplasia.
Aggression and other unwanted behaviours may be a learned response if you neuter too late so you will still needs to do training as well.
Note: It’s permanent but an implant is available which mimics GnRH, but which binds more firmly to receptors in the pituitary. This causes an initial rise in FSH, LH, and testosterone followed by a long-lasting decrease. The initial rise can worsen aggression in some dogs but is followed by 6-12 months of infertility and low testosterone. This implant gives behaviour changes most like castration but is temporary.
Female Benefits
· Less Roaming
· Less aggression without loss of guard dog behaviour
· Reduced chance of cancer and other diseases including Pyometra and mammary neoplasia meaning less vet bills. Also Pyometra can go un noticed and be life threatening.
· No heat cycles.
· A more consistently calmer better focused & responsive dog because less hormonal changes going on.
· No unwanted pregnancies.
· Less issues with not being able to come for care with That Dog Guy at certain times.
· Some behavioural problems that can be staved off if the female is spayed before her first heat. These include nesting, maternal aggression.
Female Counter argument:
· If a female is spayed during a stage of estrus in which her hormones are up but she is not yet spotting, some say there may be an increased tendency to develop resource guarding behaviours.
· There is evidence to suggest spayed females develop an increase of dog-dog aggression due to the imbalance of testosterone without the modifying estrogen which is produced by the ovaries.
In studies, neutered females presented with more often with possessive aggression than intact females.
-Increased risk of some diseases including hypothyroidism and hip dysplasia.
· Research is still being done, but some believe that developmental difficulties may occur with early spaying.
Note:
The spay surgery, also called an ovariohysterectomy (OVH) is the removal of the ovaries and uterus of a female dog. Some veterinarians are now offering ovariectomy (OVE), which is just the excision of the ovaries, leaving the uterus intact. Recent research suggests that the OVE is a less invasive, simpler procedure with fewer risks for the bitch, however not many Vets offer it as it is more expensive.
Ethics:
Is it right to neuter a dog?
My answer to this is how would I like to be treated? Would I undergo a well-practiced surgery, which I would expect to be healed from in as little as a few days-14 days if I thought it was going to make my life easier, healthier and calmer?
I want to have Puppies
Please don’t under estimate the work it is to have a litter of puppies and the important role you need to play in creating well rounded pup’s. The work starts from day 1. My guide to Thinking about getting a Dog would be a good bit of reading to help you start to understand the ethical and behavioural responsibilities you are taking on. Moreover according to Bored Collie Rescue (2021)
“The only justifiable reason for breeding is that you have a proven and top class line in either working or companion dogs.
Responsible breeding requires that all possible step to ensure that active, healthy and wanted pups are born, reared and taken. This starts with the selection of the dam and sire.
My personal priorities would be -
1) Temperament.
If the animal is unreliable, snappy or poorly socialised, then it should not be considered.
2. General Health.
The animal should have no abnormal disease history and should be fit and healthy and of good conformation and size for the breed.
This is common sense but there are hundreds of Border Collies that are produced with over or under-shot jaws, poor limb conformation and other defects; this does indicate poor breeding practices occur.
The animal should be correctly fed and should be following a regular preventive heath scheme.(e.g. regular grooming and parasite treatments). If you want an animal that will perform well for you then it is only reasonable that you maintain the health and welfare of that animal.
3. Age
Bitches should not be bred before they are 2 years old or after they are 4 years old for the first time.
Bitches that have already bred may continue until they are 6.5 years old.
Stud dogs should not be used before 2 years old and can be used whilst they remain in peak condition. I would not normally advocate the use of a dog over 8 years old.
Dogs that are to be used for breeding should be used regularly. Becoming a successful stud dog requires regular use and good experience gained through careful management of the mating situation.
Whatever, the one-off mating to give the dog or bitch some anthropomosed romantic experience should stay strictly for the birds.
Management of males and females that are not required for breeding should include neutering. This does not cause problems for the animal and allows easier handling, reduces worry of wandering and removes the risk of unwanted pregnancies. It also has some beneficial effects on future health, especially of bitches.
4) Hereditary Disease.
All breeding animals should be screened before breeding for possible hereditary defects.
The Border Collie is no exception.
There are a number of different systems that should be checked and these often need to be done at different ages. There are a number of official screening boards for different problems.
These should be used as their scrutineers have the experience and training to recognise and score these defects and can offer advice on whether or not to use the examined animal for breeding.
Often these schemes are seen as expensive and possibly unnecessary as the parents have never had a moment of lameness in their lives and can spot a rabbit at 100 metres - BUT- these screens are a minimal requirement in the face of the complexity of some of the diseases that we face.
The dog or bitch may be carrying genes that predispose to certain conditions and may not necessarily show any signs of disease themselves.” (Border Collie Rescue, 2021)
Post Surgery & Cost
Roughly speaking you are talking about £350 but can be cheaper though charities like the Mayhew. Your dog will come home same day. They will likely seem sprightly again then next day but be off walks till their 2 day check up and on lead till after their 10 day check up as a rough guide.
HEAT Cycle
If your dog does go into heat be considerate of where you exercise them as owners with even the most well trained dog may struggle to keep their dog away from you.
For more information on the heat cycle click here.
Further Info
For a more in depth review of the pro’s and con’s of neutering to health please read this….