Neutering A Male Gun Dog

[fabiomilitello 37]

Hi all,

 

I have a 6 month old working labrador, and I can sense within the next few weeks he's going to cock his leg. He's a family pet first and foremost, however I will be working him during the shooting season in the beating line for 8 saturdays, so I want him to be well trained. I haven't started his formal gundog training yet, he only attends puppy obidience classes where he learns to sit, heel etc etc... My question is, I have seen a lot of stuff on how neutering gundogs (male and female) can take away their drive to want to work, and make them a lot less effective as workers. I'm not entirely sure how true this is. As he is a family pet, everyone recommends getting him done, but I want to know if this will effect how he works in a bad way (when he does start working).

 

Thanks

[Lab 10,979]

100% would not be getting it done. To many ifs, buts and maybes. Just leave the dog alone to get on with it.

You never know he may turn into something special and people may want him as a stud.

[Hydropotesinermis 724]

Never had a dog castrated. Never will.

 

Certainly not a Labrador, there really is no need.

[pjmc 90]

I wouldn't dream of it I really can't see why so many people are telling you to do so.wat is your reason and there's for getting him castrated in the 1st place??

[fabiomilitello 37]

I wouldn't dream of it I really can't see why so many people are telling you to do so.wat is your reason and there's for getting him castrated in the 1st place??

many people say it calms the dog down, makes their recall better, stops them from running after bitches in heat during walks in the park.

 

Edit: Forgot to mention it stops spraying as well, which many people find disgusting.

Edited July 7, 2015 by fabiomilitello

[Hydropotesinermis 724]

 

 

I wouldn't dream of it I really can't see why so many people are telling you to do so.wat is your reason and there's for getting him castrated in the 1st place??

many people say it calms the dog down, makes their recall better, stops them from running after bitches in heat during walks in the park.

 

Edit: Forgot to mention it stops spraying as well, which many people find disgusting.

My dogs have all been house dogs, labs, Patterdale terriers, spaniels and more recently wire haired pointers.

 

None of them have been chopped and I have never had any real problems with any of those issues.

 

Spraying is no worse than them having a piss. House train your dog.

 

Recall. Train your dog.

 

Calms the dog down... Train your dog.

 

You can see where I am going with this.

[Mickey Finn 3,011]

I wouldn't do it either. Most handlers recommend against it for at least 2 years. It's just like Lab said, you never know at 6 months how the dog is going to turn out.

 

The reasons people are siting to justify having done are nonsense. I would suggest as a general rule, if someone says an animals behavior is disgusting. Don't waste time listening to them.

Edited July 7, 2015 by Mickey Finn

[stroller 341]

my dogs are entire but ive seen plenty of neutered working dogs and it doesn't make any difference to their abilitys. It also wont stop them chasing it wont make their re call better only training will do that.

 

If you are going to neuter wait until the dog is at least 18 months or even 2 year old. just give his body time to mature.

 

Im not a fan of neutering as personally I think its a lazy mans excuse but its your dog and if you want it done the choice is yours

[jangles 24]

All the above is good advice ... Its all in the TRAINING

 

Jangles

[bird 9,872]

my dogs are entire but ive seen plenty of neutered working dogs and it doesn't make any difference to their abilitys. It also wont stop them chasing it wont make their re call better only training will do that.

 

If you are going to neuter wait until the dog is at least 18 months or even 2 year old. just give his body time to mature.

 

Im not a fan of neutering as personally I think its a lazy mans excuse but its your dog and if you want it done the choice is yours

true that, I meet a lot people on my dog walks where males have been chopped , and the reasons they say why they had done are crap. they said to me am I going to get my 2 males dogs done, I said why what for, they encase they start fighting with other males . I said that crap one near 8 and will only start on a dog if it starts on him 1st , and the 2nd 3 year old likes dogs and people , and to be honest there both very sensitive type temps, which I hate in any breed of dog, Christ take there balls of they be worse wimps than what there are now. these were 2 women by the way, and had 3 dogs a pointer x , and 1 aggressive afghan hound and another near as bad. whilst she was trying to talk to me this made thing afghan was going nuts, it had holster collars on and it had a snap at her, I said that would the last time that ever did that to me . you took its nuts off and it still fight mad, she said its because I was standing there, I said my dogs are off the lead taking no notice of your mad dog , and 10 ft away from him. I said your dog the boss of you that's why he acts like he does she said no way, I walked off if I see them again I don't talk to them, I hope the feckin thing bites her one day , people like them no nothing about dogs fact

[mackay 3,358]

 

I wouldn't dream of it I really can't see why so many people are telling you to do so.wat is your reason and there's for getting him castrated in the 1st place??

many people say it calms the dog down, makes their recall better, stops them from running after bitches in heat during walks in the park.

 

Edit: Forgot to mention it stops spraying as well, which many people find disgusting.

 

If I had a pound for every person I've met who was neutering/castrating on the advice of vets and others incapable of training a dog as it calms them down apparently, I'd be a wealthy man.

[jessdale 416]

Training makes a dog recall, with or without his balls'.

[fabiomilitello 37]

So I see the general consensus is to leave the dog whole. Seeing as he's not cocked his leg yet, I am going to leave the notion alone. I'll decide at a later date, depending on his behaviour. I understand what everyone has said about his recall and calmness being all down to training, but I am slightly inclined to disagree. If I'm on a walk and there is a bitch on heat in the park, I can guarantee even the best trained dogs won't come back once they have made a bee line towards the female. All the whistle pipping, hand clapping and shouting in the world won't stop a dogs natural instinct.

 

I also believe that the calmness of the dog is down to each individual dogs nature. Asher, my working pup, is a lot more boisterous than Dexter, a friend of mine who has a yellow show lab of the same age. Dexter is a lot calmer in nature, and a lot lazier too!

 

Like I say, if the dog is well behaved with his bits, he'll get to keep them. But baring in mind I haven't even started formal gundog training with him yet, I think it's too early to say.

Thank you to the user who also pointed out that neutered dogs work just as well as entire dogs. That puts that myth to rest!