In classes I am always asked when is the right time to neuter my dog and will there be personality or behavioural changes?
My answer is always do some research, watch your dog's behaviour and consider other things such a diet and training and socialisation. Neutering is certainly not the cure all to behaviour and illness that people previously thought...
In this this blog I am going to explain a little of what the hormones do and why we always suggest dogs are left to mature naturally before neutering.
What does neutering a dog mean?
Neutering is the removal of the sex organs (testies and ovaries) which release sex hormones that travel around the body; primarily Testosterone in males and Oestrogen in females.
What do the sex hormones do in dogs?
The sex hormones (primarily Testosterone in males and Oestrogen in females) travel around the body to the brain where they are regulated by the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA axis for short), the hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the brain and the adrenal gland in the kidneys. These glands control a lot of what is going on the body, such as stress reactions, growth and maintains the bodies muscle mass and energy levels.
What vets say...
Lets get this straight - yes castration and spaying procedures do stop procreation, but so can keeping in season bitches under close control and away from in-tact males!
Some vets say neutering your dog will stop behaviour problems, and stop illness.
Some vets say get a bitch spayed before she has a season.
Some vets say get a bitch spayed after her first season.
Most vets say a bitch is less likely to get cancer and of course she won't get pyometra, which is a serious womb infection.
BUT, research tells us that there is no significant difference in occurrences of other diseases between neutered and unneutered bitches.
And the same goes for dogs...
Some vets say get them done before they start to cock their leg.
Some vets say get them done once they're a year old, as it will again reduce the chances of testicular cancer or prostate problems which happen in later life.
BUT again, research tells us that there is no significant difference in occurrences of other diseases between neutered and unneutered dogs.
Some vets will say the timing is entirely up to you and are happy to chat to you about the pro's and the cons and will be warts and all with you. Now that's my kind of vet! As this vet will probably be behaviourally aware too. If you have this vet you are very lucky.
How will neutering my dog change their behaviour?
Neutering a dog removes sex hormones that are required for the HPA axis to effectively control stress reactions, which can cause them to be heightened, leading to dog that is stressed a lot which can manifest as reactive aggression (as a fear response or stress response).
Will my dog's personality change after neutering?
Neutering your dog can lead to personality changes such as becoming less energetic (people quite often like this side effect, but you do have to increase exercise somehow or reduce the food intake) or becoming less confident or more reactive towards things that before if was perfectly fine with. These changes don't happen over night, as hormones dissipate over the course of weeks, so it can take a while for the effects of neutering to show.
Why is neutering too soon a bad thing for my dog's physical health?
Neutering your dog too early and removing the associated sex hormones means that the body doesn't know when to stop growing, so overgrowth of the joints is common and it can also lead to dogs putting weight on easily. Overgrowth of the bones can weaken them and put extra pressure on the joints and can then lead to early onset arthritis or ligament ruptures. Females may also become incontinent because the removal of the hormones causes the bladder sphincter to weaken.
What affect does neutering have on training your dog?
Research has shown that neutering a dog can result in a dog that is more difficult to train.
Is there benefit to waiting a while to neuter your dog?
Allowing your dog to mature naturally before neutering will allow the body and hormones to do what they need to and reduce the chances of any growth defects or reactive behaviours surfacing.
What to do if you do notice problems after neutering your dog
Some of the problems associated with neutering your dog can be controlled with hormone replacement medications (speak to your vet about potential hormone therapies) and you can also consult a behaviourist, who can work alongside your vet, to address behavioural problems.
Further Reading
Bellow are some references for further reading you may like to do. You can also ask your dog trainer for help and advice you because diet, training and socialisation all affect a dog's behaviour and making changes to these may mean you no longer need to opt for neutering straight away.
References
Deborah L. Duffy and James A. Serpell (2006, November). Non-reproductive effects of spaying and neutering on behavior in dogs. Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Non-Surgical Contraceptive Methods for Pet Population Control. Alexandria, Virginia.
Grüntzig, K., Graf, R., Boo, G., Guscetti, F., Hässig, M., Axhausen, K., Fabrikant, S., Welle, M., Meier, D., Folkers, G. and Pospischil, A. (2016). Swiss Canine Cancer Registry 1955–2008: Occurrence of the Most Common Tumour Diagnoses and Influence of Age, Breed, Body Size, Sex and Neutering Status on Tumour Development. Journal of Comparative Pathology, 155(2-3), pp.156-170.
Hart, B., Hart, L., Thigpen, A. and Willits, N. (2014). Long-Term Health Effects of Neutering Dogs: Comparison of Labrador Retrievers with Golden Retrievers. PLoS ONE, 9(7), p.e102241.
Hsu, Y., and Serpell, J.A. 2003. “Development and validation of a questionnaire for measuring behavior and temperament traits in pet dogs.” J. Amer. Vet. Med. Assoc., 223:1293-1300.
Parvene Farhoody (2010) Behavioral and Physical Effects ofSpaying and Neutering Domestic Dogs (Canis familiaris). Masters thesis submitted to and accepted by Hunter College.
Serpell, J. and Hsu, Y. (2005). Effects of breed, sex, and neuter status on trainability in dogs. Anthrozoös, 18(3), pp.196-207.
Torres de la Riva, G., Hart, B., Farver, T., Oberbauer, A., Messam, L., Willits, N. and Hart, L. (2013). Neutering Dogs: Effects on Joint Disorders and Cancers in Golden Retrievers. PLoS ONE, 8(2), p.e55937.
Help & Support is here
If you would like support navigating and dealing with behavioural changes as a result of neutering your dog (or have taken on a neutered dog showing behavioural issues), All Positive Dog Services offer a Behaviour Consultation Service led by our Head Behaviourist Rick, who has over two decades of experience working with dogs in the Rehabilitation Department at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, as a Higher Education Lecturer teaching canine behaviour, managing the dog department at one of the largest rescue centres in The Netherlands as well as founding his own force free dog training centre in the UK, with a team of canine experts.
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