At what age can you have your pet dog neutered

By Jerry Welsh


Deciding to neuter the dog or not is a difficult decision for a dog owner. Neutering is often the option of responsible dog owners that are aware of the tragic plight of stray dogs - of the animals considered as man's best friends that have to be put to sleep for being homeless. Dog lovers would not hesitate to support the program of minimizing the number of homeless canines.

To neuter a dog, a small incision is made on the skin to remove the testicles to prevent it from reproducing. Would you believe that hte procedure aside from minimizing the number of homeless canines also promises to give it a longer, healthier and happier life. Healthier - because a neutered dog will not be open to the risk of testicle cancer. Neutering would be very beneficial especially for first time dog owners as bad behavior is controlled. Castration decreases the male's inclination to roam thus the possibility of accidents that can snuff the life of the pet will be lessened.

However, owners have many reservations on the right time to neuter the dog . There are many beliefs about neutering the pet. For instance it is believed that if the pet is castrated at an early age the personality and the physical development will be affected.

Dogs are affectionate and playful by nature but if it is castrated before it has reached sexual maturity, the procedure will have a negative impact on the admirable qualities that make them such wonderful companions. These beliefs though are unfounded. Castrating a dog at any age will not affect the physical development and would not erase its admirable qualities. What is the best age to neuter the dog?

A dog can be neutered any time but ideally the procedure should be done before puberty. Considering the age of the pet would be rather hard if it was adopted from a shelter or if the canine that was adopted was a stray. The neutering procedure can be done at any age providing the testicles have descended but as the primary reason for neutering is to prevent reproduction, it would be best if it is neutered before it has attained sexual maturity. Small breeds attain full maturity at six months of age thus at this time a Shih Tzu or some breeds of terriers can already be neutered. Experts recommend neutering large breeds at about 1 year of age as Great Danes, GSD and other large dogs take longer to mature sexually.




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