# Vasectomy vs. neutering



## Charleeann67:) (Nov 6, 2017)

Just read this from Dr. Becker. Anyone had any experience with vasectomy vs. neutering of a male?


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Well I am not a huge fan of Dr. Becker, but putting that aside I would not necessarily think a vasectomy would be worth it. If you are going to leave a male dog his testes then just be responsible about preventing him from wandering and having an oops opportunity to my thinking. Both of our male dogs are intact. If anybody gets sterilized it will be a full neuter for medical or behavioral reasons and neither of those would be taken care of with a vasectomy.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

I considered it, but when Frosty began getting aggressive with other dogs and marking everywhere, I decided to go full neuter like we've done with all of our males in the past. Best decision--he is a much nicer dog. More tolerant of other dogs, no indoor marking ever, has never humped, and has better focus.


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## Charleeann67:) (Nov 6, 2017)

zooeysmom, your comment brought something to mind, I think we need to look at our individual dogs and their personalities as they develop.

Rudy, at 8 weeks, already tries humping and was the larger of a litter of only two so he is confident. With that type of personality, I am probably better off with neutering because of these early signs.


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## asuk (Jan 6, 2017)

Humping around that age is pretty normal. I hold off neutering for milo for as long as I could. He was finally neutered at 9.5 months old, some behaviour reason and medical reason. And by that time, he was trying to hump females. Most of his playmates are spayed female but I guess these females are still emitting sex scents, because he is super interested in them, more than he did when he was younger..lol

prior to neutering, he marked a lot, only outside but A lot, he mark a lot less now. without testicles, grooming is sure easier!


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## Charleeann67:) (Nov 6, 2017)

I laughed out loud when you said that grooming was a lot easier! I know, esthetically I really don't like seeing that "stuff" on the show coats, I suppose it's my uptight Lutheran upbringing! Glad I can keep him in a puppy cut and not think about it.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

That grooming thing was very scary to me when Javelin was a baby dog. I was afraid I was going to make him hate me forever if I hurt him. Now as to looking at the boy bits, today while I was in my first class he rolled over on his back and let it all hang out for the students in the front of the room. I was actually discussing sex determination chromosomes and X linked inheritance so there was something actually sort of appropriate about it.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

lily cd re said:


> That grooming thing was very scary to me when Javelin was a baby dog. I was afraid I was going to make him hate me forever if I hurt him. Now as to looking at the boy bits, today while I was in my first class he rolled over on his back and let it all hang out for the students in the front of the room. I was actually discussing sex determination chromosomes and X linked inheritance so there was something actually sort of appropriate about it.


Ha Ha Ha ! Good boy, Javelin !


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Hahahahaha Oh Javeline!!!!


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## Charleeann67:) (Nov 6, 2017)

lily, that is so funny! At least he was reaching the "visual" learners!


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

When I had a pack of 5 bitches and one dog (who was from one of the bitches) I had the male vasectomy. My reason was: He would keep other males away from* his* bitches. It worked. I was not going to breed from him and another dog was selected for that purpose. These dogs had their own house and a yard. They were not pets. They were trained and used for hunting.

Eric


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

I'll just point out that neutering doesn't always correct behavior problems. Blue doesn't play well with other dogs, so after a couple of months of ineffective behavior modification and at the behaviorist's suggestion, we had him neutered. Made no difference at all. In fact, he didn't start mounting Jazz until a couple of years after he was altered. I'm sorry we had it done. We could have saved ourselves money and Blue discomfort and possible long-term health problems.

As for the vasectomy versus castration question, had the dog aggression not come up, I'd have gone with a vasectomy to satisfy the breeder's requirement while preserving the health benefits for an intact dog.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

JudyD I am glad you weighed in here since I knew you had tried various options and had reasons to have been thinking neutering might be useful.


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## Marchie's Mom (Nov 18, 2016)

I realize I'm late to the discussion, but our breeder does vasectomies and ovary-sparing spays on her pups. We got Marchie at 9 weeks (and he'd already had the vasectomy) and he's 2 now. He hasn't exhibited any inappropriate behavior due to sex hormones so far. (You'd think it would have happened by now if it was going to show up.) He's ultra-social with all dogs, doesn't mark indoors, doesn't hump or act aggressively or dominating. He's a delight!


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