Should I get them done? And at what age?!?

[Anna]

I have two Jack Russell male puppies and they are just over 4 months old. I weighed them recently and Riley weighs 10lbs and Dylan only 9lbs (so you have an idea on what size they are)..

They have in the last 2-3 weeks started to do the 'humping action' to afew chosen items in the house.. thankfully not me.. but their teddy bear or their bed sometimes! Riley is worse than Dylan..

I suppose some dog owners find it embarrassing when their dogs do this.. and I have always wondered whether I am supposed to tell them off when I catch them doing it or not? As it is only a natural thing for them to want to do?

I sometimes have my two friends over who own the two female sister pups from the same litter and unfortunately my two pups spend at least 50% of playtime trying to mount them! If I see them trying too I usually push them off or pull them away for afew minutes to calm them down..

My vets in Filey said that I should definately get my two Jack Russells spayed and it would not be an option as just because mine are brothers it does not mean that they are going to get along together when they get older and if I do not get them both done I am really letting myself in for alot of trouble with them... and their likely behaviour.. will be agressive

The vets in Filey said that they spay dogs from 8 months, as they think that any younger than that is not acceptable as the pup will have barely developed enough for such an operation.

My other vet in 'Pets At Home' said that she can spay them at 5 months for me.. and maybe I should consider this if they are tending to get randy around girl pups already..

To be honest I am more inclined to wait until they are between 8-12 months to get them done.. but I am wondering if it is the right thing to do to definately get them spayed?

Has everyone else got their male dogs spayed? If so why or why not? And at what age do you think it is advisable to get them done?

One of my friends dad has a male Jack Russell and he got his dog spayed and said it was a mistake to do so.. unfortunately I never thought to ask why he thought that!!

What are peoples opinions please?

Anna

[crocodile]

I never believe its right to have them neutered for convenience and to curb unwanted behaviour - that's almost akin to abuse. I respect you for giving it a great deal of thought as its a huge decision. Neutering can have emotional downsides for a dog as much as there are benefits eg there are more than enough dogs around - the last thing we need are any more. My advice would be that if you do go ahead - and you plan to keep them both - is to have the submissive one done so that the natural order of a dominant dog within a pack is not unbalanced too drastically. In the mean time calmly distract them from any unwanted behaviour with toys, play etc. Doing it excitedly will encourage them to continue as they are

[Anna]

thank you for your advice

the last two weeks the pups have calmed down and Ive not noticed them trying to mate with anything recently which is a good sign!

but.. Dylan I noticed had a 'pee pee' infection so I had to rush him to the vets where the poor little love had his pee pee inspected.. which looked a little red and sore on the end... followed by what I can only presume was a themometer up his bum.. then to add insult to injury the vet gave him an antibiotic injection and a course of tablets for him to take.. Dylan was really not impressed with me when we left the vets!!

The vet said that the infection could of happened a number of ways.. but its always hard to tell with pups.. she said if he gets abit too excited and doesnt put it away properly he could get an infection.. but the weird thing is that Dylan is the less excitable pup! And the vet suggested if I have anymore problems I should bring them back at 5 months for neuturing... hmmm

Im not keen on neutering them just yet as I want to see how they mature first and if I can control their tendancies to not have an effect on their otherwise good behaviour... but on the other side of things I dont want to be too and fro from the vets with pee pee infections every other week....?!?!?

Anna

[Chibi J]

my dog is un-neuted and he had a prostrate infection and the vet was all get him done. My dog is 10 now and a think it would be a little mean now unless the prostrate became a re-curring issue. I do wonder sometimes how often vets make this recomndation based on how much they are going to charge you.

[Anna]

yes im starting to think that too, as the vet at 'Pets At Home' seemed abit rash about suggesting that I bring them back in a couple of weeks (when they turn 5 months old) to have them done.

1) I think 5 months is too young and would much prefer to wait until they are between 8-12 months.

2) its a big decision to make.. and the vet was acting like it was just another vaccination.. or similar small procedure!!

in their opinion if I wasnt intending on using them for stud... I should definately get them done!!

hmmm

[NotDave]

We had our dog Neutered when he had another opperation, it wasn't an essential part of the problem but the vet sugested it so we agreed.
The dogs behaviour certainly changed and I'd say he lost some of his lust for life, though its possbile this was to do with the operation as well. I'd certainly not have this done in future with a male dog, unless there was a strong medical reason to do so.

[Maddie]

I dont recommend spaying or neutering until a bitch has had at least 3 seasons or 18 months old and a male not until 12 months of age at least. In fact, all my puppies are sold with this stated in my Contract.

Neuturing a male does not always curb the unwanted 'humping' behaviour and may cause behaviour to get worse due to neuteing too young and interfering with hormones etc.

Dogs who are 'done' at a young age will not develop and mature properly. The long bones will grow quickly so dog will end up 'leggy' and will never fully develop in the chest area and the head will not fully mature either. This is scientific fact, and much info can be found trawling the net.

There are many more reasons against early spaying and neutering and they dont make good reading!!

[Anna]

I have been told that male jack russells mature at 6 months of age so anything beyond 8 months is acceptable for neutering. I have never been told or read anywhere on the internet or other that neutering a male can effect its growth in any way?

In the last year I been advised by 1 vet that anything past the age of 5 months is acceptable up to 8 months and I have gone with the 8 months option, my dogs are already 8 months old.

I was also told by a very concerned vet at the news of me owning 2 male jack russells from the same litter that I would have no option but to neuter them both as they could get too hormonal and start becoming agressive towards each other and this could in effect end rather badly for either or both dogs. She knew of too many instances where dogs from the same litter have had to be separated and re-homed due to at maturity turning agressive towards their sibling.

This as you can imagine is the last thing I want, and unfortunately my two dogs have already had some big fights of which my partner and myself have seriously struggled to part them, and had to resort to serious measures to makes sure they stopped the fight before one of them got hurt.. thankfully they are both thick skinned and they didnt manage to cause any bleeding or any real damage to each other.

My opinion is to get the neuturing over and done with before there becomes a serious problem between my dogs, I love them both so dearly and it would break my heart if they hurt each other or I had to re-home them due to them becoming agressive towards each other.

I trust my vet and I dont think she would encourage me to neuter my dogs sooner than what is necessary.

Anna

[susan]

Hi i got my jack russle done when he was about 7 months old. He was fine after, although he felt a bit sorry for himself. We decided to do it due to his increased sexual behaviour inside the house, and also him attempting to abscond everytine the door was open!!! The area I live in had many strays, or dogs who are allowed to rome like cats, so I did not want a knock on the door and a Jeremy Kile moment!!!!!!!!! lol
We are getting a bitch pup soon and she too will be fixed as soon as possible!!!!

[Anna]

Hi susan,

mine are off for their operation tomorrow, I am just hoping they dont take it too bad, I will feel ever so guilty if they come home feeling down in the dumps

But im staying in all weekend with my boyfriend to give them lots of love and attention and hopefully they will forget whats just happened to them!

Anna

[susan]

hi anne,
How are the boys doing? I know Toffe moped for a few days and looked at us like we had done him an injustice? He recovered quite quickly when presented with new toys lol.
Hope your boys are well.
x x

[Anna]

Hi susan!

well I felt like a cruel person all day long thinking of them at the vets.. although Pets At Home 'companion care vets' were really great though, they rang me to tell me both operations had gone well and I didnt have to worry. And when we went to pay for the operations which should have been £95 per dog, they only charged us £161... so we got a discount even though I never asked for one.. and then even better when we were walking out of the shop a girl that worked their came running after us with two 2kg bags of 'science plan' pet food for our dogs free of charge!! I think they were freebies or something!

Anyways I was worried taking them home as I was holding onto them in the car on the back seat and neither of them would even look at me I was so upset thinking they hated me, but when I got them home I walked them into the garden for abit just incase they were bursting for the loo, but they seemed so disorientated and appeared to not even know where they were.. they were just walking into everything at which point I started to panick.. and I removed their cones off their head and then they started to walk properly and have a sniff about, they still wouldnt go to the loo so I brought them inside and had their beds and blankets at the ready.

I fed them some wet food (pedigree all natural) and they woofed that down without problem I think they were starving.. the vet told me not to worry if they were off their food, but they have eaten wet food and biscuits without problem and were soon going to the loo a couple of hours later without problem...

However Dylan just passed out on the sofa and slept all evening and Riley just would not settle.. regardless of anesthetic and painkiller injections.. he was not worn out tired at all.. he just paced about in the lounge and kitchen for ages.. and wanted to come up on the sofa.. then back down.. then up again and just proceeded to do that for hours...!! I tried to settle him on my lap.. but he was having none of it

Then bedtime was the worst as soon as I put the cones back on their heads and put them in separate crates they were not happy at all.. Dylan just cried and cried.. so in the end I slept on the sofa with both dogs in their beds next to me.. they seemed to settle as long as I stayed in the room.. although I never make a habit of that they always sleep straight through the night.. but in this instance I was going to make an acception.. I think they were feeling really down and I think the anesthetic was wearing off and they just wanted me there..

anyway they got me up again at 7.30am.. and they were full of beans this morning.. Riley tried to play fight with Dylan so I quickly had to stop him! But I took them for a leisurely walk around the neighbourhood to exert some of their energy and they seemed very happy.. wagging tails.. barking at other dogs, stopping and sniffing at things and marking everything!! totally back to themselves!! which was a HUGE relief... the only trouble is me trying to stop them from doing too much exercise to make sure they do not tear their stitches.. but so far so good!

Hopefully I can sleep in my bed tonight!!!

Anna