Animal Magic: Should you castrate your dog or not?

This is a question that I field quite frequently, and requires some careful thought. There are all sorts of potential reasons to neuter a male dog.

The most obvious is if he lives with a lady dog that is destined to have a litter or two, but we do not want this little boy to be the dad. Most particularly where a brother and sister perhaps from the same litter joined a family, it is completely inappropriate to allow them to breed together.

Or maybe you want to allow the sister to have a season or two before neutering her, but can’t send the brother off for three weeks every time she is in season.

But if there are no issues with contraception, then why neuter? Many dog owners neuter their boys to help them to calm down. If a teenage dog is a bit of a menace, or a complete bull in a china shop, there is no question that early neutering will settle him down. Also, if his instincts are rather too sexy, then castration will certainly help.

Some male dogs get very focussed on finding their next conquest, and invest a lot of energy and creativity into escaping. Neutering these can really help. And there are a couple of medical conditions for which castration is an appropriate recommendation. But if your young male dog has a perfect temperament, listens to your recall when it is time to go home, and generally is calm and well behaved, then I do not feel that neutering is necessary at all.

There is strong evidence to suggest that nervous or sensitive male dogs may actually struggle more if they are neutered. Larger breeds of dogs may benefit from delaying neutering until their skeletons have fully matured, at about fifteen months of age. But contraceptive choices will take priority over this.

If you are uncertain about whether or not to neuter your boy dog, then the temporary castration option is ideal. Ask your vet for full information on this, and for further advice for your particular circumstances.

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