# Should I get Teddy neutered?



## Teddy Bear (Apr 11, 2015)

Hi everyone,
I'm getting mixed responses on whether I should get Teddy neutered.
one vet says its important, another says it only helps with preventing scent marking in the house but has no other major benefits ....

There's mixed responses from other dog owners that I've spoken to in the neighborhood too...

Anyone neutered their dogs? Was it worth it or does it lead to other health issues?

Teddy is likely to get operated on this weekend to get his baby teeth out (they aren't falling off and vet is keen to get it sorted). The vet said he could get him neutered at the same time... not sure on whether to get him neutered or not?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Teddy Bear said:


> Hi everyone,
> I'm getting mixed responses on whether I should get Teddy neutered.
> one vet says its important, another says it only helps with preventing scent marking in the house but has no other major benefits ....
> 
> ...


Unless you are planning to breed him (which means he should have an excellent pedigree, you should show him to his championship and do all necessary health testing. THEN you need to know enough (or have a very experienced mentor) to be able to choose potential mates that are a good match for him, both in terms of conformation and pedigree) he will be easier to manage, and both of you will be happier if he is neutered.

While I'm not a big fan of early spay/neuter, (before one year) if my dog was going to need anesthesia for another reason, and there wasn't a STRONG reason to keep him entire, I think I'd probably do it then.

If you keep a dog entire, you have to deal with MUCH more marking than a neutered dog, they have a much greater potential for wandering, and you have a really serious responsibility to keep them from producing unwanted puppies. In the case of a very small dog like a Havanese, you also have the problem that he may attract unwanted, negative, attention from other, larger, loose male dogs, which could go very badly for him.


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## Deacon Blues (Nov 22, 2013)

I've elected to keep my female Rory intact for the time being based on the research I've done on the topic, which included holistic veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker's thoughts after being a long-time spay/neuter advocate.

View video on Havanese World.

At the very least, the video will give you a greater understanding about all the various implications surrounding the issue.


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## Teddy Bear (Apr 11, 2015)

Gableshavs said:


> If he was sold to you with a spay or neuter contract you are bound by that contract. From what I've read it's good to wait about 9 months to a year.


We don't get contracts when we buy a puppy so these is no legal requirement to have him neutered. Quite often they are just sold on the streets or by other breeders from their kennels. We don't have pet shops that sell puppies!

I don't plan to breed him or put him on dog shows or agility competitions. Teddy is just a regular family member!

The only reason to consider neutering him is that he seems to try run after all the female dogs in the neighbourhood and almost got attacked by 3 puppies (a month younger than him) over the weekend when he ran after then as we were visiting their house for lunch.

The procedure is just to make it easier on him but I hear there's also a lot of health issues that it exposes him to. 
Still unsure of what to do!

Not sure if the vet who was pro neutering is just interested in the money or Teddu's best interest.


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## Deacon Blues (Nov 22, 2013)

Teddy Bear said:


> The only reason to consider neutering him is that he seems to try run after all the female dogs in the neighbourhood and almost got attacked by 3 puppies (a month younger than him) over the weekend when he ran after then as we were visiting their house for lunch.


Sounds like a good candidate for neutering.


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## Teddy Bear (Apr 11, 2015)

Deacon Blues said:


> Sounds like a good candidate for neutering.


I hope it would reduce his bad habit of chasing the neighbors dog (he's never on leash but ends up crying because she grows at him when we walk past).

My concern is potential health issues that he can then catch later in his life because of the neutering.


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## SJ1998 (Feb 4, 2013)

He could get hit by a car going for a dog if he's left intact. It's not an easy decision. I love my dogs and I hate doing anything that might cause health problems but I neutered both of them.


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## JCurling (Jan 24, 2014)

Pogo was neutered when he was almost a year old. Not neutering increases the risk of testicular cancer.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

JCurling said:


> Pogo was neutered when he was almost a year old. Not neutering increases the risk of testicular cancer.


Well, that's pretty obvious, since they can't get testicular cancer if they don't HAVE testicles.


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## AnnaM (Jun 2, 2012)

Lol, Karen...


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yeah the people in Europe don't neuter their male or female dogs as frequently we do in the western world. I suspect Africa is similar. Here is a good article http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf


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