Pet Lovers

[Hmmmmm24]

I think any pet owner who doesn't spay or neuter their pet is irresponsible. 

[Dazlin]

@beach-mom nope...said nothing about behavior if he's neutered.   Bosco is not aggressive either....hes sometimes overly playful...hes still a pup just over 1 year.  I'm not considering neutering him for behavior at all. theres no guarantee

Spoiler

neutering will help calm him being a chocolatelab, so, no thats out.  ..I totally know all his behavior being a chocolate lab, and thankfully he's a sensitive sweet boy, highly trainable...hes trying,  lol.  I'm considering it for health, and possibly calmness later if that wouldn't happen.   They do calm down,  I'm all good with it, I signed up for him, and I love Labs.   I've had 3 male labs, all fixed because they were rescued. 

There are possible health risks with neutering too...my English Silver lab developed bone cancer at age 11...likely started years earlier before diagnosed. Saddest day of my life....he was fixed...and its said, that bone cancer, may/can be a risk in neutered male labs...there ya go, homework.   It's all about the lesser of the two evils....so im trying to decide which is best.  I put my heart and soul into my animals, no neglect here.   @beach-mom , thank you very much for your reply 💓...thank your hubby 😊 

[Citrine1]

@Dazlin   He sure is a handsome fellow!  I've never owned a dog that was not spayed or neutered.  As @Kachina624 said, most breeders make you sign papers saying you will have the dog fixed.  I know I always had to.  

At any rate, while the vet can't guarantee that Bosco's behavior will change (calm down), I think you can pretty much guarantee that he will show less aggression towards other dogs.  He may not do this now, but will as he gets older unless he is neutered.  Plus, there's the whole cancer risk too.  

I have friends who didn't neuter their lab and, honestly, that just seems selfish to me.  

[New Grandma]

After doing our due diligence researching  pros & cons and discussing it with our vet we decided against neutering our 75lb Irish Doodle. He sounds similar to Bosco as he's also high energy. We are very confident we made the right decision.

[Marp]

@Dazlin,  I appreciate that you are taking to time to research the pros and cons of neutering your Lab. I hope the following will help and not confound your decision making.

Slightly less than 1 percent of Labs will come down with bone cancer. According to the University of Florida, the exact percentage is 0.94. That's similar to the percentage of golden retrievers, at 1.11 percent, but far below the most frequently affected breed, the Irish wolfhound. That giant breed's incidence of bone cancer is 4.88 percent, followed by the Rottweiler at 4.80 percent. The average mixed-breed dog has a 0.44 percent chance of coming down with the disease.

Middle-age Labs, those roughly 7 to 10 years of age, are more likely to develop bone cancer than younger dogs. Male Labs have a slightly higher incidence of the disease than females, but the opposite is true in breeds such as Great Danes and Rottweilers. Males neutered after the age of 1 year have a lower incidence of bone cancer than those fixed before their first birthday.

In a study, “Canine testicular tumors: a study on 232 dogs,” 27% of unneutered male dogs had one or more testicular tumors. In the past, the incidence of testicular cancer in dogs was 16% which shows a significant increase.

Testicular cancer is more common among older dogs. The risk for testicular cancer goes up at around seven years of age. Older intact male dogs (over 10 years) are at an especially high risk of testicular tumors.

[DSD2]

An unequivocal yes...

It is the responsible thing to do; he will be healthier and happier.

[feline groovy]

Neuter - most definitely.

He will be less prone to certain types of cancers as he ages.

Please give this sweet-faced boy's forehead a kiss for me.  8)

[jackthebear]

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@spumoni99 wrote:

Our local SPCA neuters/spays very low cost, even free for seniors.  

To me it is a no brainer, I would never want to risk my pet contributing to the over population, so many pets are euthanized daily due to over population.

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exactly

[geezerette]

I've been on all sides of this discussion.  I currently have a large breed dog, although she's a female.

From my research and experience, @Carmie is right about the age to neuter large breed dogs.  There is evidence that waiting to neuter does help prevent some cancers, however, as I stated in my earlier post, waiting too long or not neutering at all can have the opposite effect with other serious problems.

We chose to neuter our girl, but we did wait.  In fact, our breeder encouraged that.  We had intended to do so after she was two years old, but ended up having her spayed at about eighteen months.  

And again, it's your choice, but there is no guarantee of anything no matter what you do or don't do.  Enjoy both your pups--they are here all too briefly.🐾💕🐾

[KingstonMom]

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@Sooner wrote:

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@Dazlin wrote:

@Kachina624 , @Pook ...I came here to see quality opinions of many that have been a great help to me in the past.  As for both of your replies, I do see positives...but don't dare come  at me with a no brainer or neglect!!   I take that personal, and your both WRONG!   Another ,this a Labrador....if you don't know their kind, loyal traits, male, or female,  fixed or not...you shouldn't respond so abrasive.   I've owned 3 male labs , I know about them.   ENOUGH SAID

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@Dazlin So what?  You came looking for a fight?  Only thing I can make of this statement.  Why did you post?

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@Sooner 

With all due respect, the fact that she didn't appreciate remarks re: her being neglectful and "no brainer", meaning she had no brain, in no way means she posted just looking for a "fight". 

Your post sounds like YOU posted that comment, just looking for a fight.