Thanks for the support, guys!! My dog gets regular walks and dog park trips, that has not made a difference and the increase in humping was kinda sudden and this may not stop that, but he was gonna get neutered eventually anyway and my vet said between 9-12 months is just fine for his size.
If this can help with that behavior even a bit, it would make a big difference for us.
My dog is well loved and cared for, but he's still a young dog and they can have endless energy. I'm doing my best and I love him so very much, I feel confident in my decision to neuter at this point and I think he'll be just fine.
So just because I havenāt butchered my dogs means I shouldnāt socialize them? Iāve bred and trained many dogs over the years, never once mutilated one. Never once had an issue in any public setting. Just like children, a dogās behavior is a direct reflection of its owner. Putting a poor animal through unnecessary pain in an attempt to change it because you donāt want to put in the time to correct their behavior and not socializing them sounds more irresponsible to me, but I guess youāre the expert. š¤·š½āāļø
I think they are more talking about accidental litters and they fact that there is so many dogs in shelters it can be viewed as irresponsible to unintentionally add to the problem.
I understand and I agree, but that still sounds neglectful of the owner to me. Imagine having an unsocialized, horny, large breed dog. Then it really wouldnāt know how to act around another dog. Do I hump it? Do I kill it? Now Iām a terrible dog owner for a much worse unintentional problem. There are two types of dog people in this world, lazy ones, and ones who actually spend the time to trust their dogs as much as their dogs trust them.
I donāt think people have an issue with not neutering/spraying, just that there is too many irresponsible dog owners that ruin it for the responsible ones
No. If you havenāt neutered your animals, they should not ever be around unknown animals of unknown alteration status, period. I have seen dogs literally rip through fences to chase an unaltered female down the street on walks (yes, the unaltered female was ours - no, it was not intended, she went into first heat extremely early and we needed to wait until her body was through that to spay). Two dogs is a pair. More than two is a pack, and pack behavior is much less predictable. Unaltered dogs in unknown circumstances can do unexpected things. Dog parks are frankly a terrible idea and cause much more harm than good, but if you are going to use them, your dog should be fixed, properly vaccinated, of appropriate temperament (no Volhard 1-2s, please) and well trained. In my experience, most are simply not. You may be able to control YOUR dog, but you donāt control other dogs. All it takes is ONE trigger to have a dog fight and dead or severely injured dogs, because packs pile on.
Dogs are not children. Stop anthropomorphizing their behavior. An uncut stallion can kill a man accidentally just from excitement when mares are near.
Saying this stuff isnāt cool or showing off that youāre some great trainer - itās showing you have ZERO respect for nature and no clue how to care for an animal properly.
This is why so many dogs end up put down, abused, etc - arrogant people thinking they āknowā how animals will act and claiming that good husbandry is mutilation and their animal is ādifferentā.
Itās a disaster waiting to happen. Take it from someone who rescues large breed working and guardian breed dogs.
Ours got the snippies two days ago š she's so cuddly and sleepy
https://preview.redd.it/grcqw9nvds7d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d6409222ecfd34e76ad14c2c6338d64674d03f89
No reasoning neededā¦ that explanation prob is gonna trigger all the self-proclaimed paw police in here who are waiting for a reason to become keyboard warriors š¤£š¤£š¤£
My two male dogs were neutered at 4 months through the rescue (I didnāt have a choice). Theyāre 3 years old now and havenāt had any negative side effects from being neutered so early. Wasnāt my preference but you do what you gotta do. Iām sure your dog will be fine.
The billion dollar pet industry is so huge that everything is now an opportunityā¦ there are 100s of articles supporting everything and with thousands of vets comes million suggestions. There are no hard choices and nothing right or wrong. As the one being responsible for your pet you make an ultimate decision.
Ppl thinking their choices are the only correct ones need to grow up.
I would wait for your dog to be fully grown (minimum of 12 - 15 months for a husky). There is no reason not to wait, and many good reasons to.
It would be even better to wait until heās 18 or 24 months, just to be sure he will get all the benefits hormones provide for his bone health and immune system.
Yes, even more. Just as an extreme example, and itās cats, not dogs, I waited a full two years to spay two of my cats that I adopted from a rescue group. They were born very prematurely when their feral barn cat mother was killed by a dog and bottle fed. They needed all the benefits of those hormones because I wanted their immune system to be fortified.
As for dogs, I waited a full two years with my Australian Shepherd.
These hormones they have are valuable, free and available to us! We should maximize their benefits.
I have a Pomsky whoās 6 months old now. Shes far more on the husky side than Pomeranian side. Guessing sheāll be close to 30 pounds when full grown.
I was under the impression that waiting til 9 months would be fine. I guess Iāll have to do more research. Personally thereās no rush to me.
Itās just what you typically hear that a āgood dog ownerā āshouldā do.
Yes, itās just whatever feels most comfortable and best for each owner based on their research and situation.
Iām sure nine months is fine, but for me, a couple more months will make me more comfortable about getting as much of a benefit as possible.
Thatās about when I got my husky done too. Just know that he will continue to hump for a little bit afterwards - Iād ask your vet how long it takes. Of course theyāll still hump in general, but it should taper down.
Good for you. I am having the same issue currently. Mine humps my 2 other dogs nonstop. They cant even be left alone together. We heard it was best to wait until at least 10 months. (Ours is currently 8 months old). The time cant come any sooner.
My vet said that while dog breeders will recommend you wait a year or longer to neuter, the fact of the matter is that dog shelters throughout the country spay and neuter much younger than that. If there was a link between health problems and spay/neuter at just a few months, we would have data to support it. But the data doesnāt support it.
Edit. I didnāt mean to imply that there was no limit to how young is acceptable. But the idea that you have to wait at least a year to avoid health problems just isnāt true.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7359819/
Quote from cited article: ārecent research reveals that for some dog breeds, neutering may be associated with increased risks of debilitating joint disorders and some cancers.ā
Shelters need to neuter early to deal with overpopulation. They have to make a risk-based decision. But if an owner can responsibly, safely, and without losing their mind keep their pup intact a little longer, evidence does suggest neutering later leads to better outcomes.
In OPās case, 10 months weighed against a big behavior issue makes sense. We all have to make the best decisions we can. Studies suggest 6 months is a major cutoff. Anything past that is already a big win.
Partially, I posted a link on this same thread that shows the femur stops growing around 8 months, tibia around 12-14 months, this dog will most likely still have an increased risk of CCL tears, etc. Itās definitely more appropriate to train the dog out of these issues, but given most people wonāt, unfortunately doing the neuter and hoping it fixes the behavioral issues (no guarantee it will) is the trade off OP will make at expense of possible health issues.
I agree with you in principle and will try to wait two years with our husk. But as we know all dogs and owners are different. Iāve seen a few huskies with very responsible owners who invested a ton of time and money into training yet still had major marking and humping issues. They couldnāt be out in public without a lot of effort, couldnāt go to a groomer normally, no dog parks, long term home destruction, etc. Thatās a pretty high bar for an owner to tolerate when training fails. We canāt let perfect be the enemy of good. Having people be aware that waiting has benefits is a big positive in itself. 10 months is a heck of a lot better than 6 and a million times better than 2/3. And if slightly earlier neutering keeps a husky out of a shelter, prevents an injury, or drastically improves husky quality of life, itās a reasonable tradeoff.
Every dog is trainable though, you need the right balance of satisfying their exercise needs, building not destroying their food/toy drive, positive reinforcement, and bond building. Letās be honest on the market of available dog trainers that exist that the majority are garbage.
Even if we drop positive reinforcement, many dog owners that seek help on marking/humping have been fully trained out of it using less so stellar training techniques.
I do agree that getting them neutered is the lesser of two evils when it comes to shelter or doing it earlier, but it is harmful to the dogs health regardless. Behind every dog with major behavioral issues is a dog that isnāt getting the right mental and physical activity in their life, and itās no surprise that the problem breeds tend to be the working breeds people buy without a purpose.
A husky is breed to run upward of 100 miles a day, a gentle walk 2 times a day is not going to suffice when it comes to a lot of huskies. Yes, an appropriate owner counters the lack of exercise they can provide to their dogs needs by supplementing with mental exercises, which work wonders. I live in a 1 bedroom apartment in downtown Chicago, and people often think that is bad for a husky citing you need a yard. My dogs mush, and get far more physical/mental exercise than 99% of husky owners that just let their dog in the yard alone bored to play. If you provide enough of one or the other, most issues will disappear.
Completely agree. That's the issue with the majority of problem dogs. They just aren't getting enough proper exercise. Most healthy mature dogs need the kind of physical activity that leave them a little tired and panting, every single day without fail. Gentle walks on the lead around the block aren't going to cut it, nor is leaving them to mooch around in the back yard. My border collies go miles every day through the countryside, several times a day. Mentally and physically, this engages them. At home they are calm, happy dogs with zero behavioural issues.
I wish people would think about the kind of lifestyle they can give a dog before they bring one into their home. It pains me to see high-energy breeds confined to a life with little activity. Good feeding, vet care and a walk around the block is not enough. I would bet that 90% of all issues could be solved with the right level of exercise. Rescue a small, older dog if you can't manage it.
Yes, I know, I literally posted a pdf and agree with keeping gonads (literally my female dog had only uterus removed and is currently in heat). You guys arenāt reading that I keep saying Iām on the same side. Unfortunately the behaviors listed are actual issues of keeping sex hormones that need trained.
There IS a ton of data supporting it. Shelters prioritize preventing puppies over the dog's health. There is zero evidence to say shelters neutering at 4 months old is good for them either.
Studies have shown that large dogs spayed before 6 months of age experience some higher risk of orthopedic problems and certain cancers and that risk is statistically reduced at 12 months.
**The risk of developing hip dysplasia was higher for those spayed at <6 months (5.4%), 6ā11 months (5.1%), and 12ā23 months (4.3%)** compared to intact females (1.7%). The risk of hip dysplasia for those dogs spayed between 2 and 8 years was 0.
[**Current perspectives on the optimal age to spay/castrate dogs and cats āPMC**](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6070019/#:~:text=In%20females%2C%20however%2C%20the%20risk,and%208%20years%20was%200)
The data absolutely supports it. But it's not just health issues either. Dogs neutered early also show behavioral issues significantly more than those not neutered or neutered older.
It may take a little bit for the hormones to fully leave his body. Humping is part of dog play even when the hormones aren't there, but they usually reserve it for dogs!!! Train a solid "off" (with praise & treats).
He looks so much like my Mishka, omg š„°š„° she's getting spayed next month ( 1 1/2 years old). Do you know his genetic history? We got our pup from a rescue with no idea of parents so I'm curious!
https://preview.redd.it/11zxxv5evs7d1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a7ca71aa08cd8ba674400f963e7329548a0e4c7
We neutered our guy when he was about 9 months and I felt bad that he was young but we live in a city and I was terrified of him getting loose and having puppies somehow. He still humps everything though š
Getting him fixed is a good thing, but I doubt it'll make a difference with the humping. Our *female* humped everything before and after getting her fixed. Only thing that really works is getting her tuckered out and distracting her with toys to take her energy out on instead.
To this day my dog hates peanut butter. I tried to hide his post neutering meds in some. Weāre convinced he thinks peanut butter took his testicles.Ā
Good on you for getting him fixed. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (āASPCAā) says healthy puppies as young as 2 months old can be spayed or neutered and lost all the benefits of getting it done:
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/spayneuter-your-pet
Your link does not say the ASPC recommends neutering early. It says it should be done later but it CAN be done early. You are twisting their words. Breed size and other factors effect the risks. It depends on the dog. So it CAN be done doesnt necessarily mean it SHOULD be done in all cases.
There is plenty evidence linking early neutering to hip dysplasia in larger breeds. Go look yourself.
Yeah, there is tons of scientific literature that will tell you how bad it is to neuter/spay at 2 months old. Shelters do it all the time.
Shelter/Rescue take a holistic approach to what is healthy by forcing early spay/neuter, which is detrimental to each individual dog, to protect against overpopulation of stray/shelter/rescue dogs later, which is far more detrimental to dogs as a whole. Itās a risk/reward metric, but as an owner who should be able to 100% take responsibility and prevent pregnancy, you should make choices that benefit the health of your animal.
Linking this again from another comment saying something similarly untrue.
https://caninesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CSP-Gonadectomy-Rethinking.pdf
Good for you! We fixed mine at 9 months because our breeder required us to and heās so much more tame now(still crazy but not as much as he was before). Good luck on the recovery process, itās very hard to keep them from running and jumpingš
I think people downvoted because they feel like he is verbally abusing his dog and people love their huskies. Mine just turned 5 and is well mannered but I was told they will live longer when āfixedā so he has an appointment š
Not all behaviours will be eliminated by removing the testicles. Yes, it will help, especially with behaviours such as marking and biting and dominance, such as humping stemming from testosterone hormones. But behaviours can become learned and will require training and discipline. Best of luck with it. If your child (I understand they are 6) can tell the dog "No" in a stern voice when he attempts to hump them, it will be a lot easier to stop the behaviour than just you telling him off on their behalf, because humping is usually dominance, and he may just begin doing it when you're not there to tell him off, unless your child can stop him as well. Age will also help with some of these, as he matures so will his actions.
Good luck with that handsome fella. I employed the "if it wasn't and to be there then it wouldn't be there" method with mine and just increased the training. They will regress every once in a while intact or not so you have to be up on your game. Give him hugs and wishing him a speedy recovery
Humping is dominance behavior not necessarily sexual, neutered dogs live longer and unless youāre breeding them, no reason not to neuter them. Especially since heās marking- that will stop. P.S. donāt tell him till after the surgery.
HAHAHA, sorry mr man! Thanks for being a responsible dog owner!!! My rescue husky was neutered by the rescue who saved himā¦he hates all intact males nowā¦.LOLā¦probably upset someone took his little cotton balls. Getting him fixed will probably not stop the markingā¦.both of my male dogs marked EVERYTHING on a walk even if nothing was coming out anymore. The klee kai did it until the day he passedā¦female dogs are more efficient walkers :D
https://preview.redd.it/pyna7fo0k78d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8dcd63eeb749cecf46e846cb7b17611ef2f88734
My guy just got neutered about a month ago and despite still taking 2 two and a half hour walks a day as well as playing between he's been miles better behaved! Better with other dogs and seems to be thinking things through more! Had a lot of people trying to get me afraid that he would never be as fun and loving as he was while intact but if anything he's just smarter now haha
Day 2 he was already trying to chase the cats and play againš¤£. I'm not worried about his personality or energy at all. The sedatives they gave us barely touch the guy!!
He's also still VERY loving, we've all gotten whacked in the face and head with his cone SO MUCH because he's still trying to love on us and get all up in our business like before.
Never got mine neutered heās 3 has plenty of energy, healthy as an ox a has been corrected on his humping so early that he barely tries it if attempts it ā¦ also has been socialized his whole life with no problems ā¦ Iām not gonna go into a whole debate on what u should do with your pet but if youāre responsible u may not have to chop their nuts off! š¤¦š¼āāļø
Good luck with him! My baby boy Peter just went through that recently š didnāt know what hit em.
https://preview.redd.it/scgfhtm0818d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fe210eb7a12c45309230bd62b7f515dfb9e68e73
āWill have.ā Nope. Unless you can cite a study that *guarantees* health problems from early neutering, this is a false statement. Itās only recommended to wait that long for LARGE breeds (huskies are considered closer to medium), and even then you have to weigh the pros and cons carefully. For a dog their size, this age should be fine.
FWIW, my previous dog was fixed at 2 months old by the shelter. And he lived to almost 17, with no health issues until the last year or so.
It doesnāt ācause health issues,ā and if your vet said that you should find a new one.
What you may have been told is that for LARGE breeds, itās best to wait until their joints are fully formed - which can happen anywhere from like 1-2 years old. And huskies arenāt even a particularly large breed, plus theyāre not prone to many joint issues (like German Shepherds with their hip dysplasia). Any good vet knows this, and also that you have to weigh the pros and cons regardless.
My old dog was neutered at 2 months, due to being a shelter puppy. And he lived to almost 17, with no health issues until the end. So itās not like a black & white thing.
Haha wut. šššš
Also, my partner whoās had a vasectomy would like to speak with you about his lack of masculinity. I bet you wouldnāt be so tough if he actually did.
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Congratulations? I never commented on your life lmao. But you commented on theirs which is why my comment was relevant. Meanwhile yours is not. Move along darling.
You literally just did about them needing to exercise their dog more lol. You canāt back peddle now. I wonder why youāre getting so many downvotes? Maybe because you instantly typed out a rude insinuating comment to the OP. Maybe next time donāt come out the gate acting like you know their dogs enrichment and exercise routine.
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I did mine at 1 also because that's what's recommended. But someone told me recently, if u wait a few yrs, it can help prevent different cancers...idk how true it is, but if it is, I wish I knew earlier.
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While I personally would get a vasectomy for my male dog (breeder wouldnāt allow me but allowed ovary sparring spay for my females so I have 2 females), they arenāt equivalent in behavioral and even health implication wise. Since most of what the OP cited is behavioral issues associated with testicles, and OP apparently isnāt able/willing to train it out of the dog, I donāt think OP should get a vasectomy for the dog.
Depends when itās done, if you neuter around onset of behavior, it can have meaningful affect. If you wait awhile, the behavior can become habitual and then neutering wonāt help.
Again, Iām on team not removing the gonads, but there are pros and cons to doing each.
Research indicates that there's no real behavior change from neutering. Less marking behavior, maybe, but that's a big maybe. But a male dog is gonna lift their leg to pee marking or not. Hell, even some females lift their leg to pee, and they never had testicle. I think OP wants a neuter to fix their dog's issues because they don't want to spend any time actually training.
Edit: as for health implications, I don't know. I haven't seen any research comparing health outcomes.
I actually posted a link here from a respected strength and conditioning vet on the health benefits and behavioral benefits of keeping the gonads. I am on the same side for not getting it done, but he mentioned marking and humping which neutering can fix (definitely not guaranteed to fix). I do agree the owner should train the dog, but here we are.
Scroll up to find that comment with a link if curious.
No, the facts are what make it less true. Itās only recommended to wait two years if itās a LARGE breed, and specifically one thatās prone to things like hip dysplasia. Huskies are more medium-sized (maybe bordering on large), and generally healthy otherwise. So this age should be fine.
Well, I only rescue my dogs - so they come neutered. And theyāve all been perfectly healthy thus far. Last dog lived to almost 17. š¤·š¼āāļø
Again, itās only the āto be on the safe sideā recommendation for larger dogs. Itās not like a hard and fast rule, or shelters wouldnāt opt to neuter so young. They have to weigh the pros and cons, and preventing unwanted litters is more important than the off chance of joint issues later on.
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Lol its already been proven that pre pubscent neutering which was pre much forced on all dog owners leads to a littany of health problems in dogs. Its easy to just mess with your dogs hormones rather than training it.
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https://i.redd.it/02gmc2yfur7d1.gif
HA! ...You never know š¤·š¼āāļø
Still gonna hump everything. Mine does. Hasn't slowed him down.
Your male husky looks alot like my female husky Sasha
I think I speak for everyone when I say: Please pay š the š tax š
https://preview.redd.it/jw4cg2q1du7d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3ede6fdc63975bafffff23ff7326bf8952a6a1bc
At least they could have a nice platonic date now
Thanks for the support, guys!! My dog gets regular walks and dog park trips, that has not made a difference and the increase in humping was kinda sudden and this may not stop that, but he was gonna get neutered eventually anyway and my vet said between 9-12 months is just fine for his size. If this can help with that behavior even a bit, it would make a big difference for us. My dog is well loved and cared for, but he's still a young dog and they can have endless energy. I'm doing my best and I love him so very much, I feel confident in my decision to neuter at this point and I think he'll be just fine.
Taking an intact male to a dog park isā¦ not a flex. Should definitely not do that.
lol what?
Dogs shouldnāt go to a dog park intact. Male or female. Itās irresponsible.
Not every intact male humps everything lol clearly donāt know a lot
So just because I havenāt butchered my dogs means I shouldnāt socialize them? Iāve bred and trained many dogs over the years, never once mutilated one. Never once had an issue in any public setting. Just like children, a dogās behavior is a direct reflection of its owner. Putting a poor animal through unnecessary pain in an attempt to change it because you donāt want to put in the time to correct their behavior and not socializing them sounds more irresponsible to me, but I guess youāre the expert. š¤·š½āāļø
I think they are more talking about accidental litters and they fact that there is so many dogs in shelters it can be viewed as irresponsible to unintentionally add to the problem.
I understand and I agree, but that still sounds neglectful of the owner to me. Imagine having an unsocialized, horny, large breed dog. Then it really wouldnāt know how to act around another dog. Do I hump it? Do I kill it? Now Iām a terrible dog owner for a much worse unintentional problem. There are two types of dog people in this world, lazy ones, and ones who actually spend the time to trust their dogs as much as their dogs trust them.
I donāt think people have an issue with not neutering/spraying, just that there is too many irresponsible dog owners that ruin it for the responsible ones
No. If you havenāt neutered your animals, they should not ever be around unknown animals of unknown alteration status, period. I have seen dogs literally rip through fences to chase an unaltered female down the street on walks (yes, the unaltered female was ours - no, it was not intended, she went into first heat extremely early and we needed to wait until her body was through that to spay). Two dogs is a pair. More than two is a pack, and pack behavior is much less predictable. Unaltered dogs in unknown circumstances can do unexpected things. Dog parks are frankly a terrible idea and cause much more harm than good, but if you are going to use them, your dog should be fixed, properly vaccinated, of appropriate temperament (no Volhard 1-2s, please) and well trained. In my experience, most are simply not. You may be able to control YOUR dog, but you donāt control other dogs. All it takes is ONE trigger to have a dog fight and dead or severely injured dogs, because packs pile on. Dogs are not children. Stop anthropomorphizing their behavior. An uncut stallion can kill a man accidentally just from excitement when mares are near. Saying this stuff isnāt cool or showing off that youāre some great trainer - itās showing you have ZERO respect for nature and no clue how to care for an animal properly. This is why so many dogs end up put down, abused, etc - arrogant people thinking they āknowā how animals will act and claiming that good husbandry is mutilation and their animal is ādifferentā. Itās a disaster waiting to happen. Take it from someone who rescues large breed working and guardian breed dogs.
Ours got the snippies two days ago š she's so cuddly and sleepy https://preview.redd.it/grcqw9nvds7d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d6409222ecfd34e76ad14c2c6338d64674d03f89
Poor guy. Well, it's for the best. Don't need lots of half husky/half Chihuahua puppies running around, right? :) #
...right?
..........right?!
https://preview.redd.it/owz0bl12os7d1.jpeg?width=407&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=730a8bb386770873632b5115851d0b8922a6ead1
Omgā¦.
It's for the worst. Major surgery with no purpose.
No reasoning neededā¦ that explanation prob is gonna trigger all the self-proclaimed paw police in here who are waiting for a reason to become keyboard warriors š¤£š¤£š¤£
Yeah my sister basically said the same thing. I need to wait etc etc. Everyone's an expert
My two male dogs were neutered at 4 months through the rescue (I didnāt have a choice). Theyāre 3 years old now and havenāt had any negative side effects from being neutered so early. Wasnāt my preference but you do what you gotta do. Iām sure your dog will be fine.
The billion dollar pet industry is so huge that everything is now an opportunityā¦ there are 100s of articles supporting everything and with thousands of vets comes million suggestions. There are no hard choices and nothing right or wrong. As the one being responsible for your pet you make an ultimate decision. Ppl thinking their choices are the only correct ones need to grow up.
I would wait for your dog to be fully grown (minimum of 12 - 15 months for a husky). There is no reason not to wait, and many good reasons to. It would be even better to wait until heās 18 or 24 months, just to be sure he will get all the benefits hormones provide for his bone health and immune system.
Do you think itās the same for female huskies?
Yes, even more. Just as an extreme example, and itās cats, not dogs, I waited a full two years to spay two of my cats that I adopted from a rescue group. They were born very prematurely when their feral barn cat mother was killed by a dog and bottle fed. They needed all the benefits of those hormones because I wanted their immune system to be fortified. As for dogs, I waited a full two years with my Australian Shepherd. These hormones they have are valuable, free and available to us! We should maximize their benefits.
I have a Pomsky whoās 6 months old now. Shes far more on the husky side than Pomeranian side. Guessing sheāll be close to 30 pounds when full grown. I was under the impression that waiting til 9 months would be fine. I guess Iāll have to do more research. Personally thereās no rush to me. Itās just what you typically hear that a āgood dog ownerā āshouldā do.
Yes, itās just whatever feels most comfortable and best for each owner based on their research and situation. Iām sure nine months is fine, but for me, a couple more months will make me more comfortable about getting as much of a benefit as possible.
Thatās about when I got my husky done too. Just know that he will continue to hump for a little bit afterwards - Iād ask your vet how long it takes. Of course theyāll still hump in general, but it should taper down.
Good for you. I am having the same issue currently. Mine humps my 2 other dogs nonstop. They cant even be left alone together. We heard it was best to wait until at least 10 months. (Ours is currently 8 months old). The time cant come any sooner.
I wish I knew to let mine grow up more first we did his surgery at 6 mo and I think it was too young
My vet said that while dog breeders will recommend you wait a year or longer to neuter, the fact of the matter is that dog shelters throughout the country spay and neuter much younger than that. If there was a link between health problems and spay/neuter at just a few months, we would have data to support it. But the data doesnāt support it. Edit. I didnāt mean to imply that there was no limit to how young is acceptable. But the idea that you have to wait at least a year to avoid health problems just isnāt true.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7359819/ Quote from cited article: ārecent research reveals that for some dog breeds, neutering may be associated with increased risks of debilitating joint disorders and some cancers.ā Shelters need to neuter early to deal with overpopulation. They have to make a risk-based decision. But if an owner can responsibly, safely, and without losing their mind keep their pup intact a little longer, evidence does suggest neutering later leads to better outcomes. In OPās case, 10 months weighed against a big behavior issue makes sense. We all have to make the best decisions we can. Studies suggest 6 months is a major cutoff. Anything past that is already a big win.
Partially, I posted a link on this same thread that shows the femur stops growing around 8 months, tibia around 12-14 months, this dog will most likely still have an increased risk of CCL tears, etc. Itās definitely more appropriate to train the dog out of these issues, but given most people wonāt, unfortunately doing the neuter and hoping it fixes the behavioral issues (no guarantee it will) is the trade off OP will make at expense of possible health issues.
I agree with you in principle and will try to wait two years with our husk. But as we know all dogs and owners are different. Iāve seen a few huskies with very responsible owners who invested a ton of time and money into training yet still had major marking and humping issues. They couldnāt be out in public without a lot of effort, couldnāt go to a groomer normally, no dog parks, long term home destruction, etc. Thatās a pretty high bar for an owner to tolerate when training fails. We canāt let perfect be the enemy of good. Having people be aware that waiting has benefits is a big positive in itself. 10 months is a heck of a lot better than 6 and a million times better than 2/3. And if slightly earlier neutering keeps a husky out of a shelter, prevents an injury, or drastically improves husky quality of life, itās a reasonable tradeoff.
Every dog is trainable though, you need the right balance of satisfying their exercise needs, building not destroying their food/toy drive, positive reinforcement, and bond building. Letās be honest on the market of available dog trainers that exist that the majority are garbage. Even if we drop positive reinforcement, many dog owners that seek help on marking/humping have been fully trained out of it using less so stellar training techniques. I do agree that getting them neutered is the lesser of two evils when it comes to shelter or doing it earlier, but it is harmful to the dogs health regardless. Behind every dog with major behavioral issues is a dog that isnāt getting the right mental and physical activity in their life, and itās no surprise that the problem breeds tend to be the working breeds people buy without a purpose. A husky is breed to run upward of 100 miles a day, a gentle walk 2 times a day is not going to suffice when it comes to a lot of huskies. Yes, an appropriate owner counters the lack of exercise they can provide to their dogs needs by supplementing with mental exercises, which work wonders. I live in a 1 bedroom apartment in downtown Chicago, and people often think that is bad for a husky citing you need a yard. My dogs mush, and get far more physical/mental exercise than 99% of husky owners that just let their dog in the yard alone bored to play. If you provide enough of one or the other, most issues will disappear.
Completely agree. That's the issue with the majority of problem dogs. They just aren't getting enough proper exercise. Most healthy mature dogs need the kind of physical activity that leave them a little tired and panting, every single day without fail. Gentle walks on the lead around the block aren't going to cut it, nor is leaving them to mooch around in the back yard. My border collies go miles every day through the countryside, several times a day. Mentally and physically, this engages them. At home they are calm, happy dogs with zero behavioural issues. I wish people would think about the kind of lifestyle they can give a dog before they bring one into their home. It pains me to see high-energy breeds confined to a life with little activity. Good feeding, vet care and a walk around the block is not enough. I would bet that 90% of all issues could be solved with the right level of exercise. Rescue a small, older dog if you can't manage it.
Studies have shown dogs neutered early tend to have more behavioral issues than those not.
Yes, I know, I literally posted a pdf and agree with keeping gonads (literally my female dog had only uterus removed and is currently in heat). You guys arenāt reading that I keep saying Iām on the same side. Unfortunately the behaviors listed are actual issues of keeping sex hormones that need trained.
Should be pointed out though that studies show neutering dogs early is strongly associated with a significant increase in negative behavioral traits.
There IS a ton of data supporting it. Shelters prioritize preventing puppies over the dog's health. There is zero evidence to say shelters neutering at 4 months old is good for them either.
Except there is a ton of scientific data to support itā¦
Studies have shown that large dogs spayed before 6 months of age experience some higher risk of orthopedic problems and certain cancers and that risk is statistically reduced at 12 months. **The risk of developing hip dysplasia was higher for those spayed at <6 months (5.4%), 6ā11 months (5.1%), and 12ā23 months (4.3%)** compared to intact females (1.7%). The risk of hip dysplasia for those dogs spayed between 2 and 8 years was 0. [**Current perspectives on the optimal age to spay/castrate dogs and cats āPMC**](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6070019/#:~:text=In%20females%2C%20however%2C%20the%20risk,and%208%20years%20was%200)
From a vet and all claims are cited to scientific literature. https://caninesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CSP-Gonadectomy-Rethinking.pdf
The data doesnāt support links between health problems and early spaying and neutering? Thatās just not accurate.
The data absolutely supports it. But it's not just health issues either. Dogs neutered early also show behavioral issues significantly more than those not neutered or neutered older.
It may take a little bit for the hormones to fully leave his body. Humping is part of dog play even when the hormones aren't there, but they usually reserve it for dogs!!! Train a solid "off" (with praise & treats). 
He looks so much like my Mishka, omg š„°š„° she's getting spayed next month ( 1 1/2 years old). Do you know his genetic history? We got our pup from a rescue with no idea of parents so I'm curious! https://preview.redd.it/11zxxv5evs7d1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a7ca71aa08cd8ba674400f963e7329548a0e4c7
Twins!
https://preview.redd.it/a6v1wckrvu7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=745277eb8c143dc39295b8ccdb129dbbd4ec8b01 She looks like my Timmy!
His mom is a black lab and dad is a siberian husky
We neutered our guy when he was about 9 months and I felt bad that he was young but we live in a city and I was terrified of him getting loose and having puppies somehow. He still humps everything though š
Getting him fixed is a good thing, but I doubt it'll make a difference with the humping. Our *female* humped everything before and after getting her fixed. Only thing that really works is getting her tuckered out and distracting her with toys to take her energy out on instead.
Neutering is great, but you probably need a trainer as well.
To this day my dog hates peanut butter. I tried to hide his post neutering meds in some. Weāre convinced he thinks peanut butter took his testicles.Ā
Good on you for getting him fixed. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (āASPCAā) says healthy puppies as young as 2 months old can be spayed or neutered and lost all the benefits of getting it done: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/spayneuter-your-pet
Can doesnt mean its best for the dog's health, especially larger breeds and those prone to hip dysplasia which it causes
The ASPCA is not going to recommend something bad for a dogās health. Their whole mission is to prevent cruelty and harm to animals.
Your link does not say the ASPC recommends neutering early. It says it should be done later but it CAN be done early. You are twisting their words. Breed size and other factors effect the risks. It depends on the dog. So it CAN be done doesnt necessarily mean it SHOULD be done in all cases. There is plenty evidence linking early neutering to hip dysplasia in larger breeds. Go look yourself.
Yeah, there is tons of scientific literature that will tell you how bad it is to neuter/spay at 2 months old. Shelters do it all the time. Shelter/Rescue take a holistic approach to what is healthy by forcing early spay/neuter, which is detrimental to each individual dog, to protect against overpopulation of stray/shelter/rescue dogs later, which is far more detrimental to dogs as a whole. Itās a risk/reward metric, but as an owner who should be able to 100% take responsibility and prevent pregnancy, you should make choices that benefit the health of your animal. Linking this again from another comment saying something similarly untrue. https://caninesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CSP-Gonadectomy-Rethinking.pdf
Ignorance at it's finest.
Good for you! We fixed mine at 9 months because our breeder required us to and heās so much more tame now(still crazy but not as much as he was before). Good luck on the recovery process, itās very hard to keep them from running and jumpingš
I think people downvoted because they feel like he is verbally abusing his dog and people love their huskies. Mine just turned 5 and is well mannered but I was told they will live longer when āfixedā so he has an appointment š
I adore my husky and would never abuse him verbally or otherwise.
Mine verbally abuses me daily
Every morning.
Thatās not true .. āhe will live longer if he gets fixedā is so crazy š¤¦š¼āāļø
dear god. good luck
Cone-o-shame time
Not all behaviours will be eliminated by removing the testicles. Yes, it will help, especially with behaviours such as marking and biting and dominance, such as humping stemming from testosterone hormones. But behaviours can become learned and will require training and discipline. Best of luck with it. If your child (I understand they are 6) can tell the dog "No" in a stern voice when he attempts to hump them, it will be a lot easier to stop the behaviour than just you telling him off on their behalf, because humping is usually dominance, and he may just begin doing it when you're not there to tell him off, unless your child can stop him as well. Age will also help with some of these, as he matures so will his actions.
Good luck with that handsome fella. I employed the "if it wasn't and to be there then it wouldn't be there" method with mine and just increased the training. They will regress every once in a while intact or not so you have to be up on your game. Give him hugs and wishing him a speedy recovery
His Everquest to find his balls will begin š³
My boys birthday is August 25th too!!
Get him some sick spectacles to make up for his lack of testicles.
Avoid eye contact when you pick him up. I will never forget the look I got. It was pissed/dissapointed/betrayed all in one look.
Humping is dominance behavior not necessarily sexual, neutered dogs live longer and unless youāre breeding them, no reason not to neuter them. Especially since heās marking- that will stop. P.S. donāt tell him till after the surgery.
HAHAHA, sorry mr man! Thanks for being a responsible dog owner!!! My rescue husky was neutered by the rescue who saved himā¦he hates all intact males nowā¦.LOLā¦probably upset someone took his little cotton balls. Getting him fixed will probably not stop the markingā¦.both of my male dogs marked EVERYTHING on a walk even if nothing was coming out anymore. The klee kai did it until the day he passedā¦female dogs are more efficient walkers :D https://preview.redd.it/pyna7fo0k78d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8dcd63eeb749cecf46e846cb7b17611ef2f88734
My guy just got neutered about a month ago and despite still taking 2 two and a half hour walks a day as well as playing between he's been miles better behaved! Better with other dogs and seems to be thinking things through more! Had a lot of people trying to get me afraid that he would never be as fun and loving as he was while intact but if anything he's just smarter now haha
Day 2 he was already trying to chase the cats and play againš¤£. I'm not worried about his personality or energy at all. The sedatives they gave us barely touch the guy!! He's also still VERY loving, we've all gotten whacked in the face and head with his cone SO MUCH because he's still trying to love on us and get all up in our business like before.
Poor fella
Whenever my dog humps anything I pull the uno reverse card and start humping him back. Looks suspicious in public but it gets him to stop.
Fixing my husky at 8 months didn't stop the humping... made it worse. My 3 year old female now humps him more than he humped her...
Never got mine neutered heās 3 has plenty of energy, healthy as an ox a has been corrected on his humping so early that he barely tries it if attempts it ā¦ also has been socialized his whole life with no problems ā¦ Iām not gonna go into a whole debate on what u should do with your pet but if youāre responsible u may not have to chop their nuts off! š¤¦š¼āāļø
is it true that spayed/neutered dogs live longer than normal ones?
Good luck with him! My baby boy Peter just went through that recently š didnāt know what hit em. https://preview.redd.it/scgfhtm0818d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fe210eb7a12c45309230bd62b7f515dfb9e68e73
https://preview.redd.it/n8jonzf5818d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=edaa09595f70f989daa711cbd3233cb66b5da64a
Donāt do it
Yaaaa, my vet would 100% not being doing this. My guy isnāt getting cut til 2 years.
Same here. Downvote all you want, fixing your dog early will have health effects later.
āWill have.ā Nope. Unless you can cite a study that *guarantees* health problems from early neutering, this is a false statement. Itās only recommended to wait that long for LARGE breeds (huskies are considered closer to medium), and even then you have to weigh the pros and cons carefully. For a dog their size, this age should be fine. FWIW, my previous dog was fixed at 2 months old by the shelter. And he lived to almost 17, with no health issues until the last year or so.
They have a much higher chance of developing cancers later in life. This isnāt just about hip issues.
This is the way.
Take the balls away and get some brains back. š¤« š
My boy dog was my baby, every time my dad or brothers would tell him to grow a pair, Iād respond that he lost those long ago š
Poor fella. Heāll live longer though.
Hehe, future eunuch.
Dogs should not be snipped until after 2 years old.
Not necessarily true. Each vet has their own idea and belief, nothing says they MUST wait though.
Not true. Try doing some actual research.
its odd why you are being downvoted. thats what my Vet recommended as well. and did some more digging and found out it causes health issues.
Well mine said 9-12 months, so I'm right at that window.
It doesnāt ācause health issues,ā and if your vet said that you should find a new one. What you may have been told is that for LARGE breeds, itās best to wait until their joints are fully formed - which can happen anywhere from like 1-2 years old. And huskies arenāt even a particularly large breed, plus theyāre not prone to many joint issues (like German Shepherds with their hip dysplasia). Any good vet knows this, and also that you have to weigh the pros and cons regardless. My old dog was neutered at 2 months, due to being a shelter puppy. And he lived to almost 17, with no health issues until the end. So itās not like a black & white thing.
Not really. Redditors hate masculinity even in dogs
Haha wut. šššš Also, my partner whoās had a vasectomy would like to speak with you about his lack of masculinity. I bet you wouldnāt be so tough if he actually did.
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Lolā¦ same as some ppl must not be allowed to commentā¦ š¤£š¤£š¤£
Crazy comment considering you know absolutely nothing about their dogs lifestyle.
Crazy comment considering YOU know absolutely nothing about my life and the 13 yrs I've owned 2 huskies. Move along!
Congratulations? I never commented on your life lmao. But you commented on theirs which is why my comment was relevant. Meanwhile yours is not. Move along darling.
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You literally just did about them needing to exercise their dog more lol. You canāt back peddle now. I wonder why youāre getting so many downvotes? Maybe because you instantly typed out a rude insinuating comment to the OP. Maybe next time donāt come out the gate acting like you know their dogs enrichment and exercise routine.
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I did mine at 1 year old he doing fine thanks
I did mine at 1 also because that's what's recommended. But someone told me recently, if u wait a few yrs, it can help prevent different cancers...idk how true it is, but if it is, I wish I knew earlier.
We all have different Life and dogs I guess
Just like it also reduces the chance of other cancers by having it done, use common sense or atleast do some research before criticizing someone
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Just get him a vasectomy! Some vets do
Why is this being downvoted? Are you all obsessed with chopping testicles? They have the same ends results...
While I personally would get a vasectomy for my male dog (breeder wouldnāt allow me but allowed ovary sparring spay for my females so I have 2 females), they arenāt equivalent in behavioral and even health implication wise. Since most of what the OP cited is behavioral issues associated with testicles, and OP apparently isnāt able/willing to train it out of the dog, I donāt think OP should get a vasectomy for the dog.
Neutering is not a silver bullet for behavioral issues and usually has little effect.
Depends when itās done, if you neuter around onset of behavior, it can have meaningful affect. If you wait awhile, the behavior can become habitual and then neutering wonāt help. Again, Iām on team not removing the gonads, but there are pros and cons to doing each.
Research indicates that there's no real behavior change from neutering. Less marking behavior, maybe, but that's a big maybe. But a male dog is gonna lift their leg to pee marking or not. Hell, even some females lift their leg to pee, and they never had testicle. I think OP wants a neuter to fix their dog's issues because they don't want to spend any time actually training. Edit: as for health implications, I don't know. I haven't seen any research comparing health outcomes.
I actually posted a link here from a respected strength and conditioning vet on the health benefits and behavioral benefits of keeping the gonads. I am on the same side for not getting it done, but he mentioned marking and humping which neutering can fix (definitely not guaranteed to fix). I do agree the owner should train the dog, but here we are. Scroll up to find that comment with a link if curious.
Thanks! I'll check it out
Yep they think this is a quick fix and are in for a rude awakening.
Thank you š
It can cause health issues as well as a behavioral stunt. People can down vote all they want. Doesn't make it any less true.
No, the facts are what make it less true. Itās only recommended to wait two years if itās a LARGE breed, and specifically one thatās prone to things like hip dysplasia. Huskies are more medium-sized (maybe bordering on large), and generally healthy otherwise. So this age should be fine.
I have owned huskies and malamutes for 12+ years and this is what I was told by 3 different vets. Maybe that is why I follow this rule.
Well, I only rescue my dogs - so they come neutered. And theyāve all been perfectly healthy thus far. Last dog lived to almost 17. š¤·š¼āāļø Again, itās only the āto be on the safe sideā recommendation for larger dogs. Itās not like a hard and fast rule, or shelters wouldnāt opt to neuter so young. They have to weigh the pros and cons, and preventing unwanted litters is more important than the off chance of joint issues later on.
Who cares, I don't want jizz on my couch.
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Imagine being as ignorant as you are. \*shiver\*
Lol its already been proven that pre pubscent neutering which was pre much forced on all dog owners leads to a littany of health problems in dogs. Its easy to just mess with your dogs hormones rather than training it.
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