Future Breeding.... To Neuter or Not to Neuter

[K_Mondy]

Good morning!

So while our male EM is only 4 months old, we're trying to decide whether or not we want to get him neutered, o rif we want to breed him eventually. The vets of course keep advising that we should be scheduling his neutering as soon as possible and to have his stomach tacked (or whatever the proper term is) at the same time. We would like to breed him at some point, but we aren't 100% set either way. I'm not familiar with all of the pro's and con's with breeding out a male dog, when to neuter, stomach tacking, etc. What are your thoughts? How old should he be before he can be bred? Is it more strongly advised NOT to breed, and to get him neutered at 1 year or so? Does anyone have experience with the stomach tacking procedure?

Any information would be greatly appreciated

 

[DMikeM]

Sounds like your vet needs to make a house payment. Neutering a male dog does not require opening up the body cavity so doing a tack job is an additional job not like with a female that they open them up and while they are there lets go ahead and do the tack.

Mastiffs should be at least 18 months before spay or neuter. Any disease your vet wants to throw at you about leaving him intact is just scare tactics and can be dealt with if they ever arise and are a minimal health risk to your dog. Conversely if you get your dog neutered it can't be undone and the health hazards and risks that might develop are worse and most cannot be fixed once they show up. If you need links to resources I can provide many as can many of those that use this forum. Here is the best overall link though. It gives you the case study info and the pages associated with them.
Spay and Neuter Decisions - References

 

[Rugers-Kris]

As for neutering, it should not be done before the pup is 2 years old. Breeding? Unless your dog brings A LOT to the breed there is no reason to breed him. What does your breeder say about breeding the pup? You can't possibly know at four months old if your boy is going to be breed worthy as he hasn't even matured yet. Do his parents bring something to the table? What is the lineage and accomplishments. Does your puppy meet the standard for his breed so far and whether he still will once matured are questions you would need to answer. Temperament is very important. He should be exceptional in that he offers some way to better the breed in some way or there is no reason to breed him. Also, many health tests should be done prior to breeding a dog and none of the tests can be done before they are matured (No younger than 2 years old).

I am sure that some of the experienced breeders will come along and offer more specifics.

 

[angelbears]

I applaud you for researching before just jumping into something. I agree with getting a new vet or at the very least I would ask him why would he suggest neutering a giant breed that early? if you are going to tack, I would do it when he gets neutered not because they use the same incision but because he is already under anesthesia. Anesthesia is very hard on the giants. I would also make sure that your vet knows the correct anesthesia protocol. Just because our dogs are big doesn't mean they should get more anesthesia. A mistake that some vets make. More common than you would think.

IMHO, as far as breeding goes it is a science and a career. You don't just throw two dogs together and cross your fingers that everything will turn out alright. So many things can go wrong with this approach. Hip displasia, auto-immune, improper temperament, the list goes on.

Good luck and thanks for researching first.

 

[TricAP]

Something sounds off - JMO but I'd be looking for another vet, 4 months is WAY to early to neuter any male dog, all the dangly bits aren't even fully developed. Reading about vets like this makes me appreciate mine all the more!

Why are they suggesting the stomach tacking? Has he had problems already?

 

[K_Mondy]

Thanks for all of the input everyone! I've definitely learned about not neutering at such a young age - that's not even on my radar to do right now (I agree, my vet isn't the brightest with this subject), and I should have clarified that the reason for doing the stomach tacking at the same time was solely because of the anesthesia. As for breeding, the more I read and think about it, I don't think we'll end up breeding him. Sure, the money aspect would be great, but I don't know enough about his history or his parents' histories to make a good/responsible call. I also have NO experience with it so I'll leave the breeding to the pros, and won't be looking to have him neutered until he's about 2! We never had our Rotties neutered and never had any health or temperament concerns with them.... I'll just have to be more firm with the vet that I'm not interested in neutering right now

He hasn't had any issues at all with his stomach - the vet mentioned doing it just as a precaution because it's such a common issue with Mastiffs. NOW I'm concerned that I should be finding a new vet. I've had some unexplainable discomfort towards the 2 vets at the clinic that we've seen (their opinions don't match up much with what i read here), so I'm going to research a more reliable vet for giant breeds. Any advice on how to go about doing so?

Thanks again everyone!!

 

[DMikeM]

I want to also commend you for doing a great job and asking the right questions. You are a good Mastiff Companion, not just a dog owner.

 

[Rugers-Kris]

If/when you neuter him, I would say the stomach tacking is a good thing to get done. I have two males (English Mastiff who will be 3 years old this month and a Great Dane that is 20 months old and I have no intention to neuter them at all unless a medical need arises. Of course, that requires being responsible and making sure that there is no chance of them mating accidentally.

 

[TricAP]

Thanks for all of the input everyone! I've definitely learned about not neutering at such a young age - that's not even on my radar to do right now (I agree, my vet isn't the brightest with this subject), and I should have clarified that the reason for doing the stomach tacking at the same time was solely because of the anesthesia. As for breeding, the more I read and think about it, I don't think we'll end up breeding him. Sure, the money aspect would be great, but I don't know enough about his history or his parents' histories to make a good/responsible call. I also have NO experience with it so I'll leave the breeding to the pros, and won't be looking to have him neutered until he's about 2! We never had our Rotties neutered and never had any health or temperament concerns with them.... I'll just have to be more firm with the vet that I'm not interested in neutering right now

He hasn't had any issues at all with his stomach - the vet mentioned doing it just as a precaution because it's such a common issue with Mastiffs. NOW I'm concerned that I should be finding a new vet. I've had some unexplainable discomfort towards the 2 vets at the clinic that we've seen (their opinions don't match up much with what i read here), so I'm going to research a more reliable vet for giant breeds. Any advice on how to go about doing so?

Thanks again everyone!!

Tips for Choosing Best Veterinarian for Pet Care


Here is an article I found helpful when we moved states and had to find a new vet. If I didn't get answers the coincided with what I was looking for I moved on. Yes I actually interviewed the vets and observed their offices to see how the front staff treated the animals. Took me over 6 months and countless phone calls and walk in's to find one but I am totally comfortable with them and their knowledge of giant breeds (one of the vets had Danes.) Hang in there like others have said you are asking the right questions and trusting your own gut reaction on what is right for you dogs.

 

[musicdeb]

K_Mondy, here's some info re: breeding.

Breeding requires health certification, requires a lot of cash upfront and no pup should be breed before the age of 2 years. Reputable breeders breed for the betterment of the breed.

Ask yourself the following questions:

What makes your pup so special that you want to breed them?
Are you able to handle 8-10 puppies that you may not able to find good homes? Are you able to do home checks to be sure the home is suitable for the pups? Are you able to feed, provide shelter and provide medical care for 8-10 puppies?
Are you able to keep the pups returned to you due to health issues or temperament issues?
Are you able to cull some puppies because they are physically inept or mentally inept because they do not better the breed and are unadoptable?

Too many people want to breed but do not know what it takes to be a responsible, reputable breeder. Too many unwanted pups are being surrendered to shelters and rescues because BYB's (Backyard Breeders) did not have a clue as to how to be a responsible, reputable breeder. Most BYB*s are in it for the money with no regards to the puppies health or temperament.

Both stud and bitch need the health tests listed here (5 Health Tests Your Stud Dog Needs), and they will require trips to canine specialists for the bare minimum eye and heart tests. Your regular vet can do the blood pull for the thyroid check, but you may also need a specialist for the hip and elbow x-rays. Thyroid, heart and eyes, can be done as early as 1 year of age while hips and elbows shouldn't be done till after the age of 2 years.

Both stud and bitch need to be tested for brucellosis, which is a canine STD, even if they're both virgin.

I do not mean to be harsh but reality can be very harsh. Please research breeding before making the decision to breed.