New study on Neutering/Spaying
Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for 35 Breeds of Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence I found this study to be very interesting. Back in the day, it wa...
Forum Discussion
I'm not in any way suggesting that neutering/spaying is not beneficial - I absolutely agree it is.
But in deciding WHEN to neuter/spay your dog, breed and gender should be evaluated. This study is the first to really look at breed/gender differences and it shows that there are far more variables than a simple "wait til the dog is X, Y or Z age" before neutering.
I really wanted to bring it up because there is a growing belief that neutering/spaying is overall bad for your dog and that it creates an increase in aggression, increases health issues, etc.
Part of that is because articles have been written summarizing studies that state "the obvious conclusion" is X", when the study itself specifically warns against making that conclusion - Dr Stanley Coren did that in regards to a study looking at aggression and neutering. He wrote that the "obvious conclusion" was that neutering, and especially early neutering, caused INCREASED aggression in dogs - but the study only found that neutering (at any age) did not DECREASE aggression.
The other part is because of the general finding that large breed dogs show an increase in joint disorders with early neutering, so people tend to generalize that further and argue that no dog should be neutered before two years old.
But in deciding WHEN to neuter/spay your dog, breed and gender should be evaluated. This study is the first to really look at breed/gender differences and it shows that there are far more variables than a simple "wait til the dog is X, Y or Z age" before neutering.
I really wanted to bring it up because there is a growing belief that neutering/spaying is overall bad for your dog and that it creates an increase in aggression, increases health issues, etc.
Part of that is because articles have been written summarizing studies that state "the obvious conclusion" is X", when the study itself specifically warns against making that conclusion - Dr Stanley Coren did that in regards to a study looking at aggression and neutering. He wrote that the "obvious conclusion" was that neutering, and especially early neutering, caused INCREASED aggression in dogs - but the study only found that neutering (at any age) did not DECREASE aggression.
The other part is because of the general finding that large breed dogs show an increase in joint disorders with early neutering, so people tend to generalize that further and argue that no dog should be neutered before two years old.
