Boston Terrier Neutering

km991148

Hi,

We have a male Boston terrier puppy, who seems to be (mostly!) turning out to a great little dog. He is of athletic build and is just starting to fill out in terms of muscle definition. He seems mostly good natured and so far shows no real sign of aggression or any other territorial behaviours.

However, I am worried about what to do re neutering. He is 10 months old and is starting to show some signs of sexual maturity (Pillow humping, very occasional marking - although I think we have trained this out him and the odd bit of over excitement - i.e. running about like a mad one*).

Because they are a bit of a tall breed (relative to their short size) we were worried that if we neutered too early he may experience joint problems.

Are there any other Boston owners out there (or similar breed dogs) that can share their experiences?

Note - I am aware of all the arguments for neutering - over population/perceived health benefits etc and dont want to start a general debate on the subject. We are responsible owners but want to pick the right time for his overall health.

Cheers,
km

*I know bostons do tend to have their 'crazy' moments but when he starts its a 5min or so period of absolute craziness - bouncing off the side of the sofa etc!

phea2

Hi, i'm getting a 7 months old boston terrier next week and thinking of getting him neutered as well. would like to know when is good to get him done

DBB

km991148 wrote: »

*I know bostons do tend to have their 'crazy' moments but when he starts its a 5min or so period of absolute craziness - bouncing off the side of the sofa etc!

Enjoy these! And video them too. And then, post the video up here :pac:

Okay, re neutering. I was always an ardent supporter of it. Still am. But I have moderated my views on it based on the evidence being gathered by scientists as time goes on.
Joint problems, and other health problems, are more associated with larger breed dogs when neutered early (pre-1 year old), particularly males. However, my own feeling is that we just don't know enough yet to say with confidence that owners of small breeds, or females, can go ahead and neuter early.
If I bought a new pup, of any breed, I'd be waiting until he or she has gone well past the 1 year mark before I had him/her neutered. There is no chance of one of my dogs getting out to impregnate or get pregnant, bottom line.
If I had a male, I'd see how things were going, and not necessarily be in any huge rush to get him neutered at all. If he was expressing hormone-related problem behaviours which were not responding to intervention, if he was getting stressed about nearby females coming into heat, I would neuter him.
If I'd a female, just because of the whole coming-into-heat thing, the effect it can have on moods and wellbeing etc, I'd be looking at having her done between 1.5 to 2 years.
Almost all of the health risks associated with leaving a dog or bitch intact are tiny... not that the ardent pro-neutering lobby (I was one of them:o) would tell you. Yes, neutering has been associated with x% increased risk of various cancers, but the risk in the first place was almost 0. X% of almost 0 is still a very small risk! In fact, neutering increases the risk of some conditions in males and females: small risks, but risks all the same.
So, my take on it is that as long as the dog is happy, you're happy, and no unwanted pups are going to come of it, leave 'em be a while:)
I DEMAND to see a pic of your Boston now OP

boomerang

On one point I can't agree with you, DBB. Pyo and mammary cancer. Two major killers of older, unspayed bitches. Both extremely common. I'd go so far as to say pyo is inevitable, though generally not life-threatening if it's open pyo and the owner spots it.

DBB

boomerang wrote: »

On one point I can't agree with you, DBB. Pyo and mammary cancer. Two major killers of older, unspayed bitches. Both extremely common. I'd go so far as to say pyo is inevitable, though generally not life-threatening if it's open pyo and the owner spots it.

DBB wrote: »

If I'd a female, just because of the whole coming-into-heat thing, the effect it can have on moods and wellbeing etc, I'd be looking at having her done between 1.5 to 2 years.

I think we do agree I'll admit to missing out on that point in my post, pyo is most definitely a biiiggg problem in older, unspayed bitches, but I suppose it was included in my general *thing* about being more careful about getting a bitch spayed

Knine

boomerang wrote: »

On one point I can't agree with you, DBB. Pyo and mammary cancer. Two major killers of older, unspayed bitches. Both extremely common. I'd go so far as to say pyo is inevitable, though generally not life-threatening if it's open pyo and the owner spots it.

Both are common but easy enough to spot. My bitches would be spayed much older then the norm. They would have much better muscle tone & coats then their spayed counterparts. Pyo can happen in younger bitches too.

I never get males done and never have any problems.

phea2

At 7 months old his testicules haven't dropped yet. Would that be a reason to get him neutered?

Knine

phea2 wrote: »

At 7 months old his testicules haven't dropped yet. Would that be a reason to get him neutered?

Yes if they don't drop he would need to be neutered however I would give him a bit more time as it is more evasive and expensive procedure in your dogs situation. Where they ever dropped? Sometimes a dog that has two at a younger age can have one undescended again because as the dog matures one of the cords ends up too short.

phea2

I dont think they were ever dropped but i'll ask the breed. when you say more expensive procedure, how much more are we talking about?

km991148

Thanks for the replies. We think we may wait for the 1 year mark, although it seems he has stopped growing and as far as I can tell that's the main thing before continuing.

I want to be able to let him off lead without him running a mile after a female! Also - he has had a couple of short stays in kennels and its driving him crazy with other dogs about and hormones everywhere.

Here is a pic a couple o months back, although he has got a little more muscle on him now:

http://500px.com/photo/38559226

No chance of recording the mad attack.. its every man for themselves when that goes down!