What age should I neuter my australian shepherd?
Male dogs are neutered by surgically removing their testicles. This is ideally done before they reach puberty, that stage when they start producing sex hormones for the first time. For male dogs, it happens when they’re approximately 6 months old but it still depends on the dog’s breed and size.
Furparents are concerned about the right time to neuter their dogs. Having them neutered too early or too late might present health risks to their beloved pets. There’s a greater risk of hemangiosarcoma if male dogs are neutered too early whereas having them castrated too late poses the problem of having unwanted babies and increases the risk of prostate cancer. Most vets recommend that you have your Australian Shepherd neutered between 4 to 9 months. While it may seem like a big gap, don’t worry because your vet will know when it’s the right time to have your Aussie neutered. They will take everything into consideration, not just their age, before they castrate your Aussie.
Aussie furparents observe behavioral problems in their pets when they’re about to enter the puberty stage. Their male Aussies get irritated often and have aggressive tendencies leading to biting. There are times when they don’t respond to commands given to them even when they were overall a very good dog before the onset of puberty. Some are bothered by their heavy humping and annoyed when they pee on everything around the yard. They often think that these behavioral changes will go away once their male Aussies get neutered. But just to clarify, that they will still exhibit these behavioral changes even if they were already neutered. It’s part of their development. It’s like raising teenagers. They need a lot of exercise and training to address those behavioral changes.
