Neutering?

[ZiggyRuffy]

Hey Everyone! I have an 8 and a half month old German Shepherd. I was wondering whether neutering will halt or slow down his growth?he is about 27 inches tall and weighs 100 lbs. he isn't fat at all and loves to play. Anyway, Ive been reading the other threads about neutering and I read that neutering makes your dog more "feminine"..... Is that true?can anyone attest to it? Also, I want to neuter my dog for financial reasons, the licensing fee is just to crazy in California ($100). That's not a lot, however, I'm a college student now, so it definitely adds up.

[msvette2u]

You're going to get a mixed bag here, most of it opinions, a few studies bandied about but personal experience is best.

At his age, it would not harm him at all to be neutered, no, and that's my opinion but also after doing the past 6 yrs. as a rescuer and neutering hundreds of male dogs.
Even if he "looked" a bit more feminine (and again the jury is out on that, genetics play a larger role than neutering) is that a decent trade off for cheaper licensing and perhaps even avoiding some of those nasty "boy" behaviors like marking his territory?

[ZiggyRuffy]

I also read about dogs more prone to allergies. Is that due to neutering or could signs of anpllergies show up later in a dog's life?

[msvette2u]

Neutering has nothing to do with allergies, no.
Allergies can be hereditary, so if you purchased from a responsible breeder who only breeds the best of the best (which would mean no allergies) then you could be fairly certain your dog won't suffer from them.

[ZiggyRuffy]

Yeah, my dog is happy and healthy. So I'm going to go through with it then. Thanks for your help!

[ZiggyRuffy]

Oh should I wait until he is a year or pull the trigger now?

[FlyAway]

Neutering young will cause your dog to grow taller due to delayed closing of the growth plates. Anyway, that's what they say. Google "neutering growth plates".

[msvette2u]

Originally Posted by ZiggyRuffy

Oh should I wait until he is a year or pull the trigger now?

It's really your personal preference. Your dog is already taller than the standard and I'm betting at his age his growth plates are closed already - testosterone starts about now.

[Doc]

The most recent studies recommend waiting until at least 2.5 years old.

[ZiggyRuffy]

Does neutering make your dog less protective? Or not?