What age to neuter a golden? - Page 3 - Golden Retrievers : Golden Retriever Dog Forums

**Willow52** · #21 (**permalink**) 01-16-2013, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CStrong73

I wanted to wait, because of the health benefits. But I'm having a really difficult time house taining Rocket. I thought we were there at 5 or 6 months. He'd been accident free for weeks. But then he started peeing in the house again.

The vet, our trainer, and the breeder all agreed that it was teenage hormones kicking in and he was "marking". Vet thought neutering might help curb the behavior. And while the breeder prefers to wait to neuter, sje did also say that neutering might help.

So, we had Rocket neutered at 8 months.

ETA: This was a personal decision. I know some would say this is still just a housetraining issue and with work on the training, we wouldn't need to neuter. I can't argue with that. But with everything I have going on and knowing I was never going to breed or show, I figured I'd take any possible help I could get.

The choice to neuter Hank at 1 yr. rather than 18 mos. was due to him wanting to mark in the house. He was completely housebroke but marked on DGD's bed (corner). I wasn't taking a chance with him marking on things like beds or sofas, things that can't easily be cleaned and would hold odor. He didn't squat & pee, it was a lift-his-leg "squirt-squirt" kind of pee. I made the appointment for the next week and he never tried it again. I noticed a big decrease in marking outdoors as well after he was neutered. Yes, some would say it was an house training issue, maybe it is with some, but I don't believe it was in Hank's case.

While outdoors I also noticed a BIG difference in his attention to me/us rather than his nose in the air. This put me more at ease since we have an invisible fence and not knowing if he did smell a nearby female in heat, would he take-off.

**Claudia M** · #22 (**permalink**) 01-16-2013, 04:30 PM

Never neutered any of the male dogs and we never had any markings in the house. Never had a fence either and the only time one of our male dogs left our territory was when he was 12. I was gardening and he always laid right next to me under a tree. I guess with all the meds he was taking and his old age his mind just slipped and started wandering in the neighborhood. That one time was the biggest scare of my life.

Wyatt's mommy · #23 (**permalink**) 01-16-2013, 04:43 PM

I had one neutered at age 2 and the other at 7 months. Both were fine. If I had to change anything it would had been to neuter the 2 year old earlier.