To Alter or Not?

There's an emerging body of evidence suggesting that it's beneficial to wait to alter our dogs until they're mature. The research indicates that avoiding pediatric altering is even more crucial for certain breeds, but that all breeds can benefit from sex hormones as they mature. Although more research is needed, these findings are certainly logical. These hormones have a role, and removing them before maturity seems illogical.

At Bedlam Acres, we encourage owners to wait to alter until their pups are mature, around 12 mos for girls and 18 mos for boys. As Dalmatians carry the genetic predisposition to forming urate urinary crystals, ensuring males have a properly formed and mature urethra is beneficial beyond overall maturity.

Should we alter at all?

This is a question that will have a different answer for each home. Those owners wishing to board their dogs when they go away may find it difficult to find a kennel that will take their intact pet.

Intact dogs may be less likely to mesh and play well with other males, I liken my young intact males to frat boys who won't start a fight but are hoping another dog might.

Though it's very doable, managing a girl through seasons is an added challenge and hassle. Each season an intact girl goes through increases their risk of mammary tumours, and any season a girl isn't bred is a risk for pyometra (a serious and potentially fatal infection of the uterus). Neither of these risks are astronomically high, many girls go through life intact without a pyo and without developing mammary tumours, but they're arguably unnecessary risks in a girl with no plans to breed.

Boys can be a bit simpler. Without the management of seasons, it's simply being a responsible dog owner and not allowing your dog to breed. Some intact males will have challenging behaviours associated with testosterone including mounting, marking, distraction around in-season females etc. In some dogs, this can be well managed with training, in others perhaps not.

Hazzard was always a very easy intact male. He could hike with other intact males without issue, was manageable around in-season girls until they were in standing season/had ovulated, and could work through the distraction of girls in season at events (his partner for his BH was in standing season).

I elected to neuter Hazzard at 5 having bred him twice and collected him for future breedings. Even in a dog who wasn't much of a handful intact, the difference was remarkable. When the next round of in-season heathens came around, Hazzard was sniffy but otherwise calm and never had to be separated (I always supervise my dogs).

Peril is a different experience as an intact male. When a girl is in season at a show he is ultra distracted. He's incredibly well-trained and can work through many other distractions, but this is too much for him. I always think of these two boys when people say "just train your boy!"....I mean....yes, but that's oversimplified. There's a wide spectrum of boys, and some just can't focus with girls in season.

I've had intact males pass away at the end of their life still intact, and others I've chosen to neuter. Old boys can run into prostate issues which can usually easily be solved by neutering, but an older dog may have other underlying issues (like cardiac) which makes a simple routine surgery more challenging and risky.

Long story short? Altering or not (and timing) will differ with different homes. Are there intact dogs of both sexes? Manageable, but challenging (and often frustrating). Are these dogs that may be boarded, or frequently around many other dogs? Altering them may make these interactions simpler. Altering a male is certainly not a panacea for all behaviours, but removing the majority of their testosterone could definitely help.

I have no doubt that responsible homes can be equally responsible with intact animals. I have non-breeding contracts, not contracts requiring altering. When making the decision for your own home, talk to your veterinary team (but also remember that in North America the average is 80% of pets are altered and the teaching used to be pediatric altering, so your vet team may have a different perspective), talk to your breeder (and remember their contract may include guidelines for timing), and be honest about what you and your family can reasonably manage.