Partial Spay and Neuter for Dogs. Is it Safer?
Dr Jones’ Free Book..
There are now a number of known health risks associated with spay and neuter in dogs: Urinary Incontinence, ACL injury, Hip Dysplasia, Hypothyroid Disease to name a few. Dr Jones discusses the PROS, and CONS of spay and neuter, including some alternatives, such as partial spay and neuter.
Dr Jones,
I have a 2 year old AKC registered Golden retriever (cream). I have trained him to be my service dog. He learned 52 tasks in 5 months. Now that he is 2 and has more experience, we are ready for him to graduate to become my service dog. My concern is that he is still an intact male. Considering the pros/cons and the fact that he is a service dog, would you recommend he be neutered? Thank you.
It’s wonderful to hear that you’ve trained your Golden Retriever to be your service dog and that he’s made such great progress! Given his role and the bond you share, it’s understandable that you’d want to make the best decision regarding his health and well-being, including the question of whether to neuter him.
Pros of Neutering:
Reduced Behavioral Issues: Neutering can help reduce behaviors associated with testosterone, like marking, aggression, or overly dominant behavior, which could be beneficial in a service dog role.
Decreased Risk of Certain Health Problems: Neutering can reduce the risk of testicular cancer and prostate issues later in life.
Increased Focus: Some service dog handlers report that neutering helps their dogs focus more on their work because they are less distracted by mating instincts.
Preventing Unwanted Mating: Neutering eliminates the risk of him mating with other dogs, which might be important if he’s working in environments where other intact dogs are present.