Neutering?

[Courtbro]

I want to get Scotch "fixed", and the vet recommended I give him a call after he turned 5 months old. I am afraid that Scotch is not ready yet since I can still..pardon the expresion.."see them falling" when he wakes up in the morning and rolls over on his back for me to scratch his belly. How old were your Cairns when you had them neutered???

Any advice greatly appreciated!

Court

[Logansmom]

Hi Court,

Our vet reccomended waiting until Logan is six months old. He is four months now and I have just noticed that he is turning into a little boy so I think another two or three months would be perfect. I've never had male dogs but I would assume it is pretty much up to each individual dog.......actually, they have no choice

Just keep an eye on the "boys" and Scotch will let you know when it's time.

Good luck, and I LOVE that name!

Ann

[Courtbro]

Thanks soo much for the advice, thanks for the complement on his name, my husband named him "Nicely Aged Scotch" so we call him Scotch. This is my first cairn, I've had a male chocolate lab before I was married when I lived at my parent's house, talk about a personality switch!! My baby boy, Scotch, is wonderful. I hope you enjoy your boy as I do mine!!

Court

[CarCarDawn]

Hi! Riley was neutered at the age of 7 months - - not too young and not too old!! It was the best thing we could have done for him - - didn't change his personality but certainly tempered his bad habits!!! He is a wonderful lil guy!!!

[LyndaHammel]

I recommend waiting until Scotch is 7 months. Five months seems to early to me.

L. Hammel

[Rob D.]

I had Murphy done at 6 months. Our vet was extremely good to him, he still goes back. He kept him over night to make sure there was no problem and we took

Murphy home the next day. He slept the next two days but he came around. Murphy was running around two days later, we couldn't stop him, he'd go into those sprints as if he was looking for something. A couple days later, he was grooming himself, he was directly in front of me, he looked down, then up at me as if to say "Come on here, I'm missing my boys down here and where did you put them? " He continued to mount a leg from time to time but the novety has worn off. Treat you little guy with a loving hand and a warm heart.

[Courtbro]

Thanks to all!!

One more question, Did any of your boy's continue to "swat" after they were neutered?? I was told that if Scotch does not go around any other boy dogs that are "lifting the leg" that he would not learn to do that. Is that true??

Thanks,

Court

[CathyAnn]

Our baby boy was neutered right around 6 months. He had the surgery in the early afternoon and we had him home by 6 'ish which I felt was way too quick! He had a miserable evening, lotsa whining and whimpering. I felt HORRIBLE for him. But, by the next afternoon, he improved alot. And, the 3rd day acted as if nothin' had ever happened.

He does not lift his leg now, never did.

On the other hand, our 12 year old girl is a 'marker'. When we go for walks, it's a 'squirt' here, a 'squirt' there. Has to let everyone in the neighborhood that she passed by. Amazes me that she can hold so much wee-wee!

Cathy

[Rob D.]

Murphy squatted for a while after we got him neutured. This is something that will

come naturally I belive.

He was almost a year, he's two now, before he lifted the leg to mark his territory. Sometimes he still squats but thats OK.

Like the saying says "Good things to those who wait."

[HappyCairn]

My boy was done at 6 1/2 months. I "knew" when it was time.

He will lift his leg occasionally, but 99% of the time he squats. And he has been around other male dogs that pee on anything that will stand still long enough. He's almost 9 months old now.

Neutering didn't take any wind out of his sails. He came home the day of his neuter, walked in the door with him and he went straight to terrorizing the cat. I had to call the vet the next morning for more drugs because he was feeling way too good and it was impossible to keep him quiet.

[bubba]

Cooper also was nipped at seven months old, and it was well worth the cost. He liked to know every spot he passed in the house, in the yard, etc. Once he came home, he never did that again. Shortly before his surgery, he had learned to lift his leg, now he squats the majority of the time, and probably lifts it about once in twenty times.

I have to add...it's late and I have the news on. They just had an article on which they filmed at the Humane Society up in Auburn WA, so you can imagine the barking dogs.....from the sounds coming from his kennel, you'd think he was missing the party!

pat.

[Guest Sandybug32]

OUr Toby (gone to doggy heaven now) was neutered at around 6 to 7 months. We also had a little female cairn (she was spayed also). As Toby and Dusty matured, I don't think he knew he was "shooting blanks" because he would still mount her and so forth. She didn't seem to mind. Anyway, we never could break him of marking his territory by lifting his leg. It didn't matter where, outside, inside. It only got worse as he aged (he was 14 when he went down and couldn't get back up so we had to have him put down) It broke our hearts. It got to where he didn't even try to sneak and lift his leg. He was pretty sick towards the end. He could have definitely been the exception, not the rule. But I said then that I didn't think I could handle another male cairn, so we now have a cute little female named Darcy. She was 5 1/2 months old when we got her and since day 3 with us, she will go on the paper(only if confined for a long period in the house) or scratches on the door to go out. Such a difference!!!

Sandy

[hallswel]

Rebel was neutered at 6 months and had never lifted his leg. We had no other male dogs at the time and at 10 months or so he started lifing his leg and not that he is 18 months he does it all the time now.

My brother is going to get a big dog and he will have his dog chemical fixed this way there are no babies but the dog stays intact. I didn't know they did that. I can't wait to see his puppy he is getting a Shiloh Sheperd and they are considered a rare breed and very beautiful BIG dogs. I can't wait to see him play with Rebel.

[Melanie]

Just another opinion... but my Max was also fixed at 7 months of age. He started marking his territory (our home)at around 6 months old and I finally had to make that choice when the vet told me it should help. It did!!! I wouldn't do it before they are 6 months old though, to little.

Good luck!