How will neutering affect my dog's build?

Getting the boy neutered at 6 months (decision made) and am interested in knowing how short of his build (skeletal and muscle) potential he will grow as a consequence.

Does anyone know of reserch done or have any anecdotal evidence on this?

Just what the vet told me, we were chatting to him about two weeks ago about neutering. He advised us strongly to wait until at least 18 months. He said that bigger breeds, and breeds with lots of muscle (like staffs) should be done later, because when they reach sexual maturity, the injection of more hormones initiates a secondary growth phase which has something to do with the muschle, something about the legs and chest. Our vet has only ever owned staffs.
I know a lot of people advise that is be done at 6 months, but personally I think its too early.

Both mine (girls) where done at 6/10 months and it didn't effect the growth of either, Moo has a very muscular build. There are many conflicting opinions.

Is there a particular reasoning for getting him done so young ?

I was also advised from my vet to wait until at least 18 months. From what i have researched it is also strongly advised that you wait as it can cause health issues such as increased risks of cancers and other disorders later in life. I think the main reasoning for the 6 month neutering being pushed is just a prevention of unwanted litters so to me its just an unneccesary risk doing it that young.

There are conflicting opinions on this and will be interested to see the opinions of the owners themselves so will be keeping an eye on this post.

Is there a reason to get him done so young? It can effect the build by not producing enough testosterone to bulk them out. Females don't suffer as much because they are naturally slimmer anyway, but male staffs should have very large thick heads and chests. Personally i don't agree with neutering before 2 years old.

If it has been advised for behavioural reasons, that is rubbish. A dog is only ever going to be as good as its trainer.

This is going to sound rude, but I really don't mean it to be....if the decision is already made, why are you asking about the consequences?

Caryll wrote:This is going to sound rude, but I really don't mean it to be....if the decision is already made, why are you asking about the consequences?

Insightful question - I wrote 'decision made' because I wanted this thread to focus only on build development as this is the only issue (others assessed) that determines at what age he gets the snip.

Ah, right.

Well, early neutering does delay the closure of the growth plates which means that a dog that is neutered before maturity may be longer legged & narrower than a dog that is neutered after maturity. The growth plates close at approx. 18 months in a stafford, so the ideal time for neutering is after that, provided that the dog has also gained psychological maturity, which can be later.

It can make them a little longer in the leg and a little leaner but not always and there is no research that shows being a bit leaner and taller makes them more liable to injuries like some people claim.

Galadriel wrote:It can make them a little longer in the leg and a little leaner but not always and there is no research that shows being a bit leaner and taller makes them more liable to injuries like some people claim.

I don't think it's a case of being more prone to injuries (I've never heard that one) but of not being 'typicle' of the breed because they are too long in the leg and narrower in the body.

Lola was done at 6 months, and this thread explains, and calms, a lot of my fears about her now (2 years) as she is very lean and leggy, and i have always thought she was smaller developed than other staffs i'v seen.

other than that, she's daft, energetic, and above all happy

It doesnt effect females as much because they don't have testosterone in the levels males have if at all.

My last staffy I had done at 6 months. He is slimmer and leggier than othr staffs. Buster is 10 months now and will not be getting the snip untill at least 2, if at all. He is the same sort of build as Tyson was but is slowly starting to fill out now so I think he will be bulkier.

Hayley wrote:It doesnt effect females as much because they don't have testosterone in the levels males have if at all.

Bitches still lack the hormone boost that aids their developement, and the growth plates still close later with early neutering. The thing with bitches, though, is that if they're done too early their vulva often never grows to normal size & can't properly cope with the increase in urine that an adult bitch obviously has compared to a pup. That results in urine burn, and in some cases incontinence.

Yes i have heard of that a lot. Its just so not worth it is it?

Dempsey's best friend, Pneuma (GSD), was spayed at just under 6 months & she has to be wiped 2 or 3 times a day.