As our understanding of the health benefits progresses, it’s becoming increasingly common for veterinarians to recommend waiting longer to spay or neuter young dogs.

If you’re unsure WHEN to neuter your young male dog, please discuss this in depth with your vet. But if you’ve decided to delay neutering and are now facing the new experience of raising an intact male dog, this article is for you! 

These are some important things to know, expect, and be prepared for.

Male puppies can reach sexual maturity as early as 5-6 months.

This means a puppy who is barely older than a baby himself could produce puppies if he gains access to a female in season. Careful supervision of your young boy is essential to the prevention of accidental breedings.

If your boy has unsupervised access to a fenced yard, be certain the fencing is secure – intact males can become creative and determined escape artists when motivated by the scent of a female in season.

Do NOT allow him to interact with females in season. Things can happen quicker than you think, so don’t rely on supervision to prevent accidental breedings. Anyone can get distracted for a moment!

Plan to exercise extra diligence as long as your boy is intact to make sure he doesn’t engage in any secret trysts.

Intact male adolescent dogs need structure, socialization, and support.

Adolescence is a rough life stage for almost all living creatures, and your young intact boy is no exception. Isolating him through this time is not be healthy for his development. What he needs is thoughtful support and education on how to be socially appropriate.

• As with all adolescent dogs, it’s essential for your young boy to both have healthy canine friendships AND to learn that he need not concern himself with every dog he sees. Intact males can have particularly strong feelings about greeting or assessing other dogs, so you will need effective strategies to show him appropriate behavior. Problem behaviors practiced during adolescence can become life-long habits, so please consider getting help if your boy is struggling around other dogs! 
• Your intact male is likely to engage in behaviors you would be wise to interrupt. This could include intense interest in the urine of female dogs, marking with his own urine, humping other dogs, or being overly pushy or forward to other dogs. Having gentle and effective strategies for interrupting these behaviors will prevent your boy from building bad habits.
• Speaking of behaviors that might seem a bit *ahem* unsavory… Some intact boys engage in masturbation, and it’s important to realize this behavior is a biological need — no more abnormal than drinking water. Instead of punishing or suppressing this behavior, it is healthiest to provide a designated body pillow or toy for this activity and direct his attention to it when needed.
• Making sure your young boy has adequate exercise, enrichment, and training is essential. Engage him in fun training or play every day. Not only does this help fulfill his needs, but it builds your relationship and communication. Don’t relax because your boy graduated from a Basic Manners class. He needs you to remain actively engaged throughout his adolescence. Consider enrolling in an advanced class like Walkabout, Rocket Recall, or Super Tricks — or trying a dog sport like agility or scent work! Learning new things together is one of the BEST things you can do. 
• Make appropriate social behavior a priority! Some intact boys REALLY struggle to think clearly in close proximity to other dogs and it is essential to work within what they CAN do. If your boy can’t focus in a group class or gets fixated on other dogs in public, private training can help you understand how to help him through this phase. With appropriate intervention, you WILL get through this together! 

Don’t blame his hormones for everything!

Remember, adolescence is challenging for all living being and being neutered is not quick fix for your boy’s behavior challenges.

Neutered males will also pull on leash, bark at other dogs, hump, jump on visitors, ignore their recalls, or engage in urine marking. Training and environment are often just as important as reproductive status.

When things get challenging, reach for training first. Although neutering may impact hormone-driven behaviors, it will likely not resolve all the problems you are facing. It is often perceived as a universal behavior cure, but research has demonstrated that neutering can cause or contribute to behavior problems, too.

Don’t fear raising your intact boy.

Raising an intact male dog for the first time may require a little extra awareness, particularly around his reproductive behavior, secure containment, and behavior around other dogs. But being intact doesn’t prevent a dog from being affectionate, trainable, social, and an excellent family companion.

When you need support, we are here! Reach out at any time if you have questions or concerns about your boy’s behavior, we would be happy to help.

As our understanding of the health benefits progresses, it’s becoming increasingly common for veterinarians to recommend waiting longer to spay or neuter young dogs.

If you’re unsure WHEN to spay your young dog, please discuss this in depth with your vet. But if you’ve decided to delay the spay surgery and are now facing the new experience of navigating your adolescent’s first heat cycle, this article is for you! 

When should you expect your girl’s first heat cycle?

Unfortunately the answer to this question is wildly variable. Most commonly between six and twelve months, but it can take longer. If your dog is from a breeder, your breeder may be able to make an educated prediction based on their observations of your dog’s mother or other relatives.

What should you expect when your dog has a heat cycle?

Unfortunately the answer to this question is ALSO quite variable. But here are some general ideas of what to expect:

• She may be more irritable, more lethargic, or more restless. Some bitches show significant changes in behavior when in heat, and others don’t. Our best advice is to be prepared and empathetic. She may be experiencing some pain or discomfort, and the impact of hormones on behavior is REAL. Don’t be too alarmed by changes in behavior during this time. If she is struggling with things she normally doesn’t, avoid those things and wait for her heat cycle to pass.

• Other dogs may show more interest in her – both male and female. This is really not the time to have your girl around unfamiliar off-leash dogs. She may not appreciate the attention, and her presence can also provoke conflict between other dogs.
• There WILL be discharge, typically for two to three weeks. Prepare your dog ahead of time by teaching her to be comfortable wearing panties. Pair short sessions of wearing panties with treats, toys, and other fun activities so she learns to associate them with good things. Also set up a confined area in your home where it’s easy to clean up the mess — she will need to have frequent breaks from wearing the panties.

Do’s and don’ts of having a female dog in season

• DO take her for ON LEASH walks or hikes. As long as you stay observant and aware when in public, there is no reason to isolate your dog through her entire heat cycle. We recommend avoiding places where dogs are likely to be off-leash or out-of-control. Keep her on a leash or long-line at all times so she can’t get away from you or out of your sight. (No matter how much you usually trust her off-leash, remember that hormones can change behavior dramatically, so keep her on leash for now.)
• DON’T take her to play at the dog park. As suggested above, avoid interaction with groups of dogs, unfamiliar dogs, or off-leash dogs during this time, even if she usually loves playing with other dogs. 
• DO keep her separated from other dogs in your household when you aren’t there to supervise. Even if your other dogs are neutered or spayed, it is safest to prevent interaction unless you are supervising and can intervene. Your bitch in season may be more irritable than usual and you don’t want a conflict to start that will plague you in the long run. Additionally, some neutered males will mount and attempt to breed. Although a neutered male cannot produce puppies, it is safest for everyone to prevent this behavior.
• DO keep her separated from any intact males with a DOUBLE layer of separation. If you have an un-neutered male in your home (of ANY age) keep them separated with two barriers at all times. Dogs have been known to successfully breed through fences and crates! Don’t underestimate the determination and creativity of an un-neutered male and an in-season female.
• DON’T leave her unsupervised in your yard. Again, don’t underestimate the determination and creativity of an intact male! Even if you think your yard is secure from other dogs, don’t take the risk. Many dogs are very skilled jumpers, climbers, or diggers, and the hormone changes in your bitch will create extra motivation for their creativity… and as previously mentioned, dogs have been known to successfully breed through fences.
• DO bring her to class at Fur and Feather Works! Yes, you ARE allowed to come to class! We have invited bitches in heat to come to class alongside both intact and neutered males for a few years now. We view it as an excellent opportunity for the boys to learn an important part of being an upstanding canine citizen, but honestly, they mostly don’t notice because they’re too busy learning. All that we ask is that you let us know ahead of time, and that your bitch wear panties to help us keep the training center clean.

Remember: this too shall pass!

The advice to keep dogs intact longer is relatively new to the dog world, so many of us at Fur and Feather Works have ALSO had the experience of navigating having a bitch in season for the first time.

What we want to tell you is: it’s probably not going to be as big a deal as you think, and it will soon be over. In a few weeks life will return to normal! You and your girl will both be relieved.