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yes it is all a matter of opinion. you can find just as many opinions from reputable vets that say you should spay and neuter. it all boils down to what you want to do with your pet.
as mentioned in your other thread, for me all the unwanted pets that are killed every year on accident and all the unwanted pets put down because no one will adopt them is enough for me to spay or neuter my pets. there is no reason to breed the vast majority of dogs people own as pets.
my dog has never been outside of her own fenced in yard without a leash or without me or my husband with her in the 8 years we've had her. I still did not want to take the chance of her being in her own back yard and having a dog jump the fence to get at her. as mentioned in your other thread, male dogs can smell a female in heat for over a mile and will go to any lengths to get to them. it really isn't worth it to not spay and neuter.
Eventually the vet schools and the AVMA will see the big picture regarding the health ramifications of spay/neuter based on these (and future) studies and will modify their protocols. And savvy vets who maintain their continuing education will present educated options to their clients instead of the current blanket recommendation to spay/neuter. Just like what happened with annual vaccinations. When the first studies came out demonstrating vaccinosis in over-vaccinated pets most vets bucked the findings and were adamantly against both titering and adopting less frequent vaccination protocols. Look at how that has changed. Now any vet who still vaccinates yearly for Parvo and Distemper is considered behind the times by the national and international veterinary community.
The reason I dont think its just puppy behaviour that he grabs the bottom of my trousers and bites then tries to get up on my shoe...and does an act...its only now and again, Ive been told to have him neutered by the bet at ten months.. hes only six months,, a good wee dog, who gets exercise twice a day with walks, and can play round the backyard when he wants...he obeys SIT and STAY but wont listen to me when he takes on this new act...Hes fed well, no rubbish.. and is on antibiotics and Benylin just now for Kennel cough that he must have caught at the park on his night time walks, which of course have been stopped just now in case he infects other dogs.. I feel Ive let him down .. He s lying sleeping just now and no bother... I just get uptight when he does do this . thanks for all your answers....
...he obeys SIT and STAY but wont listen to me when he takes on this new act...
A puppy this age is constantly testing boundaries. Even a puppy who went through an extensive age appropriate training process since a new born (yes, training does and should start that early) will still go through a phase where he forgets everything he ever knew. The key is ongoing gentle age-appropriate training.
Training doesn't happen during the 10 minutes we set aside for "Training". Every single second we are with a puppy/dog teaches them something about what is or is not acceptable. Don't forget: even at 6 months old, he IS still a puppy.
Your puppy needs to learn impulse control, and needs consistent training and realistic expectations. Are his hormones taking over his tiny puppy brain- yes, of course, but that doesn't mean this behavior is sexual, rather it means that he needs 1) his environment controlled so that he doesn't get over excited; 2) needs consistent ongoing training; sorry, but a pup who sits and stays when he wants to isn't trained; 3) intellectual stimulation to burn off some of that excess energy- do a search for my post on impulse control- and continue training; 4) exercise- puppies need a ton of exercise. You may have the most wonderful yard in the world, but a puppy or dog won't self-exercise- YOU need to get out and play with this pup- thrown balls, play tug, or chase games (which is also an excellent way to teach recall); 5) keep your household calm so that he doesn't get all amped up; if he does get over-stimulated, give him a very matter-of-fact timeout in his crate (if you haven't crate trained yet, please do so)
Start doing this exercise to teach impulse and self-control. Watch the video closely and listen to the trainer's explanation of how to do it properly.
The reason I dont think its just puppy behaviour that he grabs the bottom of my trousers and bites then tries to get up on my shoe...and does an act...its only now and again, Ive been told to have him neutered by the bet at ten months.. hes only six months,, a good wee dog, who gets exercise twice a day with walks, and can play round the backyard when he wants...he obeys SIT and STAY but wont listen to me when he takes on this new act...Hes fed well, no rubbish.. and is on antibiotics and Benylin just now for Kennel cough that he must have caught at the park on his night time walks, which of course have been stopped just now in case he infects other dogs.. I feel Ive let him down .. He s lying sleeping just now and no bother... I just get uptight when he does do this . thanks for all your answers....
I would suggest taking your dog to your veterinarian to see if he should be neutered at this age.
Also, maybe he is bored? Hyper, bored young dogs are a pain if they have nothing else to do. Training their mind and giving him something to do might wear him down. Do you use treat balls? Kongs stuffed with peanut butter? Play fetch or a game I play with my hyper dog, "hide and seek", where she have to find the hidden treats around the house.
Some young dogs, like mine, get this 'puppy mode'. That's when they get so excited, they go nuts with you for quite some time until they calm down, I.e. running, jumping on things, jumping on people, not paying attention to your commands, mouthing your arms and legs, etc. I usually stop that with a distraction like a squeaky tennis ball.
Hmm. Maybe some answers didn't quite address the info you gave. You said the pup was getting walked twice a day. Ok - try RUNning instead. Ride a bike if you need to. It could be that the two "walks" per day are not enough stimulation. Outside that thought - there is some good advice for training previously offered.
When your puppy jumps, turn your body away. Do not make eye contact and do not speak - those 2 things are rewards. Turning your body away - not in a jerk reaction, just calmly turn. You can start by a simple head turn, and if that doesn't work, turn your body, and finally the ultimate is to turn your whole body around.
Simple, easy, and the results are almost instantaneous.
I use this and other methods I learned from the Dogspeak program on my fosters. And it has worked every.single.time. Even this big old (12+ yrs old) hounddog and a 2 month old feral puppy have learned with those methods. Lots of love, few "no" commands, and plenty of rewards.
Oh, and there's nothing sexual about biting your clothes or jumping on you. But you need to have this puppy fixed - zeuterin or neutered.
The pup is an adolescent brat who is pushing the boundaries. Take him to Obedience class or teach him the Down yourself. Play with him in the backyard, as others have suggested.
I had a female dog, many years ago, who, for about a year (from five months to nearly 18 months) insisted on grabbing my pants cuff in her teeth and pulling - usually when we were just about to leave the park. I just kept saying NO; and eventually she stopped the behavior. The two intact male dogs I've had within the past 25 years (at different times) both went through a stage where they would try to mount my legs or arms, usually at around 10-15 months. Each time, I just kept telling them No, pushing them off, and sometimes spraying them with water. They learned and did not repeat the behavior.
Good luck.
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