Does Nueturing cause this....

Of my five male shepherds, four are nuetered.  The little guy who isn't is only still intact cuz he vet wants to give the testicles a chance to drop...the little buggers are still in hiding.
 
I had to really FIGHT to keep weight ON them this past winter, and they can still run me ragged, so in my experience, NO, nuetering does not decrease activity levels or increase weight.

Both of my boys are thin as well, and my yorkie is very very active[]
 
Only extra calories/reduced exercise (barring a health issue, of course)  causes a dog to put on weight

Studies have shown that neutering a dog under a year old effects their metabolism, so I guess it depends on the dog.  I decided not to neuter my pup until after his is a year old.

this lady said this was specific to golden retrievers. I will ask my vet about this... im thinking i may wait awhile longer and look into this some more

Hypothyroid isn't related to neutering. I'm not neutered, and I have it

Emma was spayed at EIGHT WEEKS. I have a really hard time keeping weight on her. Teenie is intact. She was ten pounds heavier when I got her. Now, she's VERY active and happy. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I measure portions, and I TAKE them out for exersize. If I didn't, they'd lay on the couch all day.

I had a Shepherd that had a hypoactive thyroid and I was told it's common as an aging ailment in dogs.
My sister had a Golden...he was neutered at 6 months of age. He wasn't a chubbo. Yes he could have been thinner but IMO it's more lifestyle than anything else.
How active is the person that told you their goldens got fat after neutering? How high is the activity level of the owner with her dogs?
Do they get long daily walks? Ever get out to run off leash to burn some energy?
I bet it's more lifestyle than anything, or diet. And the person blames the neuter.

the only weight problems I have seen with Goldens are if they don't exercise, but are fed like an active, working dogs (common mistake). After mine were fixed, they also "grew up" in the head, which means they also tend to calm down more because they mature. Thus they aren't burning off lots of calories and energy. They especially (like most pups) calm down around +/- a year old - perfect time to switch food to adult chow, but usually folks still feed too much thinking they have super active dogs. Dog park and walks do not make an "active, working dog". The feed guides can also be misleading - it is a suggstion ( and I think are always on the high side of what is needed) to satrt with. A lot of goldens do well on less than the max amount suggested.
 
Goldens can be huge slugs and can put on weight easy if you don't watch it. Think about it - how many Goldens do you see regularly hunting/gaming? Most are now great family pets. I tend to thnik it is either coincidence or blaming the issue on the neuter because it was closely related, timewise. Thyroid is an issue with Goldens and is generally not connected to neuter/spay at all. Same goes for cancer and allergies. Sounds like simple bad luck to me.
 
Just my [sm=2cents.gif]

Thank You all for your opinoins and input. It probably does have alot to do with lifestyle. I know that from opinoin, after us kids grew up my older dog got fat. We werent home and they werent out so much. I gues i just worry now, i dont want kisses to get fat , so ill keep up with the exercise and get him fixed. I may wait till he over a yr tho.

Have you looked at this?  Lots of info. 
 
[linkhttp://www.grca.org/healthsurvey.pdf]http://www.grca.org/healthsurvey.pdf[/link]

Studies have shown that neutering a dog under a year old effects their metabolism, so I guess it depends on the dog. I decided not to neuter my pup until after his is a year old.

 
Studies also show that not neutering before sexual maturity can result in a male dog engaging in urine-marking, or other male behavior, that does not subside even if they are neutered later.  Additionally, a dog over the age of six months that is not neutered may not be welcome at dog day care.  Dogs neutered as pups are less likely to develop dog to dog aggression and wanderlust.
I see hundreds of neutered males come through my classes.  Thos that get sufficient exercise, and aren't overfed, do not get fat.  If you are showing a dog and need them to bulk up for the show ring, this might be a consideration, but pets that do not need their testicles for the show ring or for breeding, should, IMHO, be neutered before sexual maturity.

I'm gonna agree with Anne on this one.  Thor was almost three when he got snipped, Shadow right at a year, Thunder 8 months, Tyler 8 months.  I've discussed the large breed "best age" with my vet, done my research, and I'm more comfortable waiting until 8-9 months.  Not one of my boys has gotten fat and/or lazy.  I STILL can't keep up with them.  The ONLY reason Theo isn't nuetered is that the vet wants to see if his testicles will drop if we give him a couple more months.....