Agility and Neut/Spayin

 I would recommend get the dog altered. The surgery itself doesn't help the dog do better or worse at Aglilty but it may help their concentration during trails. People sometimes run their females during a heat and it is distracting to an intact male and could cause a fight. Intact females are also more likely to fight if there's an intact male present. But in the end it is your choice. Just remember altering the dog won't effect his ability to run a course.

Females are not "supposed" to be at a match if they are in heat. However my trainer said they still go. She has seen residue on contacts, so if your dog is intact and a female is in heat. I suppose that would be fun.  

Maxs Mom

Females are not "supposed" to be at a match if they are in heat. However my trainer said they still go. She has seen residue on contacts, so if your dog is intact and a female is in heat. I suppose that would be fun.  

The contract you sign when entering a trial says "no bitches in heat".  So if you don't follow it, and get caught, you can get kicked out with no refund and letters sent possibly banning you.  Now if your dog came into heat while there or you didn't realize it, well, hopefully you'd know better by the time you were competing.

With that said, unless you plan to health test and show your purebred dog in AKC shows, I would just neuter him/her and be done with it.  My dogs run agility, all are neutered and they run just fine. 

The only intact female agility dogs that I know also show conformation or are used for breeding.  There is no reason, otherwise, to keep them intact.  Obviously it is your choice to do so, but females in season are not allowed even on the grounds in most venues.  It is considered a distraction to even neutered males & other females.

If you choose to keep your bitch intact, you realize that you may have to pull out of a big trial at the last minute.  Most venues will refund your money, though, in this situation.

That said, I have seen many intact males showing.  There is no rule against this and they can show all year long without problem.

Personally I have never understood why anyone would want intact dogs males or bitches unless they are serious about improving a breed, doing all the genetic testing and proving the dogs by working or showing.

Intact males and females ARE a pain in the ***!!  I am a breeder (limited) and life would be so much easier if all my dogs were spay/neutered!!

The females often start to get edgy about 3 weeks BEFORE coming into heat and that is when they just love to pick a fight.  Of course then the male has to try and start marking if allowed.

Competing?? whether it be for the show ring or performance, nothing like getting all excited about an up and coming big show and just before you plan to leave find your best bitch has just come into season...................of course she stays home.  It isn't fair to any of your fellow exhibitors to try and sneak a class in with an inheat bitch and the people who do, should be stomped on.

There are many intact dogs that compete at the highest levels, but that doesn't come without  a price.

oranges81

People sometimes run their females during a heat and it is distracting to an intact male and could cause a fight. Intact females are also more likely to fight if there's an intact male present.

 Honestly, intact dogs are not more likely fight than altered ones at shows. Sure two intact boys in close contact might get a bit grumbly at each other but so might two altered dogs getting too close. Seeing real fights of any kind at agility trials or dog shows is really unusual with both intact and altered dogs.

 The main concern with altering and agility is that you don't want to have it done before the dog is mature. This article talks about why that is: http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html

AgileGSD

oranges81

People sometimes run their females during a heat and it is distracting to an intact male and could cause a fight. Intact females are also more likely to fight if there's an intact male present.

 

 Honestly, intact dogs are not more likely fight than altered ones at shows. Sure two intact boys in close contact might get a bit grumbly at each other but so might two altered dogs getting too close. Seeing real fights of any kind at agility trials or dog shows is really unusual with both intact and altered dogs.

 The main concern with altering and agility is that you don't want to have it done before the dog is mature. This article talks about why that is: http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html

Really? I guess my information is a bit out of date but then that's why I like to stay out of these topics.  

 After this I may consider neutering. Maybe between 1 and 2 years old. By that time he might be starting first steps in agility training.

 Thanks for the info
 

Strange - I am living in a country where neutering is the exception. Since short bitches in heat are even allowed on competitions and shows. And still our dogs are working properly.

Greetings Elke

 I know several dogs that are intact and have competed in agility for severals years. In fact, one of them is going off the circuit now as she is coming to season and the owner wants more puppies. These types of people compete and breed for years. However, they well experienced about dogs.

Just know your dog IMHO.