We recommend delaying spaying or neutering your dog/bitch until sexual maturity, around 18-24 months. or until the growth plates have closed.

A male Wolfhound can be, shall we say, a bit more challenging when his testosterone kicks in, and this is one of the reasons we recommend individual families and first-time Wolfhound owners have a girl.

The worry, as always with the Wolfhounds, is the anaesthetic. Many vets and breeders alike still believe that early sterilisation affects growth. Some vets, however, will still perform the procedure very young.

.Suprelorin is a chemical castration for male dogs rendering them temporarily infertile. The implant lowers testosterone levels, reduces the size of the testes, decreases libido and decreases the sperm count. The implant takes about a year to wear off. It's steroid based - so your dog may urinate more at first, but this normalises after a few days. Suprelorin will work reasonably quickly, and like castration, it may change the energy/personality of your hound and may lead to weight gain.

With a male hound, you must focus on obedience training them right from the word go. Early training is advantageous. When puberty starts, your hound may appear to change with the increased testosterone levels, and obedience training at this stage will be very useful.

We use and recommend the implant instead of castration, but please don't go down this route of either form of castration until your hound has fully grown. We suggest at least over two; it will vary but never please younger than this.

Please discuss with your vet about Suprelorin as an alternative to surgical castration. It avoids the need for an anaesthetic.

As with the males, I prefer to leave the girls. Although there are female implants, I have never used them, but I know that other owners are pleased with the results, especially if a bitch is not healthy enough to have surgery. Spaying is sometimes necessary and is best carried out laparoscopically if possible, and this will benefit recovery.