tazziedog said
The main reason to wait to a year is to have stronger bones and muscles, not really anything to do with the skin.  Dogs neutered early grow their long leg bones at different rates which can change the angle of the joint and predispose to ACL injury later in life.

The only reason I would neuter early is aggression issues.  Sometimes a larger breed male starts to feel his hormones and can become dog aggressive or even start to challenge people, although a good positive-approach training class often helps this.

I would hang in there as long as possible.  Even making it to 9 months can make a world of difference to his development.

Pam  

Thank you so much for the explanation, 9 mos isn't far away so I'll wait until then. He still has some mild apprehension around strangers. I'm trying to socialize him as much as possible but there's lots of barking and wide eyes and then he calms after some time. idk if that's him just being nervous but we consulted a K9 trainer and she said to have anyone he is nervous around, to avoid eye contact and feed treats, let Turbo come to them. Would that be considered challenging? 

My other dogs haven't had this type of behavior and was very easy to train. Turbo is a bit stubborn but he has also been through far more than my other two. 

Thank you so much!

jerry said
I would also like to add to this conversation, by encouraging you to read a book called "Pukka's Promise," which among other things, discusses how more than one study has shown that neutering doesn't always solve the problem of aggression. Dr. Pam is correct, an excellent trainer with experience in aggression issues can help tremendously. I can't tell based on your description of how effective your trainer is, but I would ask the rescue for help in finding one.

Also I respectfully disagree with your vet about neutering before one year old. Recent canine cancer studies have shown that early neutering puts some dogs at risk of different cancers. Please see:

When To Spay Neuter (or Not?). Dr. Kay Helps Us Decide.  

Thank you so much! Our trainer has taught us many different ways to deal with the aggression such as not making eye contact with the dog when they first come in and have treats near the door. To not scold the animal while its in an aggressive state. Which has been working well in our home thus far. Some people he just isn't happy about, so we are approaching this issue slow, steady and consistently and not expecting too much too soon. I  think at his age, and the trauma he has endured was a lot and im sure he is still getting used to his new environment. I am definitely holding off on the neuter until a year and thank you for that resource.

We have an appointment for him and this possible kidney/liver issue this Thursday and praying for good BUN results. This poor little guy has gone through so much.

Still cant figure out how to post a picture haha