do you neuter your male dogs?

[alyssaba@hotmai]

hey everyone...

my puppy is a little older than 1 years old, and i need everyones advice on neutering.... such as is it really necessary? what are the benefits? ive also heard it changes the personality of your pet... i dont want that to happen! :( thanks for the replies!

[MEM]

Yes!
Unless your dog is an excellent example of his breed and you're planning on showing him in conformation events, please, please please get him neutered!
It doesn't change change his personality. It may make him less aggressive (which is a benefit). It also means that you don't have to worry about him getting out and helping to increase the pet overpopulation problem.
Not getting him neutered also increases his risks for certain types of cancer.
It also means that he's going to be easier to handle if he happens to walk by a female in heat.
I've had many dogs, all of them were fixed, we never had any problems with any of them!
But really, the biggest benefit is that you will be helping out shelters and rescues by not adding to the overpopulation problem (as a bonus, I'll give you a gold star...)

[Wolfie]

It will also make him less likely to run off if he happens to accidentally get outside loose. And most dogs accomplish this at least once in their lives!

[Michael]

I would if I had one. Can't really tell you why.

[PortableKitten]

Absolutely! For all the reasons above. I have had dogs for 50 years and have never had neutering change my dog in a negative way. It is just the right thing to do for him and for the ever increasing unwanted pet population.

[Jinga]

Definately neuter your dog. I think all the benefits have already been covered ... except the fact that he'll also be less likely to molest your stuffed animals and friends legs. People have told me stories about their male dogs and having to 'clean-up' after them. Yuck! I've had 2 male and 2 female dogs, all fixed. None seem tramatized by the process.

[peace]

In a word, yes! Having your pet fixed is one of the kindest things you can do for your pet and the cat and dog population in general.

Spay & Neuter General Info
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/why_you_should_spay_or_neuter_your_pet.html

Myths & Facts about Spay/Neuter
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/myths_and_facts_about_spaying_and_neutering.html

[rabid_child]

An unneutered dog is more likely to have "marking" behaviors around the house. They piddle on everything.

They're also more likely to get testicular or prostate cancer, and these awful anal tumors, which are horribly painful and disgustingly smelly.

Unneutered male dogs are more likely to get aggressive, territorial, and run away.

In 5 yrs of working at animal hospitals, I've never once heard anyone complain about their animal's personality changing. What they DO complain about is that they were expecting their dog to calm down, and it didn't. :p

[alyssaba@hotmai]

thanks everyone for the information! i appreciate it. im embarassed i didnt know some of these things, i really didnt know if it was a big deal. but i will have little frankie neutered (he'll hate me for awhile!)

[kpickell]

Absolutely. All of my dogs are neutered, for all of the reasons stated above and because I don't want them getting out accidentally some day and getting some dog pregnant.

[MEM]

thanks everyone for the information! i appreciate it. im embarassed i didnt know some of these things, i really didnt know if it was a big deal. but i will have little frankie neutered (he'll hate me for awhile!)

YAY!!! :pibo:

[xrodolfox]

If Frankie hates you for a day, all of dog-kind will thank you for years to come. :up:

[punkmommy]

Our dog is neutered and he still loves me :love: Buy him some special treats and a new toy and I'm sure all will be well :)

A friend of ours brought over his non-neutered male dog ( I know, we've talked to him about it) and there was almost a dog fight between our dog and his dog. Not only that the un-neutered male marked a few places in my house including a brand new comfortor :grr: I wouldn't trust him around my kid alone either, he's too unpredictable. I think a little snip-snip would help curb his behavior problems some.

[Bits]

i had to get my dog neutered because he his testicle didn't drop & he was being really aggressive. but if that hadn't of happened i probably wouldn't have got him done, i would've been too frightened to let him go under the anesthetic!
but i think the others are right & it is probably best to get your dog done :)

[Noelson]

Good for you. You are making a very very wise decision on neutering. Frankly, I doubt you will even notice any personality changes, and any that happen are for the better.

[cheekywhiskers]

i had to get my dog neutered because he his testicle didn't drop & he was being really aggressive. but if that hadn't of happened i probably wouldn't have got him done, i would've been too frightened to let him go under the anesthetic!
but i think the others are right & it is probably best to get your dog done :)

It is far better to have your pet undergo an elective procedure while they are young and healthy, than when they are old and sick. One neighbor didn't want to get her dog done (just didn't bother doing it) and ended up having to do when he was older with Cushings and not able to urinate properly.

The main reason for the personality change is because it is usually done when the dog hits puberty and has a natural change due to maturity. The dog would get the change regardless of getting the snip or not. Also keep in mind that a dog that is aggressive is likely to still be aggressive, neutering will just take the edge off it and make the dog more responsive to corrective training.

There are a couple of alternatives to neutering, that will still keep a dog from breeding. I heard of one couple where the husband was dead set against neutering, but the wife did not want a fertile dog in the house. The solution? She had the dog vasectomized while here husband was away. There is also Neutersol, an intratesticular injection (done at 4-10 months old) that will destroy sperm producing cells, but leave the hormone producing ones alone. As long as I don't have to live with a dog suffering from testosterone toxicity and it's not harmful to the dog, I don't care how people keep their animals from reproducing.

[Noelson]

AND you can always get a pair of Neuticles!

http://www.sunshineband.org/tails/Neuticles.shtml

Oh, I should mention that I don't really know anything about them - the comment is more tongue in cheek:o

[rainbow_clouds]

Bob Barker reminding you to help control the pet population.

It is just the responsible thing to do, as a pet owner.