Should I have my dog neutered ?

[k9-luvr]

Hi,
I have a mixed lab which is very aggresive twards other male dogs. Many people told me that if I will have him neutered, he won't be as aggressive and violent as he is right now.
However I was also told by my vet and others, that neutering a dog can make him sleepy, and put him in a state of dipression in some cases. I also heard that neutering a dog at his age (right now he is approximately 2 to 3 yeares old), will cause him to gain alot of weight, right now I don't keep him on any special diet, I just let him eat as much as he wans and he is in perfect shape and looking very good in my opinion.
I really don't know what to do, if I don't have him neutered, It will be impossible to take him to public places (parks,beaches etc..) and even on a regular walk, because whenever he sees another male he charges at him at full strength (try to control a 90 pound dog that suddenly goes berserk, because some male-dog is standing 100 feet from him, meaning nothing bad)
But then, I like the way he is right now, he has a great character, he is not hyperactive but he likes to run and play and he is very friendly and outgoing twards people and female dogs and I'm afraid that if I neuter him his character will change, and he might become depressed or loose his great body shape.

If anyone had neutered a grownup dog, I would like to hear about the effects it had on the dogs behaviour and phisical state
To do it or not ?

[Logan]

Have him neutered...the sooner the better. It may add years to his life too because he will avoid certain types of cancer which occur more commonly in un-neutered dogs. Plus, it is the responsible thing to do. His temperament may improve considerably as well.

[Liz]

It seems kinder to remove a dog's desire for aggression and/or mating rather than prohibiting them to act upon it. This does create a calmer animal. As far as the weight gain, you should be looking into proper nutrition and diet anyway. Once you feed him according to his weight and nutritional needs, it is easily modifed and maintained. One of the only ways to be sure your dog is healthy, is by the consistency in his diet. Good luck

[Stenograsaurus]

I agree with Logan. It is one of the best things you can do for a dog. It reduces the risk of overpopulation of animals and it increases the risk of certain health problems. I think that if any dog suffers from depression, it would only be for a brief period of time. The sleeping I would assume is from the anesthesia and it wears off after a few hours or a day. I had a dog neutered when he was four and the only regret I have was not doing it sooner.

[This message has been edited by Stenograsaurus (edited May 30, 2001).]

[sammi]

Get him neutered. Part of the reason some people might say that dogs get fat after being fixed because some are much more calm. But with proper exercise and the right diet that should not be a problem. If he is that aggresive with other male dogs you could have a dangerous situation on your hands at some point. And don't worry he will still like to play & be sweet like he was before. For being sleepy (what steno. said) that is just after surgery and lasts for a few hours or sometimes overnight. Most dogs seem to be almost more happy than depressed after being fixed.

[Corinna]

Please do get him neutered it will help with the aggresive behavior. I had Merlin done when he was 2 and a half. He is still just as active as before but, he doesn't act like he's the killer of the world any more(unless your the UPS driver). It will help deterr some cancers. It also will keep him from romaing around (if he was a runner). If the cosmetic look bothers you they now have falses they can implant ,for the uncut look. (sorry everyone but they do some guy is making lots selling them to vets for implanting. Some people just are into that Macho look. Corinna

Corinna ~ Oh, Great http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/frown.gif! NOW you tell me - after it's 5 months too late http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/mad.gif!

/s/ Smokey

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/s/ Cinder & Smokey
the Rescued & Adopted
FurKids of *Phred*

[aly]

Please get him neutered. He will be healthier and a lot more managable. There is a possibility that neutering will not help with his dog aggression but most likely it will. There should be no problem with weight gain after the surgery. That is basically a myth. He won't all of a sudden lose all of his energy and want to sleep all day. With proper diet and exercise, he will be just fine. I have never seen a dog suffer depression from being neutered. Some are pretty sleepy and a little sore for the next few days but thats the worst I've seen. The biggest problem after a lot of surgeries is trying to stop the dog from being active when they are supposed to be resting!

[tatsxxx11]

Ditto, ditto, ditto! Definitely the responsible thing to do. And testicular cancer is big killer of un-neutered males. The anesthesia is relatively "light" for this procedure. And a little post-op grogginess is shaken off quickly. Your pup will be a healthier, happier dog for it! Definitely have it done!! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

And Smokey! Star**BuRSt** here! Hey handsome! I know it's a guy thingy an all. But...speakn fer us girl pups. We really go for the sweet, sensitive guys like yerself! It's all inna heart, not.....well, ya know. Not to worry! I think yer purrrrrfkt jest the way ya are. I'd die for a date inna trakter at the burger house wif you! I'd even share my frenchy fryes stiks http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

[karen israel]

I had Cody done at 7mo. It didn't seen to change his attitude at all!! He's 9 1/2 has slowed down but still thinks like a puppy! He too is a lab mix at 100 pds. He was once about 125 but only because I was constantly giving him people food, tho I denied it at the time (selective memory) Cody hates all dogs, he's very territorial but the answer to that is constant training (he mostly ignores them now esp since I learned to be alpha) He also "forgets" to lift his leg at times and squats but I don't know if that's due to neutering (right, Tucker?) My cousins 8 yr old Corgie was just fixed as he started to develop prostate cancer, but he's ok now. Hmm....implants?? You mean..... really??? Sandra..getouttahere! Maybe a Freudian substitute for human male inadequacies?? HA! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/wink.gif

[k9-luvr]

http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gifThank U All for helping me decide !! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

After reading your unanimous opinion to go for it, I talked with my vet and my dog will be operated on, next week

The one thing I'm sorry about is that the shelter he came from spay only females and not males, altough they offer to do it in half the price it usually cost. If it was obligatory the way it is with females, I and other adopters wouldn't have to face this dilema, we could see how the dog behaves once he is neutered.

BTW Corrina, implants for dogs !?!?!????
I hope my Tex will continue being the ladies magnet without them http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/wink.gif

Well, wish us luck and I'll tell you how it went and what effects it had in a month or so, and once again 10X for helping us, from Tex an his lucky but a bit worried owner



[This message has been edited by k9-luvr (edited May 31, 2001).]

[aly]

That's so wonderful that you decided to do it. I can tell you really care for your dog and want to do what's best for him. Thanks for researching and making an informed decision.

I agree, that shelter should neuter the males also.

It might be a little scary when you drop him off at the vet but keep yourself busy and try not to dwell on it. He won't be gone too long and when you pick him up, you can give him extra loving!

I have heard about those implants before but never actually heard about anyone doing it. In this book I have, it talks about unusual gifts you can buy your dog. One gift is "neuticals", which are attachable fake equipment for dogs who have lost the real thing. They also have sympathy cards saying "Heard you got fixed... didn't even know you were broken."

[This message has been edited by aly (edited May 31, 2001).]

[Stenograsaurus]

I'm glad you decided to do it. I agree that it will be a little scary when you drop him off. I cried every time I dropped an animal off to be spayed or neutered. I waited until I was out of their sight though because they are scared too and I wanted them to see me smile like nothing was wrong. When you pick him up, give him lots of love and don't be surprised if he doesn't eat for a day or so. But don't worry, he'll be back to himself in no time.

[ownerof3dogs]

I am so glad that you decided to get him Neutered. I got my Dog neutered at the age of 3 years old and it didn't really change him at all. He was also aggressive towards other male dogs and my other male dog, and having him neutered helped ssooooo much. He hasn't been dominate towards other males dogs since

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[Jasper's Mom]

I agree with everyone about neutering your male dog. It is important for all the reasons already mentioned. Good advise.

I had both of my dogs neutered, but I have not seen any change in their weight, energy, or aggressiveness. Since I have Golden Retrievers, they don't usually display these problems. The only significant thing that decreased and then disappeared altogether, was their tendency to "ride" other dogs, the cat or small kids. That habit is gone completely.

A question I wonder about with neutering males, along the same line, but more sensitive...and maybe you guys don't want to read this...but, the question is, after neutering will a male dog decrease or lose the tendency to have frequent, and I don't know how to say this, "winkie peeking out"? Not trying to be a sickie, just that sometimes others ask why one of my dogs (12 mos old) still does this. It does not follow any pattern in the occurance. My other dog has never done this. Is this connected with neutering also?

[Westie Woman]

I'm glad your getting him neurtered. After boys get it done, they don't act like they'd just had a operation. Girls are sore for a couple of days though. If you have a problem with him 'claiming' the things in you house (beds, tables, even you)then this will all stop. But it may not stop his aggressive behavior. Maybe he sees these other males as threats to his owner who he loves with all his heart, and just wants to protect you. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

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~~~A House Is Not a Home Without a Dog~~~

[aly]

Jasper's Mom: Reece is neutered and he has that 'problem'. It is sooo embarrassing when other people see!

Jasper ~ Smokey, here ~

http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/redface.gif I thought yer Mom wuz talkin bout ME http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/eek.gif!

Iffin I do that Dad alluz hollerz at me to "Put yer sqwirt gun away" or "Put it in yer holster", but I nebber know whut he's talkin about http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/confused.gif.

/s/ SmokeMutt



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/s/ Cinder & Smokey
the Rescued & Adopted
FurKids of *Phred*

[pyrlab]

Oh congratulations you made the best decision possible....my lab is neutered but he still tries to get his freak on...this won't take away his manhood http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif I think the behavior changes are dependant on the dog...Sam still bounces off the walls...if neutering mellows them, that's a scary thought! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

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[Genia]

I talked to a friend tonight and it made me think of this topic. She has two female lab mix dogs and never had them spayed. She noticed one of her dogs was gaining weight but figured it was the "old age spread". She took her to the vet for a yearly checkup and guess what? Her beloved Princess was pregnant! My friend was shocked but can handle it. She remembers finding a neighbors hound in her back yard once and figured he's the father. Her other furkid, Baby, starts exhibiting strange behavior. She calls her vet and the vet says "don't worry a lot of times when one female is pregnant the other will exhibit symptoms of pregnancy. It's just a false pregnancy". On April 12 Princess gives birth. One April 13th Baby gives birth! My friend ends up with 17 puppies! One of the reasons I love my friend is because she is such a caring person. But can you imagine having 3 children, two dogs and 17 puppies?! Her vet was nice enough to give her a discount for the pups shots. She has managed to find homes for all of the pups except four. She decided to keep two. One because he reminds her of her childhood dog and one because , her husband, a self professed computer geek, says has the markings of a Gateway computer box. Unfortunately one of the pups fractured his leg somehow ($254 vet cost) so while in a splint my friend allowed him to sleep in her bed. Now she is so attached she can't bear to part with him. Then there's Lillie who my friend's husband swears "chose him". Now my friend has gone from 2 dogs to 6. I love my friend like a sister. One of the reasons is because she has a heart of gold. She spent weeks screening the people who wanted the pups, and the the majority went to people she knew and whom she could visit and check on the pups. This to me is a great lesson on spaying and neutering.

[This message has been edited by Genia (edited June 01, 2001).]

[shais_mom]

The same thing happened to my parents neighbors GSD mix several years ago. They had 17 pups also!!! thats almost like 101 dalmations!!!
I've posted this before
if 2 dogs and their offspring are never ever spayed it will equal 64,000 dogs in 6 years!!!

[Genia]

My poor friend. It's kind of funny. She called me saying "Genia, I have 17 puppies living in my play room! I can't keep up with the poop!

[RachelJ]

I remember what it was like having 7. I can't even imagine 17.

[TollSettFK]

Abselutely have him neutered!

[Sudilar]

Yes.

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[crow_noir]

i'm not trying to sway anyone away from altering their dogs (or cats.). however i would like to make everyone aware of a down side. it isn't frequent, but it has been known to happen. and vets do link it to the altercations. as the dog (m and f) gets older it can start to loose bladder control due to loss of muscle control.

[LuvMyRott]

I`m glad you have decided to neuter. The hormones will take about 8 wks. to fully decrease. You and your dog will both be much happier. If you free-feed, just measure out the day`s portion.
Many rott owners wait until the dog is OFA certified at 2 years old and do it at the same time. As far as the implants go, I`ve only heard of that for people that are trying to sneak their dog into the show ring. Neutered dogs can not be shown.

[Corinna]

I heard about the implants on a pet talk show from a guy who had a pit bull and "He felt the dog would be embarassed to be seen without his equipment"" He sounded like one of those Macho types . I have never heard of spaying or neutering causing weaked bladder,I had to convince my dad it would help prevent some cancers (after we had a dog become very ill with breast cancer).I have always had my dogs done (we did raise springers for hunting dogs but one litter could tell us if they would provide the genetics we wanted.We had all pups spoken for be for breeding and spent a year or more finding the best mates for our lines. Usually we bred so we could have a replacement for the parent of the pup.) I haven't seen any activity level in my merlin still makes the neighbor tired just watching him.

[sammi]

We had a female black lab mix who at 12 years developed a weak bladder and she had been spayed as a pup. The vet put her on hormone pills and the problem was solved within 24 hours