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 ! NOW you tell me - after it's 5 months too late !

/s/ Smokey

------------------
/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!!

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

[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!

[k9-luvr]

Thank U All for helping me decide !!

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

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

------------------

[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?