Originally posted by Dixieland Dancer
I'm not questioning this to start a controversy but rather a friendly dialog.... what real health benefits at this point in the dogs life will it make? The only thing I can think of is eliminating the possiblilty of testicular or prostate cancer. At this stage of his life, it will do nothing for his reproductive drive or the elimination of some male to male aggressiveness (if he has any). Castration in dogs does help in those areas but we are talking about a 8 year old male and those tendancies (again if he has any) will not be alter by castrating him now. And the actual statistics on testicular or prostate cancer are very slim and his chances of getting this disease are very rare.

Please understand, I am in favor of neutering a dog when they are younger... mostly for the benefits of no reproductive drive (or ability), aggressiveness or marking tendancies, but at 8 I really don't see the health benefit. So I guess I question why now?
Soley to eliminate the risk of testicular & prostate problems. We recently learned there is a history of testicular cancer in his line. I don't expect it to change any of Muskwa's behaviors, nor do I want it to. He's a dominant, but not aggressive male. He marks, he doesn't like other unneutered males. I don't expect that to change at all. I'm sure he will still think the universe is his territory and must be marked as such! I fully expect he will still run off every chance he gets--he is a husky after all.

The other part of it, which I think is driving my husband's decision, is that he was just hired as the administrator of our local shelter. He gives lectures to various schools, groups, and to shelter customers daily about altering their pets. Frankly, it doesn't look good when people find out he hasn't neutered his own dog!