Getting my male boxer fixed?

Question

I re-posted this because I forgot to mention that my dog WILL NOT get any other dog pregnant. He is a 100% house dog and is NEVER aloud to run free (I live in a large city). Also I have heard that if you get him fixed it changes their personality? This is my major concern. Will he act less playful etc...?

I got a male boxer because I wanted a wonderful companion. I want a 90lb MALE acting boxer. I fear him being an over weight sissy, for a lack of a better term.

PLEASE people I assure you that he will NOT get any female pregnant if I do not get him fixed, and if he does I will adopt all of the pups or make sure they get a good home. Any info please... he is 12 weeks old... should I get him fixed or not? And why or why not?

Answer 1

My vet recommends neutering at 6 months, or when he lifts his leg to pee, whichever comes first....This allows the male hormones to do what it needs to do, to give him male characteristics..He will NOT be a fat sissy dog, but will actually be more loving, and focus his loyalty on you..
All police K9 dogs are neutered at 6 months..No one would call them sissies!

Answer 2

If the fact that "turning your dog into a sissy" by neutering him bothers you, consider the fact that you will be eliminating health problems and complications for him down the road. Testicular cancer is not at all uncommon down the road.
The only reason a male should be kept intact is really for breeding purposes. But unless he is truly an exceptional specimen and you think he would make a great contribution the the breed, there really are enough Boxers out there already.
You will also lessen your chances of him marking in the house or running off because he won't be seeking a mate.

Answer 3

Male animals don't act like sissies if they are fixed. They do become less aggressive and more friendly. They shouldn't get fat unless you let them lay around and do nothing. If you cut back a tad on the calories he takes in and take him out for exercise he should be OK.
Neutered dogs make better watchdogs because their sexual instincts don't distract them. They are less likely to run away from home or get in fights with other dogs. I know you don't want to let him out but if he has sexual urges he will do everything he can to get out of the house if he smells a female in heat. Neutered males are easier to train because of the absence of distractions.
If you want a complete list of differences in neutered and unneutered dogs you could check with your vet. I think that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. He will be a better house pet and will be as playful as ever.
Also, thousands of animals are killed every year in shelters because of pet overbreeding. I know you would find homes for all the puppies if he had any but you can't guarantee that those pups will produce no more offspring. Please help reduce animal suffering by getting your pet neutered.
Enjoy your pet! He sounds like he has a good home.

Answer 4

If he is not going to be used for breeding, then I don't see any reason to keep him intact. If you are concerned about size, wait until he is a year old before you neuter him. There are any number of reasons that you should do it.

The most important is that intact male dogs have a tendency to roam. I realize that you are confident that you can keep him inside, but what if he does get loose? Hormones are powerful incentives to run. The majority of dogs that we see at our clinic that are involved in auto impact traumas are intact males.

But besides the things that you can control, you cannot control what his body does due to the hormones. The testicles themselves can form tumors, and need to be removed. The testosterone can cause formation of peri-anal tumors, as well as cause enlargement of the prostate, that can make it painful and difficult to urinate/defecate.

On the whole, I think that people exaggerate the body changes that occur when an animal is sterilized. I have all female dogs, who are spayed, and they are neither lazy or overweight, and they have the same personality as before surgery.

If you are concerned about weight gain, adjust the diet according to his metabolism change, by watching his gain. His personality will be the same. It's not a labotomy!

No one can force you to neuter your dog. (unless it is the law in your city) Ultimately you have to decide that it is what is right for your pet. But I really don't see that there is a downside to doing it.

Answer 5

Neutering a dog doesn't change its personality, as he is only 12 weeks now the personality you are witnessing now will be the same one the dog has post surgery. The only thing it may change is the dogs desire to wander when it smells an intact female which usually makes him more interested in his owner (ie. wants to play with you at the park instead of chase females). It will also cut down on male-male aggression if it is done before sexual maturity (6 months).
Neutering your dog is wise especially if you are not wanting to breed from him, it prevents several cancers which affect intact males (eg. sertoli cell tumours) it cuts down on the chance of prostatitis and eliminates the potentions for testicular infections or torsions.
Hope this helps and have fun with him!

Answer 6

MsJeanne says it all.

The only thing I would like to add, if I may is the only reason a neutered dog gets fat is they are fed too much with not enough exercise.
All my dogs and cats have been neutered and none of them became fat beyond their ideal breed shape.

Addition:
There is and has been much discussion on the youngest a dog should be neutered. Ask your own vet what they think.
My Ridgeback Staffy x was neutered when I got him at 12 weeks (from the animal shelter). He grew into a big chested 35+kg (close to 80+lb) mass of muscle with a nice waist, a magnificent disposition. He looked like a brindle ridgeback and no one messed with him. Mind you he also had the mild disposition of both breeds. LOL

Answer 7

Hi i am quoting this from a pamphlet that my vet gave to me for my dog..
The best age for desexing is between 5 - 6 months of age. This is just before the dog reaches sexual maturity (and the bad habits that may develp along with it)
The benifits of desexing you male dog are as follows:
*Decreased incidence of prostatic disease and associated urinary tract and colon problems
*No testicular tumours
*Reduced aggresion
*Reduced inaproriate urination and marking
*Reduced inapproapriate sexual behavour (mounting furniture, people and other pets)
By desexing your dog and giving them a sensible diet they should not suffer from weight problems and the ability to still be active.The main thing to remember when feeding your pup is that meat and bones alone are not a balanced diet. There is much more phosphorous than calcium in meat and young rapidly growing puppies soon become calcium deficient on a meat-only diet. Dry food should be the main stay of a diet along with some wet food and uncooked bones on the side. Never give your dog milk, onions, garlic, chocolate or cooked bones as all of these foods cause severe illness or death.
Puppies less than 12weeks old should be fed three times a day, once they are more than 12 weeks of age you can cut the meals down to two times a day. When a pup is more than 6 months old they can be fed once daily, but many people choose to feed twice daily which is fine. By taking one general meal and cutting it in half and giving half in the morning and half at night is suitable. With good exercise your dog should stay in good health

Ok so from all of the info i have just given you, your dog should be fine as long as you can give him some regulare exercise like walking him daily. In general Boxer do tend to be very active dogs as you may already know, so if you do want him to stay fit and healthy after you desex him i think by taking him on walks you should be fine. Cheers and i hope this was a bit helpful!.

Answer 8

Well, I recently had two of my dogs spayed and neutered, one was a border collie, the other husky. And before the husky, aptly named Snowball, is very naughty, not naughty in a bad way, but just very greedy, especially for food. After I got her spayed, her personality didn't change, in fact, she is still as naughty as she was before being spayed. The border collie didn't have much of a personality change either. However, I wouldn't doubt that having your dog neutered won't have an affect on his personality. But think of it this way, having your dog neutered is better for him, he can live a longer and healthier life. Also, I think it is best to get rid of your dog's natural urge to want to mate with another dog, especially if he won't have an outlet to do it, since he stays inside the house. I'm not sure, but my vet recommended that the pet be at least six months of age before getting spayed or neutered.

Answer 9

Yes. First off, boxers are called cancer factories by vets for good reason; they are *very* prone to it. Removing the testicles gets rid of a possble site for cancer (and yes, they do get testicular cancer). Lowers the chance for prostate disease as well. It will also help prevent some very annoying male problems that come with the hormones like marking in the house (peeing on furnitire for example to scent mark it as territory). It will make him calmer in the sense that he won't be trying to sniff around for females or go nuts when he gets a whiff of one, especially one in heat. If neutered early, some males will not lift their legs which a lot of people like since they hate having boys peeing on stuff and taking forever to potty, since they like to leave a bit here and there. That doen't always work for all of them, though. He will also be more likely to get along with other males. In general, it makes for a boy that's a lot easier to live with as a pet. If your dog is high energy, fun loving and hard playing, believe me, it won't change that :-)

Answer 10

I have this question too. From what I have heard and my experience with my cat, their appetite increases indeed, but their personality only changes for the better. They don't become less energetic etc. They just stop marking and so on, and even that sometimes doesn't stop.