Can a male unneutered dog be a good pet?

Question

Sometime soonish I will be getting a dog - quite possibly a big 'un like a German Shepherd. I want a male. However, I don't like neutering animals. So my question is, can I keep an unneutered large dog in safety? Will he be very aggressive or hard for me to control when we come across other dogs, etc? SERIOUS input would be great, thanks.

I understand that realistically neutering is a good option, however, I dislike the notion of taking away an animal's body parts to suit OUR needs. I believe that if that animal isn't right for your lifestyle, you shouldn't keep it at all. It's like designer animals. Like it or not that is my opinion.

Answer 1

Yes, non-neutered dogs can and do make good pets. Spaying and neutering seems to be the politically correct thing to do these days. As you can see, there are a range of reasons why you should neuter your dog, not all of them are based on fact I'm afraid. A lot of what you have been told is because that is what they were told for whatever reason.

I am of the opinion that you don't spay or neuter your pet unless it's absolutely necessary ie: an emergency. There are studies coming out now that show that being altered doesn't necessarily mean a healthy dog. They have a higher risk for some cancers, they can actually be more aggressive then unaltered dogs and altered pets may not live as long as their unaltered counterparts.

Most people that say to alter your pet will likely say get it done at 6 months or sometimes earlier, some people will say to do as early as your vet will do it which can be 8 weeks old. Vets are now finding out that spaying to early can cause a bunch of problems. Large dogs aren't physically mature until a much later age then smaller dogs. Altering them to early can cause growth issues, which in turn can cause orthopedic problems.

Here are a couple articles to read over:

http://www.showdogsupersite.com/kenlclub/breedvet/castrationindogs.html

http://www.mmilani.com/commentary-200509.html

http://www.mmilani.com/commentary-200511.html

It's always best to make an informed decision. When you pretty much only get one side, it's hard to make an informed decision.

Answer 2

An un altered dog can be kept as a pet and be just fine.
However you need to be very responsible and have a relialbe way to contain the dog.
A good fence to keep the dog home. Always on leash. Maybe not a good idea to go to the dog park as males can be aggressive to others dogs.
The dog will end up with an enlarged prostate and possibley testicular or prostate cancer. Most un altered dogs do if they live long enough.
You will need to put in lots of training time and work with the dog but you would need to do that neutered or not.
I have had an intact male Doberman Pinscher who was a stud dog and he was fine. He got along with my cat and the other female dogs. We could not have other male dogs but females were fine. He did not mark territory in the house and he did not ever hump a human. I spent a lot of time training with this dog and he was very well mannered.

Answer 3

MAles can be great, but also a challenge to live with. They are more aggressive, especially to other males. You pretty much have to resign yourself to the fact that you will stay away from other males. That means no off leash at the park,outside anywhere, and always a eye out for potential trouble. They can be trained to conduct themselves pretty well, but you can just never trust them. Sometimes it is the other dog you coma across that will give your dog "the eye", and that sets off the challenge! I have two dear boys and they are the most gentle dogs on earth.....except if another males gets in their space. We have them at a lot of shows where they MUST be near other males. All goes well unless someone is not paying close enough attention.
Clearly, they are stronger and you must begin at a very early age to train them and to make sure you have the control over them.
The key is great socialization as a puppy and then throughout life, while always being aware of others!!!!!! It is a contstant problem to meet others that have no clue that males HATE each other and want to let theirs get in your dogs face because he "loves other dogs"!!!!! These are the same people that will have no control over their dog once the "conflict" starts!!!!!!!!

So, if you are prepared for the constant "on alert", and train for it, things can be fine.
Remember also, that just because the dog is not fixed, it does not mean that all dogs should be bred. That seems to follow on this site. If you are going to breed, get a show quality dog and be prepared to get health clearances. STUD dogs are a whole different topic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Living with them is even more challenging!!!!!!!!!

Answer 4

Ok well here's my opinion.....First of all how old will the dog be??? If a puppy, fine then there is a chance to work with him and instill good behavior. If an adult dog this will be a definite challenge and quite honestly one you may not conquer. Now I have a male black pug, much smaller dog I know, but he was fine before I ever thought of fixing him. Then when he was about 5 years old I bought a female pug and shortly thereafter he was mounting her 24/7. I immediately had to get the both of them fixed. He is very healthy and happy with her. As with your case I have found that having larger dogs can be more challenging. Is this going to be an indoor dog?? If not, I had two outdoor dogs that were not fixed and I had a horrible time trying to keep them in my yard. They ran away constantly in search of "tail". I definitely appreciate your feelings towards keeping a dogs natural state but do want to warn you that having a male un-neutered large breed of dog sounds very challenging. Hope this helps....

Answer 5

i have had a male unneutered dog for seven years now, he is a pure bred Border Collie and has been very placid since the day i got him, i have never seen him be agressive to other dogs or humans for no reason. I have only recently in the last two years gotten him a female companion, as he was having medical difficulties due to the fact that he had never been bred. i was told he would either need to be nuetered or i would have to get him a companion, this, i was told, is very unusual, and often doesn't happen until a male dog is in his late years....the only real thing i feel you would need to worry about is 'leg humping', but with appropriate training, it shouldn't be a problem, my dog only did it in his early years when he was still a puppy.....my Border Collie 'Holden' and i are now inseperable, as he has saved my life many times, taking the unwanted runt in was the best decision i ever made. If you are prepared to spend at least an hour every week training your dog, you shouldn't have any problems. If you want to know any more, or wish to see pictures of my dogs, please e-mail me [e-mail] Good Luck. Glory

Answer 6

Most of the dogs I know are neutered and none of them are aggressive. In my opinion there is no difference in the bond you can have with an unneutered dog to a neutered one. Good luck and I hope you get a dog you like whatever your decision x

Answer 7

Any dog can be controled with the proper training. Un - neutered males are more aggressive and need a firm hand to keep them in line. If you train him right he will be fine. Just remember, dogs need a leader and if you have a big dog, you better be a strong leader.

Answer 8

Pretty much no. He will be full of hormones & pretty much try to be dominant over you. This is a disaster, especially in a big dog as they're so powerful & potentially dangerous. You really have to be the boss of a dog, especially an intact male. Anytime you'd be out walking he'd be likely trying to get off the leash & do his own thing or if he came across another male he'd be likely to get stroppy with it. Your backyard would also suffer because he'd be trying to escape at any opportunity.
Why are you against desexing? It's a quick surgery which prevents problems relating to hormone based issues such as the aggression or humping things. It's best to have his testes removed while they're still healthy otherwise he could get cancer & it would spread.
What if he got out & made some puppies? There's so many unwanted animals in shelters that many are put to sleep, many more than find homes. I know you wouldn't have to deal with it as such but could you live with that on your concience.
Plus registering your desexed dog is much cheaper!
I hope you can see the benefits of desexing your dog to be.

Answer 9

It depends on how old the dog is when you get him. I know that i have a male english bulldog whom is not neutered. I plan on breeding him, however if i didn't wish to breed him i would definetly get him fixed. He gets pretty agressive and he tries humping every female he sees. He is also very very hyper but i'm not sure if german shepards would act the same way as bull dogs. I also know it's better to get a dog fixed before he is two because it's less complicated procedure. Also getting a male fixed prevents health problems when he is older. You can speak with a vet about that but that is what both my dog's vet told me. Goodluck

Answer 10

Seriously neutering does NOT influence a dogs' personality. Its safer to neuter for a couple of reasons: no unwanted puppies, he'll be less apt to walk around the neighbourhood looking for females in heat and another very important reason is it basically eliminates his chances of getting PROSTATE CANCER. Also, he'll be aggressive if you train him to be or if he isn't socialised with other dogs from a young age. So, train him early, in fact try and find a puppy socialisation class in your area (ask your local vet), have him neutered at about six months, treat him with respect and you'll have a great dog.