Good and bad sides to neutering your dog (male)?

Question

Im considering neutering my male Golden Retriever/Lab mix, and was wondering if somebody could tell me what are some good and bad things about doing so, and what are the effects on his behavior? Both positive and negatives would be helpful.

Answer 1

Well, not a whole lot of bad things.

Pros:
1. Won't be contributing to pet overpopulation problem.
2. Reduce or eliminate chances of developing testicular cancer, prostate cancer/disease, and other hormone related problems like diverticulitus and perianal fistulas. Healthier dog!
3. Reduces urge to roam (run away from home and run around the town looking for the ladies)
4. Reduces the urge to fight other dogs for territory or status.
5. Reduces or eliminates the urge to mark territory (neutered males will still urinate on every standing object when on a walk, but they won't be driven to mark in your house, on your pant leg, on other dogs, on children, etc.)
6. No changes in behavior or personality.

Cons (for some people):
1. Metabolism will be slightly lower so diet should be more closely regulated. (Neutered animals do not naturally get fat. Body condition is related to calories, so you, as the keeper of the calories, control your dog's weight, his or her reproductive organs don't.)

Neutering is a very routine simple surgery. Most clinics will release the dog on the same day. After surgery, he will be a little lethargic and perhaps a little tender around the testicular area, but it goes away quickly and heals up within 10 days. Especially if you have a mix, there is absolutely no reason to keep your male intact. He will be a better dog for being neutered. If cost is an issue, there are low cost spay neuter clinics in almost every town.

Answer 2

Aside from the risk associated with anesthesia (which is true of any operation including dental work), there really are no negative effects. The only other "negative" is that you can't have puppies... but unless your dog is a purebred and of show quality, it's really irresponsible to breed him anyway. With millions of dogs being euthanized every year in shelters, I'd NEVER advocate breeding of non-purebred dogs.

Positives you can look forward to is easier potty training if he's young (he will have less tendency to "mark" indoors, etc), less aggression, less wandering if he's not confined (though he SHOULD be confined), and just an overall better dog. Non-neutered dogs, when left without a female to mount, often mount anything available (furniture, other animals, people, etc). This can be embarrassing and dangerous as some dogs become somewhat aggressive during such behavior. The younger you neuter him the better... but it's never too late (unless the dog is so old that there is an increased risk associated with the use of anesthesia).

PLEASE, PLEASE get your dog fixed. It's truly the only responsible choice you can make. :) Go volunteer for a day at any local shelter and you'll see my point.

Answer 3

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RE:
Good and bad sides to neutering your dog (male)?
Im considering neutering my male Golden Retriever/Lab mix, and was wondering if somebody could tell me what are some good and bad things about doing so, and what are the effects on his behavior? Both positive and negatives would be helpful.

Answer 4

The only negative is that he'll never be able to sire pups again. But I don't think that's negative since there are already too many unwanted pets in the world.

Neutering is highly recommended and healthier for your dog. Neutering helps lower the chances of certain cancers and usually calms a dog down considerably. Unneutered males tend to be bouncy, hyper, highly excitable....once they're neutered, a lot of their romping instincts are lowered or eliminated and they become much more mellow. This won't happen overnight, however, because it can take up to two months for the hormones to get out of the dog's system.

My advice; have him neutered. It's better all around.

Answer 5

The only bad side is he will never sire puppys.
The good side is you are lowering his risk of testicular cancer as well a prostate cancer.
He will never get an enlarged prostate.
He will be more focused on you and will be a better pet.
He will not be looking for love all the time
He will not mark territory in the house and he will be less likely to fight with another dog over the right to breed.
All good stuff.
I have had several of my male dobermans neutered and it did not make them any less protective or hold down their growth. The last one was neutered at 4 months and was 100 pounds and 30 inches at the shoulder. He was huge and very protective of the house.

Answer 6

the down sides of neutering are very uncommon and most of the so called "facts" are not actually done in equal studies, ie: not actually real. the main pro of neutering your dog? an intact male dog will knock down fences to get to a female in heat. the result? puppies who will most likely end up in shelters and be put down before they are even a year old. besides that, even if the puppies did survive, for every dog born, three shelter dogs would be putdown. the dog species is already so over populated that billions, yes billions, of perfectly healthy well behaved dogs are put down every year. and every 8 seconds a dog is put down, again a perfectly healthy well behaved one. if your dog is neutered by a good vetrinarian, the chances of side effects are about 1 in a billion. me and many other people agree that it should be a law for ALL dogs to be fixed, with an exeption for reputable breeders who are only in it for improving a particular breed. what this would result in are shelters only full of a few illegal dogs, who are adopted up quick enough that NONE are ever put down except for for health reasons. so that is why ALL dogs should be fixed/neutered. and if it actually was dangerous, i think the billions of dog owners around the world would have something to complain about. 8] do not feel even the slightest ounce of guilt. you did the best for your dog and his species. if you feel guilty after reading this, youtube 'shelter dogs' and click on any of them, you will be crying about the sad faces who have most likely already been put down, and you will look at your dog full of love and happiness that you did the right thing. and i hope he makes a full recovery and lives a happy healthy rest of his life. 8]

Answer 7

I can't think of any down side to neutering your dog. The up side is he will not want to run after females, he will be more content in the house, will not raise cain if there is a female in heat and he can't get out. Unless a person plans to breed a purebred dog, ALL dogs should be spayed or neutered. There are enough unwanted pets in shelters and rescues at it is.
The first place I went when I got my Boxer from a friend of my sons was to the vet to have her spayed. My male came from a rescue group and he was already neutered, UTD on shots, HW neg. and micro-chipped when I got him.

Answer 8

The positive aspects are a longer life for neutered dogs, a dog that is calmer, and the fact that you are helping to reduce the chance of unwanted pups.

The negative would be the chance of the surgery itself. However, this is a very routine operation and the chances of a dog dying from this are very slim.

Answer 9

Neutered males have far fewer prostate problems (including cysts, abscesses, and prostate cancer) than do unaltered males, and they can’t develop testicular cancer. They are less likely to roam, fight, demonstrate aggressiveness, or display hyperactive behavior.

There are no bad things about neutering except for the VERY, VERY slim chance that the dog may have a problem with the surgery.

Answer 10

I have been told there is less chance of your dog getting cancer if you do neuter them. It should mellow him from running away and being aggressive with other dogs. Mine is almost 5 and I am sorry I did not do it sooner cause now I am afraid he has already established habits that would have been tamed.