should i have my shih tzu neutered/spayed?

Question

i have a 3 year old male shih tzu.sometimes he can be very aggressive.one minute he can be very lovable the next he will be very aggressive.sometimes i will go to stroke him and he will go to attack me.
someone told me to have him neutered as it may calm him down.is this true?would you reccommend it.
how much will it cost?
please help as im at the end of my tether and i dont want to get rid of him as i love him.i dont know what else to do.
thanks

Answer 1

neutering does not necessarily calm a dog down a lot of people say it does but my 3 are neutered shih tuz and if anything there temperament has stayed he same if your not going to breed from your dog get him neutered i would recommend any one who does not breed from there dog to get them neutered it prevents all sorts of cancers and prostate problems in later life .if you do get your dog neutered depending on the size and weight the average cost is 120 pounds if in the UK the vet charges by weight as the amount of anaesthetic used varies with the size of the dog good luck in your decision

Answer 2

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Since it is obvious that you do not have a clue about obedience training, your services should be for free. You cannot train even an adult dog for 8 hours a day. About the most that can be done at any one time is 10 - 20 minutes and that is with an adult dog and not a puppy. The attention span on this baby is extremely short and training session should be no more than 10 minutes and twice a day. Additionally, there isn't going to be much learned if you will only be training for 5 days. Obedience training is cumulative and is done over a much longer period of at least several weeks to several months.
What you can charge is determined by your experience, reputation, and accomplishments and in a case like this, should also include guaranteed expectations. Just working with dogs over several years, is not the experience that is necessary to be a dog trainer. There are too many people who are putting that title to their name and fleecing the public. Don't be one of them.

Answer 3

Very unusual for a Shih Tzu to be aggressive. You getting him neutered will not fix this trait in your dog. I never had an aggressive Shih Tzu so I really can't advice you on what to do. Some say it clams them but mine are fixed and didn't change them.. They are still the lovable dog as they were before. And congrats on the correct spelling of Shih Tzu ..That is the first time I have seen an owner of a Shih Tzu spell it right.

Answer 4

You have had many good answers - I believe you have two problems: a dominance problem and an unneutered animal. Unless you intend to breed get him neutered. As someone else referred , I didn't neuter my "Buddy" and he died of testicular cancer. It may or may not influence his behaviour, but it's just good pet ownership.
Dominance - he thinks he is alpha dog and that makes your life miserable. You must be alpha dog in your pack. There's a lot a great training advice on dealing with dominance aggression - but what ever you do - never react with aggression to his aggressive actions. When he is aggressive with you ignore him. At a later time, when he calms down, cuddle and love him and reward him for being sweet. My female shih tzu was a rescue and we had a serious dominance discussion when she came to live with me. Be patient and gentle - this is a issue that can be resolved.

Answer 5

Neutering can help calm dogs down but usually only if they show dominance towards other dogs or are looking for fights outside etc.Your problem with your shih tzu is a behaviour problem that is best treated by a behaviourist.I would get him neutered but i dont think this will solve your dogs behaviour,you need to get proffesional help for any types of aggresive behaviour.Good luck.

Answer 6

yes neuter your dog. Un-neutered males can be aggressive and are more likely to run away than neutered males. However, since he is 3, a lot of his behavior is learned and it will take training to teach him new behaviors. My recommedation would be to neuter him and do some obedience classes. They are offered at a lot of Petsmarts at a reasonable price. Check with your vet about the price, it should be somewhere between $70 and $130

Answer 7

...if you're not planning to breed from him..(and I wouldnt advise it if he is of an aggressive temperament) then yes..though it may not solve the problem entirely. Make sure he knows you are "top dog" by eating before he does, walk through doors before him, sit above him, no letting him on the bed or sofa with you, read a book on dog psychology. DONT "get rid" of him. The problem lies with you not the dog. I have a large un neutered male Rottweiler and he knows his place and would never question my authority because I learned the way of the pack and he understands that.

Answer 8

I think neutering your dog will stop most of his dominant behaviour and so i would recommend that you did neuter him. I'm not sure how much it would cost to get him neutered as prises in different vets varies although I do know that it is cheaper to neuter a male dog then it is to spay a female dog. Good luck

Answer 9

Having your little dog neutered will definitely help- less
hormones are a good thing. I had my mare spayed a couple of years ago, and it calmed her right down. You may need to contact a good dog trainer, to handle some of the aggression issues. Good luck!

Answer 10

Having your pet neutered will diminish the dominancy issue as the testostorone levels are decreased. This may calm down your dog's behavior. However, it could be a behavioral problem which will have to be corrected by training.

Unless you have plans to responsibly breed your dog, you should definitely have him neutered to prevent accidental litters.