Will neutering/ spaying a guard dog like a Rottweiler or Belgian Malinois affect his/her behaviour?

Question

Since I'm not a breeder, I know that neutering dogs and spaying b*tches are just part of my responsibility as a dog owner (I also am against tail docking and ear cropping). But will neutering/ spaying affect their ability (Will they be less aggressive or less obedient?) to protect me and my home? And is there really no difference in temperament between neutered guard dogs and spayed guard b*tches as some articles have claimed? Crime rates are high in my city, I need a dog who is obedient, will give warning growls and is intelligent.

rblankenship: I don't think I asked for my dog to be aggressive. I just need him/ her to obey instructions and protects me defensively (only when I'm threatened). That's why I mentioned warning growls, not heel snapping.

Answer 1

Males may become less aggressive due to the lack of testoserone; however, less aggressive does NOT mean less protective. They will still retain their strong protective instincts Similarly, it will not affect their obedience, personality or intelligence.
My personal opinion is that some people who say that fixing their pet changed them, is just a coincidence due to many owners fixing the animal as they come out of puppyhood into adulthood where a change in activity level is very noticeable.

Answer 2

I owned and bred 3 rottweilers for 5 years, i now have 3 Pitt bulls and one old rotty. I have spayed all of my females, and nothing changed. A lot of vets say that spaying a female will make them less aggressive, this is not true. once a behavior or a personality is learned it is not changed because of hormones.
example Now with a male dog nurturing them will detour them from wandering, not because they forgot how but because there is no point. what are they going to do. It will not stop them from getting out if they are bored, and looking for something to do, it will just stop the breeding hunt they go on.

Basically don't worry all spaying/nurturing will do is keep your dogs healthier so they can protect you longer.

PS look for a spaying/nurturing van or bus in your city. they are way cheaper. it is normally 250 to spay a rotty female, i went to the big fix and paid 60

Answer 3

It will help to calm them down!! which is a good thing, and it keeps them from leaving home too if they get loose !! They will still have their own personality !! They will still be a good guard dog, it doesn't change them in that kind of way at all ! My boxer was spayed and had her for yrs and she was still a good watch dog and protected my home !! she would growl at strangers if they were around the house or on our porch , she still barked to let you know if someone strange was coming around youknow !! it's a good thing to have them spayed or neut ! In females they can get cancer if you don't, it can save there life from it ! Talk to your vet about it, and ask her the same questions as here, I'm sure you'll feel better about it , you can't just listen to people, get the facts ! from your vet ! some poeple will tell you anything i know !! but belive me your dog will be the same only better in other ways and healthier !! I wish i had gotten my older dog done when she was younger, now she's too old and i wouldn't want to chance it on her having any kind of surgery! She is almost blind and she is sooo little. i never got her done cause i was afraid to cause she was so little i was afraid she would die honestly! But all my other dogs are spayed! they came after her. she is just fragile to me and my vet knows how i feel and she see's no need to do it now either cause of her condtion and age ! but i regret it cause i didn't know back then that it could pervent cancer in females! and they could possible live longer too ! so after her my next dogs were spayed!! Good luck to ya !

Answer 4

Thank you for being responsible, and getting your dog neutered/spayed. This won't affect their protective skills, (and no -- a spayed female won't put on weight just because she's spayed). If they have been trained to obey you, then they will continue to do so.

Answer 5

A dog's desire to protect his owner & property will NOT be effected, when the dog is spayed/neutered. Thank you in advance, for doing this (and for letting the Rottweiler keep his tail!)

Answer 6

i had a male german rott (my exhusband still has him) we got him neutered at 6 mos old....hes always been very obedient since then and super protective especially of my kids. the mailman laughs at him because we taught him very young where the edge of the yard was and he would run and stand right at the edge of the grass and bark at the mailman every day (the mailman was 3 feet away,no fence or leash to keep him from him) hes never in 6 years bitten anyone........but he has had 3 differnt people pinned in a corner with his teeth bared,. dont think honestly he would bite but he sure likes to make people think he will.

Answer 7

When I neutered my dog a siberien husky he became different, he was lazy and cared nothing for protecting the home or letting us know when people came in the drive, he gained weight and didnt want to play as much--kinda like we hurt his manhood or something. I wont do it again unless I have no choice

Answer 8

It doesn't directly affect their behavior, but they do become less aggressive, and less likely to get into fights with you about alpha positions. But in the ability to protect you, the dog will not be hindered by him/her being neutered/spayed.

Answer 9

If anything a dog that is spayed or neutered is better for training.. They don't have thoughts of the opposite sex on their minds and are more able to concentrate on you and their training, and keeping an eye out for you.

Answer 10

I think you meant will they be less protective. :] As long as you don't neuter the dog really early as a puppy, it shouldn't really effect him. They will actually probably be MORE obedient. Although they are typically more inclined to be aggressive when they're un-neutered, they shouldn't be any less protective of you and your home.