This question is for anyone who is a dog owner?

Question

I have 4 animals. 2 dogs and 2 cats. one of my dogs is a male. and the rest of my animals are all female and they are spaded. However, I have yet to get my male dog neutered. The problem with that is I have asked my husband if I could get him neutered and he gets mad at me everytime I bring it up. He thinks it is taking away his man hood or something. The dogs that is.

I have heard that just by getting him neutered could help make him less aggressive and it could end up helping him live longer.

What could i do or say to convince my husband to let me do this? He is currently in the army and is overseas at the moment but I just cant up and have it done with out him being okay with it as I dont want any fights and I dont want him to end up being angry with me for it. Please help as I want what is best for my dog and all my animals.

Thanks!

Answer 1

I would first acknowledge that your husband has a point. There is an emotional component to the whole thing that both men and women acknowledge. It appears to be related to male dogs but not to female dogs. That may be because it is visible in males and because female dogs can create a bit of a mess.

At any rate, it is not illogical or irrational but probably heart felt and deep seated. Here are some counter arguments:

- If your dog is a year or so old, neutering is unlikely to change his character. He will be less likely to fight other males over females but if he is a dominant dog this will not change that part of his character.

- It will reduce his stress level by making it less likely that he will be challenged by other male dogs. If you like to take your dog out with you then this can be a big deal. It will make it easier on him to be out and about.

- If he does not have them he cannot get cancer in them.

- He is less likely to jump the fence, bolt the door, etc. if he smells a female in heat. This makes it easier and less worrisome for you.

- There are (goodness) replacements so that he looks the same but isn't. I have heard that owners often opt for a bigger size.

http://www.neuticles.com/index1.html

Answer 2

Heh...yes, many men are squeamish about neutering their pets.

Where I come from it is not common to neuter, unless you have a testosterone related problem and I can honestly say that the vast majority of our male dogs make excellent family pets even though they are intact. If this is the case with your male, I would suggest that you let the matter lie.

However, if you have problems with your dog, you should be able to use this as an argument to make your husband agree to a neutering. How about trying out a chemical neutering for a few months first? This is very common here, because that way you can see if a problem can be helped by an actual neutering or not. For example if a dog is displaying anxiety or fear-aggression, a neuter can often aggrevate it instead of help it.

If you try with a chemical neuter first, then your husband will also be able to see what the results of a neuter will be like - that his dog won't turn into a girly girl, and, if he has testosterone based aggression, your husband should be able to see better and improved behaviour, and hopefully this will win him over to agree on a neuter. Also, talk to him about the health benefits of a neuter, a dog can't get testicular cancer if it doesn't have any testicles.

Answer 3

I TOTALLY AGREE that you should have your dog neutered. The earlier in the dogs life, the better. That way they don't develop aggressive "Habits" and marking territory "Habits". If you wait too long to neuter the testosterone that caused the dog to do things in the past, will become "Habits" that are hard to break even after he's neutered.
For example: We adopted a 3 yr old dachshund that was never house trained, and was used to roaming the streets. He marked his territory wherever he felt like it was needed. We also have 2 other males dachshunds that are neutered. When we brought the 3rd into the home, he started marking EVERYTHING! We had him neutered and it didn't stop the "HABIT". Now one of my other dachsies marks things that the third dog marked. "Competitive Urination" is what I like to call it. (We have tried several ways to house train this dog - We finally figured out that he's not going because he has to go...it's to mark his territory)
I would never change my mind about neutering though! I think it's very important to their health...and if he does get out and finds a female in heat. How many "Unwanted" puppies will that produce? There's too many animals in our shelters and streets to allow our pets to go "UN-FIXED".
Best of luck!!

Answer 4

Your husband seems to equate the dog's "manhood" to his own.

You are right that it can help the dog be less agressive, and could end up helping him to live longer. In addition to preventing health problems, it also means he won't wander or "go catting around" every time a female within a mile or two is in heat. When he goes catting around, you could lose him in an auto runover.

I understand your feelings that you don't want to do it on the sly. That would not be good for your marriage. Sadly, your husband's macho attitude isn't helping your marriage or the dog's health either.

If your husband is a religious man, you could ask your minister to talk to him next time he's home, but your best bet might be to talk to the vet and get your vet's opinion. Tell the vet what you wrote above, and ask him to talk to your husband next time he's in to talk him into neutering the dog. He's much more likely to listen to the vet than to you. male-to-male macho thing, you know!

You can make up some excuse to take the dog in to the vet, for rabies shot, or something. Then have the vet talk to him and recommend neutering.

Answer 5

Along with all the health benefits people have listed, they make a product called Neuticles which are inserted when the dog is neutered and they are fake testicles so no one knows..lol.. If hubby is gone the incision would have healed and he would never know the diff. Find a vet out of your area that does the implants. After hubby is back and he remarks on how much nicer the dog seems tell him the dog was neutered and that is why he is a nicer dog. BTW, some men agree to neutering as long as their dog "looks" the same.

Answer 6

You must make your husband understand that by neutering the dog, your husband will not lose any of his "manhood". Men are weirded out by neutering for some reason. Your dog will be the same animal as he was before and have no chance of getting testicular cancer and less risk of prostate cancer. It will also make him less likely to roam to find a mate. Good luck, it's a hard situation.

Answer 7

You are so right. It prevents potential aggression, wandering off to look for mates (male dogs have been known to jump through plate glass windows to get to female in heat), testicular cancer and other reproductive diseases. It is much healthier for your dog. Dogs do not view sex the same way humans do and it does not affect their manhood. All my males have been neutered (and my husband agrees with me).

A lot of guys have the same misconception - I have a nephew with this hang-up that can't be convinced by his mom or me or anyone else. Print out this link and show it to him.

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=adopt_spayneuter

If this does not convince him, then the problem is about him and it is bigger than neutering the dog. Something for you to think about.

Answer 8

Look up all the cancers and sicknesses that neutering can prevent in a dog and send your husband an e-mail with this info. If he love your dog, he'll get it.

Yeah, he'll feel bad for it from the male perspective. But in the end its way more healthy for your dog.

Answer 9

Tell him it's either the dog's balls or his!
Just kidding!
Explain to him the health benefits of getting the dog neutered (especially when he's young)! If he still says no, steal his wallet while he is sleeping and get the money to get him fixed. It's not too expensive, anywhere from $70 to $150 depending on his size. When your husband asks where the money is, tell him he got drunk the night before and you found him asleep in the front yard. It should work like a charm!

Answer 10

Why not tell him the dog is becoming aggressive and you're afraid of being bit. Tell him that it either needs to get neutered or you'll have to get rid of it because he's becoming a hazard. Or you could say he's marking all over the house. Whatever. Good for you for wanting to do the responsible thing.