Conflicting opinions on altering my puppy.?

Question

I have a 6 month old rottweiler male who is a pure bred with his AKC papers.

I also have a 3 year old female rottweiler (rescue), and my boyfriend Jeff, and they make up what is my family.

In my opinion, I want my puppy (Diesel) neutered. I have limited knowledge in breeding, and don't know if I would want him to be studded out.

My boyfriend (who is Diesel's "daddy") doesn't want him neutered because he is pure bred, and we could possibly stud him.

I don't want to be irresponsible with our dogs, but I also see Jeff's point. We're hoping to receive some insight to help us come to an agreement. Does anyone know what the benefits/drawbacks are of neutering Diesel? (aside from the hopefully obvious litters that may come)

Thanks for any help that is offered!

Well... my mind is made up. :) Now it's Jeff's turn. Just to clarify a few things that did come up... The breeder we got Diesel from was A+. She did have generations of histories (not sure how many) certifying their hips, temperment, general health, and intelligence. (Not that any of that means I'd be ready to breed, just means she knew what she was doing!) Thanks to everyone for the help! You're great! :)

Answer 1

My entire career has been in dogs and I tell any customer who asks my opinion about which dog is best, I always answer a neutered male. The intact stud dog sometimes doesn't even realize you exist once he realizes he is a male and he is here to make more rotties. My ex never neutered his Boston Terrier and that dog couldn't care less if my ex lived or died. He marked all over his apartment, on every corner and every stick of furniture, one time when I went over and hung my brand new winter coat on a chair he ran over and pissed on that too! Not ALL intact males are like this but there is always a chance it could happen to your male and you need to consider that.

The next thing is what type of pedigree does the dog have? Are both of his parents Champions with the AKC? If not, then you will be making one more generation of Rotties that are that far removed from the breed standard. Rotties had their 'Day', when they were one of the most popular dogs in USA and unfortunately a lot of people who looked at breeding them from a money angle ONLY, had their hand in on the deterioration of the breed, like all breeds that have become the "IT" dog.

Here's the thing about how many champions stand behind your puppy in his pedigree; I'm not trying to tell you that only champions should have the right to breed but if your dog has come from a larger show kennel, the chances are better that your breeder has been able to test your puppy's ancestors for the many hereditary health problems that are known to Rottweilers. The reason they would want those lines tested healthy is that it costs a small fortune to get a popular breed such as the Rottweiler to become champions and the return to the breeder is in the breeding of those champions so they would want to be extra careful to keep genetic problems bred out of their own bloodlines. So a real responsible breeder will test for all types of things like eye certifications, hips, elbows, thyroid, heart, anything that is becoming common in the specific breed, a reputable breeder will have his breeding stock tested for if there is a test available. And that breeder will guarantee his pups to be clear of these defects or diseases, On Paper, a Written Guarantee.

You really don't want to get into the breeding game unless you are prepared to do your research and find out what things are most common for Rottweilers to have genetically wrong and have your dog tested for ALL of these things. Before all that, you would need to evaluate your dog and be certain that he is a dead ringer for the breed standard before you just throw it out there that you have a stud that wants to breed. You can find the breed standard at AKC.com and you can also compare him to pictures of champions that you can find online by running a search. Another way is to attend an AKC dog show and watch the Rotties in the ring, maybe ask some breeders about all the testing but be careful about telling show breeders that you want to breed because some may bite your head off.

Now you can do all your homework and run all of his tests, make sure he is clear of everything he should be clear for but you still may not be able to get too much for his stud service if he has no champions in his pedigree for a few generations. Unless you breed him to a sub-par female whose owners don't care about any hereditary problems, they just want pups so they can make money. This is really not good for the breed so you need to think real hard before you just go out and randomly breed him to just any rottie because she has papers too.

I have two drop dead gorgeous male AKC Dobermans who are two years apart in age and although I always wonder what their babies might have looked like, both were neutered at the age of 7 months. Years ago I bred German Shepherds and did the Xrays to be certain their hips and elbows were sound before they were bred. They have to be at least two years old (As your Rotty would) to get the certification proving they were sound, then when I had pups, I sold every one with a written 2 year guarantee. (Which you should)

His temperament has to be sound as well, not shy, not aggressive, he should be protective, smart, obedient, the list seems to go on forever.

Or; you can neuter him and have possibly the best dog you ever owned because he won't care about any of that female stuff and he will be attentive to the three of you for his entire life. My vote is neuter.

Answer 2

I think it's rather funny that Rottweilers are always looked on as the "macho" dog by alot of male owners.
I think you are on the right track with the neutering, however. To stud out your dog might be tempting, but do you know what happens to unwanted Rotties? If one of the puppies your dog produced goes to the wrong owner (and you will have no say in that decision) it could end up in a shelter. A large breed dog in a kill shelter has a much greater chance of being euthanised that a small breed dog, because many people are not equipped to handle the larger breeds. There is also the fear factor in some people. You don't want that on your conscience.
If Jeff wants to breed this dog, and knows nothing about breeding, he is breeding for the wrong reason. There are pet quality dogs and show quality dogs, and most of the purebred dogs in the world are pet quality-no reputable breeder would use a pet quality dog for stud. So what are you left with? Backyard breeders. I don't think you want to go there, either.
Please think carefully about this decision, and ask Jeff to, as well. It could mean life or death for a poor helpless puppy.

note: Tara W-what makes you think you don't have to think about the puppies when you stud out your dog? If you help to bring any life into this world, you are responsible. You don't just walk away-that is very cold.

Answer 3

Unaltered male dogs are notorious for being obnoxious teens. They are more likely to hump legs, mark furniture, get aggressive towards other males, run away, and just be crazy boys! This doesn't mean that they can't be great dogs, just that there might be a lot more work involved. If you're not willing to put up with boys being boys, then get him altered.

I would highly recommend that you either show him in conformation or at the very least have a few breeders check him out and tell you if he is show or pet quality. If, and only if, you have an outstanding example of breed physical attributes, health, and temperament, should you consider using him as a stud.

Ask why Jeff wants to breed. Does he want to improve Rotties as a whole? Are you willing to do the research to learn your dog's faults, as well as his good points? Do you have a pedigree on him, and the ability to find out what, if any, problems his family members have had?

Studding a dog out is a lot of responsibility, as well as time and effort. Every breeder I've known always says to never start out with a stud, because they're much more trouble than bitches (you even have to make sure you train him to be handled during breeding - are you willing to handle his genitals and train him to let you handle his penis, even if he is trying to mate?)

Personally I would neuter him, but that will be your choice as his owner and family. You can also decide to neuter him later, but you will have to put in a bigger commitment to training and keeping him under lock and key to prevent accidental litters (a lot of males will learn to climb fences if it means they can escape and go look for females in heat).

Answer 4

AKC registers dogs, it is not at all a sign or proof of quality. Just cause your dog has AKC papers, does not mean he is worthy of being bred.. Have you seen some of the Rotties out there.. I can guarantee you that your dog is not of the quality that these dogs are... Your dog is a pet quality Rottweiler, no matter how cute or nice he is, he is a pet. Not worthy of being bred. Your boyfriend has a think about male dogs and needing them intact cause he lives thru his dog.. It's not going to make him a bigger or more important man to be breeding out his pet quality Rottweiler. You are opening him up to many health risks by leaving him intact, you are increasing the liklihood that he will be male dog aggressive, over 80% of the dogs out there biting people are intact dogs... Neuter the dog and tell your BF to get his confidence and prove his own manhood in another way.

Answer 5

i thik i would take some advice from breeders about studding the diesel, it may be a little more complicated than u think, if u have limited experiance of breeding maybe its not a good idea, another thing to think about is diesel going to be your pet as your other dog is, if he is to be purely part of your family then have him done. My froend has a staffy her husband wanted him to be a stud dog but found he wasnt really wanted because there are plenty of stud dogs already in the system, they never had him fixed and he makes a awfull mess in the house and is constntly trying to hump her legs and he is very aggresive to other dogs. hope this helps

Answer 6

Dogs who are not neutered have a much higher rate of testicular cancer. Breeding is best left to professional breeders. There are so many health issues in dogs today. Having their AKC papers doesn't in any way guarantee they are free from genetic issues. Both parents should have a 5 generation clear pedigree of all genetic issues that are prevalent in your breed. I have Retrievers so I don't know all the main health issues in your breed but I know one of them is hip dysplasia just like it is in Retrievers. OFA is the Orthopedic Federation of America. X-rays are sent to them and they determine the status of the hips on your dog and they issue a rating. Do you have these on your dogs, their parents, and their ancestors? If not, you should never consider breeding. Research your breed and find out what the genetic issues are for the breed and whether or not your dogs and their family have received clearances on all of these. If you don't, and you breed them, you will just be contributing to the future health issues of the puppies. It's very sad for someone to get a puppy and find out later on that it has serious health isssues that can cost a fortune to fix or maybe things that are not fixable at all.

Answer 7

The fact that Diesel has good lines might encourage you to breed him. Of course, breeding is a lot of work (even if you are just studding him out), because there is a lot of legal information that one must go through. If terms are violated you could deal with a lot of legal costs.

Also, fixed dogs are just much more easier to get a long with.

Answer 8

I totally agree with DP in that men who own male dogs often hate to have them desexed because they relate it directly to having their own b***s chopped off. It makes no sense but it is a very common attitude among men who are insecure in their masculinity. I would challenge Jeff on that one and see if he can reassure you that this isn't the case (maybe don't use those exact words or he might get "snippy", LOL!).

Anyway, I also agree with the others who say that you shouldn't be adding to the dog overpopulation ... there are more than enough breeders out there already, and your boy (the canine one) will be happier and healthier once he's altered. Good luck.

Answer 9

I think you are doing the responsible thing to neuter him. It would lessen his risk of certain cancers and make him way less likely to roam searching for a female or roam in general (which makes dogs end up in shelters where they're euthanized). He'll be less likely to be aggressive. The fact is, you are exactly right, breeding is complicated and best left to the pros. It would be unfair to breed him, since tons of rotts are euthanized every year because they are homeless. They are good dogs and don't deserve this.

Answer 10

Hi i have 2 dogs, 1 staffy and 1 long haired german shepherd with papers both which i could have studded, but i chose not to...due to i didn't want them for that when i brought them...bit like sending your children off lol. I have had them done because i didn't want any chance of them getting testicle cancer, and it really calms them down! You also have to take the dog to the ***** on her territory and that depends if she likes him, muzzels etc...you either get first pick of the litter or a percentage of how many they have and sell, i would leave it to the experts.