# Should I have my 9 year old neutered ??



## Emma&Tilly (May 15, 2005)

It sounds like the other dogs he meets are very unfriendly and don't have very nice doggy manners themselves (probably because they themsleves had their testicles removed during puppyhood and a intact male is a bit of an alien to them) 

For an easier life I would probably go down the route of castration and see if it makes an improvement. It definitely doesn't help that he hasn't interacted with other dogs, he may be giving off some nervous or confrontational signals that are very subtle. But that itself does worry me as removing the testosterone from a nervy dog is not the best idea IMO. Is he nervous around other dogs?


----------



## segwun (Dec 2, 2009)

No ...we have had alot of friends come to house with there dogs and he has a great time with them. Its just theses big breeds that seem to pick him out in a crowd. He may give some slight nervouseness against the big breeds but he has dog friends that come over to the house. I 'me worried if i get him neutred will this fix the problem and what would the health issues be if any ???


----------



## NuttinButGoldens (Jan 10, 2009)

Here's the thing...

A Neutered dog, around intact dogs, can become more aggressive than the intact dogs.

You may get a change you don't like.

IMHO, this should be looked at from a purely accidental breeding perspective. I just don't think neutering is going to fix what you are trying to fix.

And, as best I can tell, it is THEIR problem, not yours.

Not everyone will agree with this, and that's ok 

BTW... At 9 years of age, your Vet is going to require an extensive battery of tests prior to surgery.


----------



## segwun (Dec 2, 2009)

Ime not quite sure what u mean by its Their Problem ???


----------



## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

I would certainly consider neutering. As long as he is deemed healthyprior to undergoing anesthesia. Given that he is not the agressor, once altered, he will not be putting out the testosterone "signals" that are triggering the other dogs. 
And as a bonus, you will be decreasing the chances of some of the physical problems that intact males suffer later in life, ie prostate problems and testicular tumors.


----------



## Claire's Friend (Feb 26, 2007)

Thank you PG, now I don't have to post this !!


----------



## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Okay -- reality check. They are fighting because I betcha the other dogs are intact males as well. Intact males of any species fight, it's how they prove who gets to mate. This is not rocket science. 
Have him neutered and the other intact males won't have any beef with him.
The prevalence of fighting between intact males is about 100 times more than that of a neutered male that sends of "strange signals" to intact males. And really, I think this is a VERY overblown phenomenon, one I have never encountered personally. Trust me, intact males could care less about neutered ones. They hold no interest to them except maybe if they are interested in play or arguments over food. Socially, they do them no good so why waste energy fighting with one?
Most older intact males develop enlarged prostate, and testicular tumors are a risk as well. 
Overall if this is a large concern of yours, I would have him neutered and not look back. 
Best of luck,


----------



## rappwizard (May 27, 2009)

Each and every dog that has fought with him has been intact?
Each and every dog that has fought with him has also been on a leash?
Each and every dog that has fought with him has been when he's been on a leash?

You've mentioned these 4 or 5 dog fights--I'm just having a hard time figuring some of these things out.


----------



## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

rappwizard said:


> Each and every dog that has fought with him has been intact?
> Each and every dog that has fought with him has also been on a leash?
> Each and every dog that has fought with him has been when he's been on a leash?
> 
> You've mentioned these 4 or 5 dog fights--I'm just having a hard time figuring some of these things out.



Good point. If the other dogs on a leash, how are you allowing them to interact close enough to get into fights? Just keep walking.
If the other dogs are OFF leash, time to contact the police and carry pepper spray.
Both scenarios represent a good argument for neutering pet male dogs. If you want to keep an intact male you have to be hypervigilant about the OTHER dogs you run into.


----------



## Emma&Tilly (May 15, 2005)

As long as he is healthy before the op (your vet will want to run a blood test) then I'm sure he will bounce back in no time...he will maybe sulk for a little longer than, say, a 1 year old (as he won't have as much youthful exuberance!) but the op itself is quite simple and not too invasive.


----------



## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

well, aside from the fighting question, the dog should be neutered anyway IMO. Neutering is good for a whole lot more things than just preventing unwanted puppies, even though that is very important. If he's healthy othewise, get him neutered.


----------



## Emma&Tilly (May 15, 2005)

K9-Design said:


> Have him neutered and the other intact males won't have any beef with him.
> The prevalence of fighting between intact males is about 100 times more than that of a neutered male that sends of "strange signals" to intact males.


Thats interesting because in my area it is the intact males that are the most balanced and sociable dogs that I see out and about (and we meet and get to know lots of new dogs daily) It is normally the castrated dogs that hump other males and are 'in your face' type dogs that are FAR more likely to get a good telling off. I have seen it in my own dog...not a single problem until he was castrated, Harry is a dog that needed that testosterone, he is now very nervy and can be snappy around other dogs, it is very sad to see how it has changed him.

In this case I would probably castrate, but it isn't always the best solution for every male in every situation.


----------



## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

Emma&Tilly said:


> Thats interesting because in my area it is the intact males that are the most balanced and sociable dogs that I see out and about (and we meet and get to know lots of new dogs daily) It is normally the castrated dogs that hump other males and are 'in your face' type dogs that are FAR more likely to get a good telling off. I have seen it in my own dog...not a single problem until he was castrated, Harry is a dog that needed that testosterone, he is now very nervy and can be snappy around other dogs, it is very sad to see how it has changed him.
> 
> In this case I would probably castrate, but it isn't always the best solution for every male in every situation.


But wasn't Harry just under or pretty close to two years old when you neutered him? Sage, my lab mix, was 4 months old when she was spayed. She always got along with dogs, until she matured. At around 2 years old, she started getting very snappy and uneasy around new dogs. Sometimes it has nothing to do with the neuter or spay, it has everything to do with the dog. I don't think a 9 year old dog will be any different after getting neutered tan he was before.


----------



## rappwizard (May 27, 2009)

Taz Monkey said:


> well, aside from the fighting question, the dog should be neutered anyway IMO. Neutering is good for a whole lot more things than just preventing unwanted puppies, even though that is very important. If he's healthy othewise, get him neutered.


As Emma and Tilly has pointed out, castration doesn't necessarily solve all problems when it comes down to a dog's personality.

The reason I asked the questions I did of the OP was to try to determine just exactly what is going on with the situation--you've got a dog that has been attacked 4 or 5 times by other dogs, on "walks." If that happened to me, with an intact golden, I'd be looking for more of an entire picture, than to just have as a possible answer "neuter the dog."

And I'm not against neutering--my first two goldens were.


----------



## segwun (Dec 2, 2009)

hi ,

I dont know if they were intact males or not, they were much bigger than him and of an aggressive breed. I was so focused on my dog that i dont know if they were intact.
Secondly they have all been fights when they have been off of leash, except for the last fight that just recently happened with a german sheppard. We had our dog on leash and this big old sheppard came around the corner and darted right for our dog. Our dog was on leash , we tried to pull away but he had already lunged at our dog. So we had to drop the leash. Are you advising me to have him neutered ???? Will it change him and if so what ways????


----------



## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

I believe having him neutered will help reduce the aggression and it will also help him avoid some health issues. I recently had a 9 year old rescue neutered and he had absolutely no problem with the surgery. You will need to have your vet do a thorough check to make sure he will do okay with anesthesia.

My current golden was an older dog when I got him from shelter 5 years ago and he was intact and also male dog aggressive. I immediately had him neutered and he is good with most, but not all, male dogs. I do not believe we do as well if he was still intact. I have to admit though - all my animals are spayed or neutered since that is what I believe is necessary for many reasons.

I realize these other dogs are being the aggressors, but I believe your dog also needs better socialization skills and you need to take an obedience class to help with this. He will get more accustomed to interacting with other dogs and you will get more comfortable around them too. Your trainer could observe your dog and give you much better advice than the internet can since we don't know his personality and cannot see the two of you interact.

You might have to avoid the areas where the other dogs are off leash for a while and just walk around your neighborhood or a local park.

Good luck. I hope you find a way to enjoy your walks again.


----------

