# How to persuade my husband to agree to neuter our boy?



## roundstar (Dec 18, 2009)

We have a 3-year old golden boy who is not neutered. He behaved very well except that he may not be able to keep calm when meeting some big male dogs (never had any problem with smaller dogs.) He may growl or bark, but there wasn't serious fight because they were just warning each other. Until recently, he fought with big male dogs twice. I was so sad when I saw that he was trying to bite the other dogs during the fights. 

I decided to neuter him, but my husband was not happy with that... He loves our boy so much and he's afraid the neuter may change the dog's personality.

Do you have suggestions on how to persuade my husband?
Thank you!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I guess the first thing I have to say as somebody who now is back to owning 2 intact dogs..... it does not make them dog aggressive. And neutering him probably won't make him suddenly dog friendly. I think neutering will remove motivation for the macho posturing - if that is what is going on with those fights. If your dog has a fear of other dogs and feels threatened by big dogs - especially now he's gotten into fights with them, that is not going to go away. 

Regardless of your decision to neuter or not, I would seriously consider stop turning him loose with other dogs.


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## gold4me (Mar 12, 2006)

We neutered our 3 year old Gambler in August and his personality has not changed at all. The only difference I see is that he doesn't mark or pee as often on our walks. None of our other males had personality changes either.


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## roundstar (Dec 18, 2009)

Megora said:


> I guess the first thing I have to say as somebody who now is back to owning 2 intact dogs..... it does not make them dog aggressive. And neutering him probably won't make him suddenly dog friendly. I think neutering will remove motivation for the macho posturing - if that is what is going on with those fights. If your dog has a fear of other dogs and feels threatened by big dogs - especially now he's gotten into fights with them, that is not going to go away.
> 
> Regardless of your decision to neuter or not, I would seriously consider stop turning him loose with other dogs.


Thank you for the opinion. I totally agree and understand. I'm not expecting the neuter will 100% fix the problem, but I do hope it MAY help a little. It's possible that other male dogs will not be interested in fighting with him after the neuter. I want to try anything I can do to help our dog live happier.


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## roundstar (Dec 18, 2009)

gold4me said:


> We neutered our 3 year old Gambler in August and his personality has not changed at all. The only difference I see is that he doesn't mark or pee as often on our walks. None of our other males had personality changes either.


So glad to hear that... thank you.


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## Braccarius (Sep 8, 2008)

I neutered our boy at two years old and never noticed a change in him at all.... which is probably exactly what you'll see with your male when he's neutered. He will still get in fights.... I doubt that neutering him is going to change that in the least.


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## roundstar (Dec 18, 2009)

Megora said:


> I guess the first thing I have to say as somebody who now is back to owning 2 intact dogs..... it does not make them dog aggressive. And neutering him probably won't make him suddenly dog friendly. I think neutering will remove motivation for the macho posturing - if that is what is going on with those fights. If your dog has a fear of other dogs and feels threatened by big dogs - especially now he's gotten into fights with them, that is not going to go away.
> 
> Regardless of your decision to neuter or not, I would seriously consider stop turning him loose with other dogs.


Hi, Megora. I just read some of your posts in other threads, and impressed with your opinions on neutering. I have spent lots of time and efforts to train our boy, and I was shocked when I saw the fights. I believe it's my fault if our boy doesn't behave well. I have to face the fact and keep my hardwork on dog training, instead of dreaming that neutering may be helpful.

I'm afraid I didn't pay enough attention on the socializing training in the past months. This is my first dog. He is almost perfect when he turned to 2-year old. I didn't realize it might change.

Do you have any training resource to recommend about socialization? 
Thank you.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

roundstar said:


> Hi, Megora. I just read some of your posts in other threads, and impressed with your opinions on neutering.....


Thanks... but remember I can be very opinionated. Doesn't mean I'm 100% right all the time. There are a lot of people here who especially have had experienced with "tougher" dogs. I hope they chip in here.




> I have spent lots of time and efforts to train our boy, and I was shocked when I saw the fights. I believe it's my fault if our boy doesn't behave well. I have to face the fact and keep my hardwork on dog training, instead of dreaming that neutering may be helpful.


Please don't get me wrong - if the fights stem from hormonal or macho things going on with your dog, neutering may help remove some of the motivation for the fights, even though you still need to follow up with training and management. You need to manage which dogs your boy is loose or interacting with. The soonest you get a handle on this, the better for him. Since he's still young, there's a good chance you can "fix this". 

For training, I recommend looking around your area for dog classes. I attend classes with somebody who owns a fairly aggressive St. Bernard. I even posted a comment last year re/my upset when this dog was heeling behind my Jacks and suddenly started chasing him while growling and snarling. It scared the heck out of me and there were a lot of people who shared the private comments with me before or after class about how they did not trust that dog and didn't want him there. 

Fast forward 2 months and the instructor working closely with the owner, and this dog made a complete turnaround. 

Now... I don't think this dog would ever be one that could handle being turned loose in a dog park, but as far as being in a crowded space around other dogs, he's doing great. I think that is honestly the goal you want right now.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

There are studies that show that if a male dog has aggression issues, neutering is helpful. And often the marking, etc behavior improves... It will not house train a dog.... My two boys are neutered and wonderful pets.... They get along...there are also three intact girls and two spayed girls in the house. No fighting issues, but sometimes if food is involved, there might be a squabble...


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Neutering can take the edge off some boy dog behaviors, but it shouldn't be considered the primary solution to social problems. I'm definitely supportive of the idea in the situations you describe, but you should also take a training approach to the problem.

As far as convincing your husband, call your vet and enlist his or her help. Neutering a boy, especially after maturity, is a good decision.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

roundstar said:


> I have spent lots of time and efforts to train our boy, and I was shocked when I saw the fights. I believe it's my fault if our boy doesn't behave well. I have to face the fact and keep my hardwork on dog training, instead of dreaming that neutering may be helpful.
> 
> I'm afraid I didn't pay enough attention on the socializing training in the past months. This is my first dog. He is almost perfect when he turned to 2-year old. I didn't realize it might change.
> 
> ...



Hold on.....
TESTOSTERONE causes secondary male characteristics which includes fighting with other intact males for resources. Resources could be territory, access to females, and pack position. THIS IS NORMAL BEHAVIOR. We have watered this down so much in our domesticated animals and particular breeds especially, goldens included -- but it is still normal canine behavior, whether we like it or not. It is not a lack of socialization or training. In many breeds, goldens included, intact males that live together can live in complete harmony, but novel, outside males may make waves. It is normal. 
Neutering removes the primary endogenous source of testosterone in the male animal and will help curb same-sex aggression. This is why they castrate bulls and geld stallions -- it makes them much easier to manage! Same thing happens in dogs.
Bottom line, don't beat yourself up about it, you did a perfectly fine job socializing your dog, and your dog is behaving normally for his age, species and sexual status. Neutering will most certainly eliminate or reduce the negative testosterone-based behaviors. That's the only behavior change it will bring about.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

But even if they geld stallions, they still will exhibit issues with other horses based on their personalities... <- My horse was gelded at 4 because he was untrainable otherwise. Neutering had a calming effect on him and he became trainable afterwards, but he still throws his weight around the field (he turf guards the food and water and has chased other boys right through fences), flirts with the girls (I will never stop teasing my barn lady about the one time she forgot who she was dealing with when she turned him loose in the mare field - he spent the day chasing girls), and will fight with certain horses. I forgot about the stalls too... my barn lady has to be careful who she puts him next to in order to prevent wall kicking and climbing. If you've ever seen a horse fight, it is a terrifying thing - especially when it's your horse and you are thinking about the vet bills... With him and some of his full blooded brothers, they simply cannot be turned out together because their attitudes don't mesh well. 

My feeling as far as dogs - neutering is a good idea, but it's not the only action that needs to be done. Bumping up management and training is absolutely necessary. I can think of a LOT of neutered dogs who are loose around other dogs when they should not be. These are dogs neutered very early, etc...


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## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

If this is a new issue then I would think neutering would do nothing. My male dog is neutered and he will fight another male dog IF the other dog starts something...neutered or not. Ive owned intact males before who were not neutered and they occasionally got into a scrap (no blood was drawn and it was over in seconds) and not once did the decision to neuter cross my mind. 

Some dogs do not like other dogs, and neutering will do nothing..or make things worse. Neutering takes away a vital part of the dogs system..hormones. Was this fight a true fight or was it a scrap? If fur was flying, blood was running and dogs ended up at the vet with stitches...thats a true fight. If its just a matter of two dogs going at it for a few seconds over whatever...thats not a true fight to cause concern for me. I had mine at the park a while back, he was playing with a Heeler and he got carried away with how rough he was playing. Heelers turned around and went after him, growls, barks and bites were given and it was over in seconds and they went right back to playing. 

The Heeler was meerly putting him in his place. No blood, no vet trips no nothing. 

I would think twice before neutering you dog over a couple fights with other males. There could of been circumstances for it, an in heat female in the area (my male will get weird with another male over an in heat female and mines neutered). The other dog could of pushed things to far, thrown off weird body language, given weird eye contact....could of been anything. I wouldnt go removing my dogs body parts over something like that before I consulted a trainer (one that does NOT say neutering will solve your problem).

Learned behavoir will not stop with neutering. My dog still will act all macho around other male dogs he meets, especially if they arent fixed. If the other dog starts something then mine will loose patients. My Rottie was not neutered and he couldnt give a flying F*** about anything...but another male dog starts a fight with him...oh boy


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Max has been neutered. He is the same confident dog now that he was before the surgery. The neutering did seem to ease some tensions that had been happening at dog park involving other male dogs. He still lifts his leg sometimes, and exhibits other typical male dog behavior.

I would add that Max weighed about 90+ pounds when he had the surgery, and that his recovery was uneventful. He was subdued for about a day and we did not go back to dog park for about two weeks. He wore the cone-of-shame for two or three days.


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## Leslie B (Mar 17, 2011)

As for convincing your husband, that is a whole other issue than if you should or shouldn't, and what the desired change in the dog would be. Husbands tend to value that part of their own anatomy and can be resistent to allowing it removed from the dog. I am not sure why since the husband gets to keep his.....

I would talk to your husband about how the dog will never be used for breeding so he will always be in a state of sexual readiness without a sexual partner. It is unfair to the dog to live his whole life in this manner. That angle might get him to agree and then I would schedule the proceedure as soon as possible before he changes his mind.


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## LilBitBit (Jan 15, 2012)

I had the same issue, but for me it was because my husband was dead-set on breeding. After getting some advice on here and doing some research of my own, I presented him with the facts of why I thought breeding was a bad idea and he agreed with me.

Basically, for me it was a communication issue that we talked out. Does your husband know why you want to neuter the dog? Or does he just think that you want what can be an expensive surgery for no reason other than to get it? Maybe telling him "I want our dog neutered because of (your reason here) and I think it will help with these issues because (your information here)" will help. Men like it when we explain ourselves to them I've found


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Neutering made a huge positive difference in my dog Copley and his 'tude around big intact male dogs.


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## hvgoldens4 (Nov 25, 2009)

Just because a dog happens to be an intact male and thus possesses testosterone does not give the dog a free pass to act like a jerk and behave aggressively.

I am a breeder and I own 5 intact male dogs that range in age from 13.5 to almsot 8 mos old. They do not fight with each other over anything, nor should they. We also have a number of girls so we have girls in season often. Our dogs live in the house and get along with one another. Communicating with one another is one thing but actually pushing the envelope to the point where the dog attacks another dog is quite another and it is very clear that this is not acceptable in goldens in the golden retriever standard which was written many years ago. It is not neccessary for them to fight to be able to communicate with one another.

There is another forum member who owns a dog who has behaved poorly around other intact male dogs in the past. He was around our 8 year old intact, stud dog. He did try to get a rise out of our dog but our dog was not willing to engage in the behavior.

Neutering does not fix all problems with behavior, especially aggressive behavior. There are usually other issues involved with training that also need to be addressed, as well. However, neutered dogs will stop lifting their leg and do far less posturing, etc than their unneutered counterparts.

If this has happened all of a sudden with a dog who has been stable in the past and not had issues, I would get a thyroid panel done as a low thyroid level can cause aggression issues. Also, the normal ranges that are given for the thyroid testing are for canines as a species and not for golden retrievers as a breed. Goldens tend to need to be more toward the middle of the range for their thyroid levels to be where they need to be. Example, a t4 of 1.2 and the top of the "low range" is 1.0. This is a dog who would benefit from supplementing the thyroid.


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## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

Leslie B said:


> As for convincing your husband, that is a whole other issue than if you should or shouldn't, and what the desired change in the dog would be. Husbands tend to value that part of their own anatomy and can be resistent to allowing it removed from the dog. I am not sure why since the husband gets to keep his.....
> 
> I would talk to your husband about how the dog will never be used for breeding so he will always be in a state of sexual readiness without a sexual partner. It is unfair to the dog to live his whole life in this manner. That angle might get him to agree and then I would schedule the proceedure as soon as possible before he changes his mind.


Hmm according to this theory my Rottweiler and German Shepherd should of been very unhappy. Both those dogs were intact and neither showed any aggression, frustration or the "sex crazed maniac" syndrome people tend to make out intact dogs to be. A dog does not walk around every waking minute saying "OMG OMG OMG I MUST find something to stick my yahoo into NOW"...they just do not think like that. Sure, if an in heat female came by and they could smell her yes they may get stressed out. But to say its not fair for them to live with testicles is just silly. My males were so passive and well trained. They wouldnt fight over anything, nothing...not even over a female. My current boy is neutered and if theres an in heat female by him and another male...he will tell the other male off and if given the chance will mount and tie that female (though I would never allow that). Also, did I mention..hes neutered


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## roundstar (Dec 18, 2009)

Thank you for all the opinions! 

There is no dog training course in our area, so I learn by myself through internet and books. I enjoyed every minute of training our boy (and myself) since day one. 

He was very friendly with most of the dogs before, and would like to share food and toys with others. This new fighting issue really upset me as I had no such experience. 

Thank you for your posts and I understand neutering better now. I will discuss further with my husband and think twice about neutering. No matter what our decision is, I will try to enhance the socialization training first, which shouldn't have been neglected.


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

Spaying and neutering has never changed my furbutts personalities.


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

Neutering stopped my 2 year old from marking and humping. Although he never had a mean bone in his body, the only goldens I have seen with an attitude towards intact males were not neutered.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Tell your Hubby*



roundstar said:


> We have a 3-year old golden boy who is not neutered. He behaved very well except that he may not be able to keep calm when meeting some big male dogs (never had any problem with smaller dogs.) He may growl or bark, but there wasn't serious fight because they were just warning each other. Until recently, he fought with big male dogs twice. I was so sad when I saw that he was trying to bite the other dogs during the fights.
> 
> I decided to neuter him, but my husband was not happy with that... He loves our boy so much and he's afraid the neuter may change the dog's personality.
> 
> ...


Tell your Hubby there are health benefits in getting your dog neutered.

http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-articles/how-will-neutering-change-my-dog


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

We never neutered any of our dogs. We had two male dogs pretty much at the same time in the house and there was no marking, no fighting etc. Also DH took them shooting around other dogs and none of them ever exhibited aggression towards either bigger or smaller dogs. 

From this experience I would assume that neutering would not do much for your problem. I wonder if maybe you have a friend or neighbor with a bigger mellow dog and try to introduce them properly. There are couple dogs in my neighborhood that I am personally scared of. I am first working on my own courage to be around them. Once that I feel confident with myself I would be working in introducing Rose to them. 

Right now she knows that I fear them so she barks every time she feels they are close to our home. Many times I have no clue why she is barking and when I look outside I see them passing by.


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## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

There are also negative drawbacks/problems neutering can cause 

The Negative Aspects of Neutering Your Pet

"*Altered males:*

- Increased occurrence of urinary calculi.
- Increased difficulty passing urinary calculi.
- Increased chance of urinary obstruction.
- Increased likelihood of urinary incontinence.
- Increased likelihood of adverse reaction to vaccinations (27-38%).
- Notable decrease in activity/drive. (same as above in female list)
- Increased chance of "perpetual puppy syndrome" undesirable urination.
- Inhibited social adjustment if castrated prior to sexual maturity.
- Substantial likelihood of appreciable demeanor change after castration (same concept as above in female list... reproductive hormones affect more than just reproduction).
- Increased likelihood of cognitive disorders if castrated before complete cognitive development (usually a good time AFTER sexual maturity).
- Notable decrease in muscle mass (yep, same as above)
- Generally live 2 (or greater) years shorter than unaltered littermates in controlled studies"


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## hvgoldens4 (Nov 25, 2009)

A1Malinois said:


> There are also negative drawbacks/problems neutering can cause
> 
> The Negative Aspects of Neutering Your Pet
> 
> "


Most of the issues that you have noted are rather rare in dogs and many of them only are an issue if the dog is neutered before sexual maturity. I believe(I may be wrong) that the OP said her dog is 2 years old, so he reached sexual maturity quite some time ago.

There are also many studies that show that neutering does decrease many undesirable affects such as fighting when it is male dominance aggression.

There are also legal ramifications that no one has brought up. If her dog attacks another dog and it is injured, she is responsible for the vet bills incurred from that attack. It can also put the dog in the "system". For example, here in PA, we have a three strikes law and then the dog has serious consequences facing it, including euthanasia. 

The OP has also stated that she does not have training classes in the area and so she is at a big disadvantage in trying to get help. These issues can also become a habit and increase in frequency and the severity of the attack. There is also the issue of a human being injured when trying to stop the fight. 

All of these things need to be considered before the OP reaches the proper decision for her and her dog.


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## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

hvgoldens4 said:


> Most of the issues that you have noted are rather rare in dogs and many of them only are an issue if the dog is neutered before sexual maturity. I believe(I may be wrong) that the OP said her dog is 2 years old, so he reached sexual maturity quite some time ago.
> 
> There are also many studies that show that neutering does decrease many undesirable affects such as fighting when it is male dominance aggression.
> 
> ...


Well, neutering I doubt would help these issues as they have already started meaning its now a learned behavoir. If my male dog suddenly started to go after other males I think before I cut his balls off which seems to be the answer for every thing now a days I would see if there is perhaps a medical condition that could explain the sudden aggression such as low thyroid....also the fact the dog is not neutered does not classify as a health condition. 

Sorry, I do not advocate neutering a dog before all other options are explored. The dog should not have to undergo a possibly un needed operation because there are no trainers in the area. If the dog is that unpredictable it needs to be kept away from other dogs its not familiar with, not go to parks etc. Prevention is key they all say...but when it involves a neutered dog its a "neuter then allow them to play with other males"...thats silly. The owner knows the dog can be aggressive with other males, neutered or not the dog having a chance to attack another dog needs to be prevented. When the OP neuters the dog and sees the behavour is still present or possibly worse...you cannot sew the dogs balls back on and start from scratch. Its not a light decision to be made, your taking a vital part of a dogs body and function away....

About legalities, the OP is responsible if her dog bites another dog...whether its neutered or not.


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## Braccarius (Sep 8, 2008)

Its a little bit of a moot point from both sides. Neutering a dog or not neutering has benefits and detractions from all sides. The truth of the matter is that it is not a magic bullet that is going to turn Cujo into Lassie. I see countless posts on here about how dogs are not faring well with particular dogs at a dog park like its not normal. A normal day at my dog park is a scuffle or fight every ten to fifteen minutes which is why I do not go and encourage people to avoid them. I don't like everybody I meet... why is it expected of our animals?


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

The golden standard is clear that goldens who are grouchy or nervous in normal situations may not be bred- they cannot quarrel with other dogs in normal situations. I just saw three intact male goldens get put in one big expen at a show so the owners could shop the venders. These are well known show males from well known breeders, and get along beautifully with other dogs. Plenty of golden intact males do not show aggression to outside intact males. I think it is too easy to make excuses for iffy temperament in the dog who shows well and has health clearances and other things, bc it is more gray area. Some people actively manage/ hide poor temperaments. A golden male who escalates to the point of fighting other golden males without extraordinary circumstances is clearly prohibited from being bred. Then, the question is, if you are not going to breed the dog bc of temperament, will neutering improve it. Well, in my experience, yes. It takes the boys down several notches drive and energy wise- even changes their coat texture and muscle tone sometimes. A neutered male, like a gelding instead of a stallion, is often (not always) less dog for the pet owner to deal with.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

> A neutered male, like a gelding instead of a stallion, is often (not always) less dog for the pet owner to deal with.


If the bad behaviors of the dog are driven by the dog being a stud-brain, I think this is absolutely true. 

My problem is that I think it's unfair telling people to neuter or spay their pets as the sole answer as to how to manage dog aggression. Because I suspect what happens is they spend that money on the surgery, and then find out they have the same dog with the same problems. 

I think some dogs just don't like other dogs getting in their faces or touching their stuff. Some of that is caused or exasperated by stress or even excitement. Whether they are intact or not.

A reasonable non-aggressive behavior would be what I've experienced when Jacks has had quite enough playtime with Bertie. One low growl and the pup immediately backs off. 

How that could escalate or turn into something terrible is if you put a dog in a situation where he feels harassed and a low growl or even a variety of other subtle warnings do not make another dog back off and leave him alone. 

With other dogs or something I've observed too is that their way of communicating is what is 'allowed' by the owners. That's whether the dogs are intact or not. 

With the one dog we had neutered (when he was pushing 10), fwiw, the one behavior change we saw was he no longer had any use for the usual "exchange of information". So while in the past he and his brother would do the usual personal area sniffing/licking as a matter of course - after his surgery, he would growl or snap at his brother if he so much as got a sniff in the rear. Because neither dog had an aggressive bone in their bodies, the growl or snap worked. <- But again, I imagine it would be vastly different if Sammy snapped at his brother and Danny continued to harass him. 

Beyond that - we did not notice any other behavior changes. Sammy still went out and marked. He still had the senioritis issue where he gradually forgot his borders and would wander if we took our eyes off him. 

For the surgery they had to shave off his trousers and even a portion of his tail - and I remember how astounded we were by how quickly and thickly it all grew back. His coat always was too silky and prone to matting, so we didn't notice a texture change. But I've talked to a lot of breeders and obedience people (goldens and other breeds) who delay or avoid neutering/spaying their dogs primarily because it ruins the coats and makes them difficult to maintain.


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

" A neutered male, like a gelding instead of a stallion, is often (not always) less dog for the pet owner to deal with. "

One of my concerns when someone is having trouble with their dog and looks to neutering as a way to solving the problem is that they don't look to the reason for the problem. As Jill said above many times this will help though the dog will still really need some training on how to act in an appropriate manner but for dogs that the trouble stems from fear neutering can make the problem even worse. Those that are looking at neutering to solve a problem really should seek out a behaviorist (not just a trainer) to evaluate their dog.


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## roundstar (Dec 18, 2009)

Sorry that as I posted the thread in a hurry (I think I'd better not let my husband see it), it's bringing misunderstanding about why to neuter.

I never think that neutering is a "magic fix". I just had hoped it might help a little. Whatever, it's true that to neuter or not is a hard question to us. I didn't wait for the final decision and have picked up the socialization training since the day I posted here.

About half year ago, I changed the walk route to a quiet lane near a river to enjoy the stroll. I forgot to maintain the socialization which had been built up nicely during his puppyhood, which might be the main reason to that new fighting issue.

Now I changed back to walk by busier roads. Our boy has walked beautifully in the past days. Yesterday, we passed by a lab mix who was barking and charging on leash toward us. I got my boy's attention with a treat and he heeled perfectly (which we practised a lot when he was a puppy). I will keep on doing that and I believe we can do the same without treats in the future.

My first plan is to help my boy to feel comfortable and relaxed when other big dogs approach. For now, I will avoid onleash greetings with strange big dogs until I'm sure it can be handled safely.


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## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

roundstar said:


> Sorry that as I posted the thread in a hurry (I think I'd better not let my husband see it), it's bringing misunderstanding about why to neuter.
> 
> I never think that neutering is a "magic fix". I just had hoped it might help a little. Whatever, it's true that to neuter or not is a hard question to us. I didn't wait for the final decision and have picked up the socialization training since the day I posted here.
> 
> ...


This (the bolded portion above)...is your problem....sorry to sound brunt. 

But, allowing your dog to meet leashed another leashed dog is asking for a problem. Dogs hold a fight or flight instinct. If they are approached by a threat (or possible threat), they choose to either flight (run away) or fight. A leashed dog only has the option to fight. Also with tension in the leash when allowing the dogs to meet can send false signals to your or the other dog. Always best to allow to meet other dogs in a controlled environment with a leash dragging (though some dogs still dont do well with the leash attached) or off leash. Your dog is doing what comes naturally to him, fighting a possible threat if the flight option is not there


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## SpellboundOne (Nov 2, 2012)

You might want to approach this thing from a totally different field and tell him you will drop the subject forever if he will go to the humane society every sat for, say 10 weeks where he will look at each and every dog and then the following week he will inquire about those not there and where did they go? Dogs who arent fixed want to make puppies - it's their JOB! They will disobey sometimes when the urge is strong and if you can't guarantee that he can't seize an opportunity to visit the ladies, know that you're taking a risk with or took part in a litter (no doubt adorable little pups), who may find themselves homeless or worse in the future where they might end up in the society he visited. If you're not going to breed him properly, get your dog fixed, it's the killing I can't take - not the sterilizations.


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## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

SpellboundOne said:


> You might want to approach this thing from a totally different field and tell him you will drop the subject forever if he will go to the humane society every sat for, say 10 weeks where he will look at each and every dog and then the following week he will inquire about those not there and where did they go? Dogs who arent fixed want to make puppies - it's their JOB! They will disobey sometimes when the urge is strong and if you can't guarantee that he can't seize an opportunity to visit the ladies, know that you're taking a risk with or took part in a litter (no doubt adorable little pups), who may find themselves homeless or worse in the future where they might end up in the society he visited. If you're not going to breed him properly, get your dog fixed, it's the killing I can't take - not the sterilizations.


What I want to say to you....will get me banned. So I will approach this differently. 

Firstly, yes, dogs create puppies. The whole " omg the poor poor dogs in the shelter are dying because you wont neuter your dog" bullcrap will not work on me. MY dogs never put any of those dogs in the shelter. I used to volunteer at a high kill humane society and not ONCE did I ever feel guilty about keeping any of my dogs intact. Not ONCE. I am currently involved in rescue and am an open foster. Again, I do not feel guilty about keeping dogs intact (cats are a whole different ball game). 

My dogs wont breed, my dogs are trained properly. My intact dogs never held the "omg i must breed now" attitude. In fact, my intact Rottweiler NEVER was leashed. Ever!. The only time this was was leashed with a 1 foot tab was in highly busy public areas and trips to the vet. I had him around in heat females frequently at shows, events, competitions and never once did he stray from his heel position.

Its sad seeing dogs in the shelter but they were not put there by my dogs so why should I neuter mine? To prevent the less then 1% chance of my dogs getting loose and fathering a litter? My dogs health comes first.....sorry. Using this guilt tactic does nothing for me and I hope the OP doesnt listen to it. Shes kept this dog intact for a a while with no issues. The issue is not the dog getting lose but the temperament hurdle. 

I can fix my dog tomorrow, and I can promise you the shelter numbers will not decrease. It will only decrease when puppy mills, irresponsible owners and BYB's are FORCED to spay/neuter. Those, are the ones that will make a difference in the shelter population. 

Seriously, give your head a shake. Vasectomies offer an alternative to neutering which can effect the dogs health short and long term!


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