Can a male unneutered dog be a good pet?

Sometime soonish I will be getting a dog - quite possibly a big 'un like a German Shepherd. I want a male. However, I don't like neutering animals. So my question is, can I keep an unneutered large dog in safety? Will he be very aggressive or hard for me to control when we come across other dogs, etc? SERIOUS input would be great, thanks.
Answers:
Yes, non-neutered dogs can and do make good pets. Spaying and neutering seems to be the politically correct thing to do these days. As you can see, there are a range of reasons why you should neuter your dog, not all of them are based on fact I'm afraid. A lot of what you have been told is because that is what they were told for whatever reason.

I am of the opinion that you don't spay or neuter your pet unless it's absolutely necessary ie: an emergency. There are studies coming out now that show that being altered doesn't necessarily mean a healthy dog. They have a higher risk for some cancers, they can actually be more aggressive then unaltered dogs and altered pets may not live as long as their unaltered counterparts.

Most people that say to alter your pet will likely say get it done at 6 months or sometimes earlier, some people will say to do as early as your vet will do it which can be 8 weeks old. Vets are now finding out that spaying to early can cause a bunch of problems. Large dogs aren't physically mature until a much later age then smaller dogs. Altering them to early can cause growth issues, which in turn can cause orthopedic problems.

Here are a couple articles to read over:

http://www.showdogsupersite.com/kenlclub.

http://www.mmilani.com/commentary-200509.

http://www.mmilani.com/commentary-200511.

It's always best to make an informed decision. When you pretty much only get one side, it's hard to make an informed decision.

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yes

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What do yyou have againsy neutered animals? It keeps them healthy, not to mention decreases the pet overpopulation.
EDIT
Spaying and neutering helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives.
Spaying and neutering can eliminate or reduce the incidence of a number of health problems that can be very difficult or expensive to treat.

Neutering eliminates testicular cancer and decreases the incidence of prostate disease.

This is not something that suits our needs. It is for the health of our pets.

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Just train the dog from the start to be gentle. It is all in the training. Be careful when playing with him not to be too rough because this can trigger aggression.

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He'll be a lot more aggressive. If you want the challenge, risk your dog knocking up someone else's dog, and dog semen everywhere go right ahead.

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What do you have against neutering a pet?
If the pet is fixed they will be calmer, live longer and be healthier plus they won't be able to produce adding to the surplus population of unwanted animals.

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i would think that if u neuter a dog that would make them more aggressive.who wouldnt flip out if people were messing around with their jubblies

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I have had one for 7 years. Have had no trouble with him. He's a wonderful pet. Hes also good around other dogs.

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i have a boxer cross mastiff dog and he is not neutered.. he is no bother at all, he lets my kids climb over him and is so soft..he also is quite good with other dogs.. all he wants to do is play.. i think it depends on the owner and how the dog is treated. good luck anyway.

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Yes, he will be a good dog, if properly trained.
You would be much better off having him neutered, though. Unneutered dogs are more aggressive, develop health problems sooner, and reproduce animals that are usually unwanted.
Whether you like it or not, it's still the best thing for the animal.

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Seriously neutering does NOT influence a dogs' personality. Its safer to neuter for a couple of reasons: no unwanted puppies, he'll be less apt to walk around the neighbourhood looking for females in heat and another very important reason is it basically eliminates his chances of getting PROSTATE CANCER. Also, he'll be aggressive if you train him to be or if he isn't socialised with other dogs from a young age. So, train him early, in fact try and find a puppy socialisation class in your area (ask your local vet), have him neutered at about six months, treat him with respect and you'll have a great dog.

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with any dog you must establish who is the pack leader. some unneutered males will always challeng that spot. neutering generally helps with the wanderlust that strong willed males have a tendancy for. it is all in the training. if you are not ready to spend your waking hours working with the puppy, get a cat.

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Pretty much no. He will be full of hormones %26 pretty much try to be dominant over you. This is a disaster, especially in a big dog as they're so powerful %26 potentially dangerous. You really have to be the boss of a dog, especially an intact male. Anytime you'd be out walking he'd be likely trying to get off the leash %26 do his own thing or if he came across another male he'd be likely to get stroppy with it. Your backyard would also suffer because he'd be trying to escape at any opportunity.
Why are you against desexing? It's a quick surgery which prevents problems relating to hormone based issues such as the aggression or humping things. It's best to have his testes removed while they're still healthy otherwise he could get cancer %26 it would spread.
What if he got out %26 made some puppies? There's so many unwanted animals in shelters that many are put to sleep, many more than find homes. I know you wouldn't have to deal with it as such but could you live with that on your concience.
Plus registering your desexed dog is much cheaper!
I hope you can see the benefits of desexing your dog to be.

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i have had a male unneutered dog for seven years now, he is a pure bred Border Collie and has been very placid since the day i got him, i have never seen him be agressive to other dogs or humans for no reason. I have only recently in the last two years gotten him a female companion, as he was having medical difficulties due to the fact that he had never been bred. i was told he would either need to be nuetered or i would have to get him a companion, this, i was told, is very unusual, and often doesn't happen until a male dog is in his late years..the only real thing i feel you would need to worry about is 'leg humping', but with appropriate training, it shouldn't be a problem, my dog only did it in his early years when he was still a puppy.my Border Collie 'Holden' and i are now inseperable, as he has saved my life many times, taking the unwanted runt in was the best decision i ever made. If you are prepared to spend at least an hour every week training your dog, you shouldn't have any problems. If you want to know any more, or wish to see pictures of my dogs, please e-mail me glrybnaughty@yahoo.com Good Luck. Glory

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Ok well here's my opinion.First of all how old will the dog be? If a puppy, fine then there is a chance to work with him and instill good behavior. If an adult dog this will be a definite challenge and quite honestly one you may not conquer. Now I have a male black pug, much smaller dog I know, but he was fine before I ever thought of fixing him. Then when he was about 5 years old I bought a female pug and shortly thereafter he was mounting her 24/7. I immediately had to get the both of them fixed. He is very healthy and happy with her. As with your case I have found that having larger dogs can be more challenging. Is this going to be an indoor dog?? If not, I had two outdoor dogs that were not fixed and I had a horrible time trying to keep them in my yard. They ran away constantly in search of "tail". I definitely appreciate your feelings towards keeping a dogs natural state but do want to warn you that having a male un-neutered large breed of dog sounds very challenging. Hope this helps..

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That is your own choice to nueter or not, so just ignore those who criticise! Anyways, you need to start today, train your dog to be on good behavier. Walk him regularly around other dogs, controlling him and teaching him how not to act. Also, he will be a more energetic type of dog because of this, so just be prepared to deal with his excitement without becoming impatient. Good Luck!

PS I have an un- Nutered St. Bernard. he is big, and strong, but we trained him from a pup and he is very behaved, especially out in public!

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Unnuetered males tend to be more aggressive, I find this even more common in breeds like gsds, sorry to say. If you want to give your dog the best possible life, and more of a chance to be social with other pooches (in case you get another or what have you), he should be neutered. He will be more focused on you b/c he won't have the drive to impregnate things, also he'll be less dominating towards you, your family, friends, other people's dogs. It does make them harder to control especially if you are in a situation with another unnuetered male, even more so if a female in heat is around. Unnuetered males are WAY more likely to get into a fight if they smell a female in heat around.

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MAles can be great, but also a challenge to live with. They are more aggressive, especially to other males. You pretty much have to resign yourself to the fact that you will stay away from other males. That means no off leash at the park,outside anywhere, and always a eye out for potential trouble. They can be trained to conduct themselves pretty well, but you can just never trust them. Sometimes it is the other dog you coma across that will give your dog "the eye", and that sets off the challenge! I have two dear boys and they are the most gentle dogs on earth.except if another males gets in their space. We have them at a lot of shows where they MUST be near other males. All goes well unless someone is not paying close enough attention.
Clearly, they are stronger and you must begin at a very early age to train them and to make sure you have the control over them.
The key is great socialization as a puppy and then throughout life, while always being aware of others!! It is a contstant problem to meet others that have no clue that males HATE each other and want to let theirs get in your dogs face because he "loves other dogs"! These are the same people that will have no control over their dog once the "conflict" starts!!

So, if you are prepared for the constant "on alert", and train for it, things can be fine.
Remember also, that just because the dog is not fixed, it does not mean that all dogs should be bred. That seems to follow on this site. If you are going to breed, get a show quality dog and be prepared to get health clearances. STUD dogs are a whole different topic!. Living with them is even more challenging!

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it depends on the personailty of the dog and and how many female dogs live in your area when a male dog smells one in heat he'll do everything he can to try and mate with her

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Any dog can be controled with the proper training. Un - neutered males are more aggressive and need a firm hand to keep them in line. If you train him right he will be fine. Just remember, dogs need a leader and if you have a big dog, you better be a strong leader.

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"Will he be very aggressive or hard for me to control when we come across other dogs"


YES - any breed male will be and very much so with a GSD

He WILL be dog aggressive - and you haven't lived until you have tried to stop a big breed who is determined to get at another dog - and if he does, you have to break it up. (And I say that who regularly handles and trains dogs who outweigh me and have been doing this for decades.)

He will mark his territory all over your home - inside and outside

He will try to escape or bolt every time he gets a whiff of eau de girl dog in heat. (This has all kinds of consequences: getting in fights with other males over her; getting hit by cars; getting picked up by the animal control; getting lost ..)

He will be at very high risk of testicular and prostate cancer

He will have trouble making dog friends. An unneutered male will bug and annoy the girls even if they aren't in hea until they get sick of him and turn around and rip his face off. He will try to be very dominant with other males - unneutered, the fight is on; and neutered, its the mounting them - or trying to - and they turn around and clobber him. And from that come the vet bills.
Unneutered males tend to lack for canine playmates and companions.

Frankly you won't be neutering him so much for your convenience as to protect him from all these hazards. You may be safe with an unneutered male (unless you try to break up that fight) but he will be a lot LESS SAFE if not neutered.

More unneutered male dogs die from getting loose and going hunting girl dogs (cars) or testicular/prostate cancer than nearly any other cause.


It is for all these reasons that police patrol dogs, Service Dogs and other dogs who must be out in public working are neutered.


In fact a responsible breeder who does all the health screenings for hereditary health problems; knows their bloodlines and has been breeding them for years; competes their dogs; and raises them not for the money but because they love the breed and want to keep it and improve it WILL NOT SELL a pet puppy to anyone unless it is neutered/spayed. Only their show prospect puppies are sold without that condition and those are nearly always co-owned by the breeder and purchaser.

Now if the breeder will agree, I would wait until he hit closer to 10-12 months to neuter so he gets some of the bone/muscle mass from the teenage surges of testosterone. Males are supposed to have broader heads than females and too early a neuter will leave his bone mass and head size a little too small for the adult musculature. Neutering at 6 weeks is very bad - the opposite end of the spectrum - as it deprives the animal of the hormones for the purpose of growth..

He won't miss a thing by being neutered - literally. Dogs breed only to to procreate and the rest of the time are oblivious to sex. In fact even an accidental whan-bam-thank you mam before he gets neutered and he can still retain some of the behavior of the unneutered male with the aggression and interest.

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It depends on how old the dog is when you get him. I know that i have a male english bulldog whom is not neutered. I plan on breeding him, however if i didn't wish to breed him i would definetly get him fixed. He gets pretty agressive and he tries humping every female he sees. He is also very very hyper but i'm not sure if german shepards would act the same way as bull dogs. I also know it's better to get a dog fixed before he is two because it's less complicated procedure. Also getting a male fixed prevents health problems when he is older. You can speak with a vet about that but that is what both my dog's vet told me. Goodluck

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An un altered dog can be kept as a pet and be just fine.
However you need to be very responsible and have a relialbe way to contain the dog.
A good fence to keep the dog home. Always on leash. Maybe not a good idea to go to the dog park as males can be aggressive to others dogs.
The dog will end up with an enlarged prostate and possibley testicular or prostate cancer. Most un altered dogs do if they live long enough.
You will need to put in lots of training time and work with the dog but you would need to do that neutered or not.
I have had an intact male Doberman Pinscher who was a stud dog and he was fine. He got along with my cat and the other female dogs. We could not have other male dogs but females were fine. He did not mark territory in the house and he did not ever hump a human. I spent a lot of time training with this dog and he was very well mannered.

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Most of the dogs I know are neutered and none of them are aggressive. In my opinion there is no difference in the bond you can have with an unneutered dog to a neutered one. Good luck and I hope you get a dog you like whatever your decision x

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sometimes a neutered dog can be more aggressive than an un nuetered dog. recommend you buy a pup and get him properly trained as a large untrained dog can be very dangerious speaking from expereance as a bullmastiff owner.bob