ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
by Kenny Jarels

I have scheduled an appointment tomorrow to have my dog neutered and am having second thoughts about doing it. Is this the best thing to do and will it make him not as active and listless. I hope not because I like him the way he is. I hear the males as they get older will urinate in the house as if they are outside so will neutering take care of this and of course some of the other embarrassing things that male dogs do. Please post as soon as possible.

DISCUSSION:

I neutered my Maltese at 8 months of age. It was a very traumatic time for me!!! I was sure that something would g o horribly wrong. The good news is that we went ahead with it, and my little dog came through with flying colours. He is still very spirited and highly active -- I didn't notice any personality change at all. My previous dog, a Lhasa Apso, developed testicular cancer. I think that neutering your male dog is doing him a favour.
-Barbara

I offer you this from a pet owner's handbook from my vet: ..."The best time to have your male dog neutered is at 4 to 6 months of age. Castration decreases your pet's chance of getting prostatic and perianal cancer. Male pets have many bad habits when they are not neutered. Some examples are agressive behavior, roaming the neighborhood, fighting, and spraying urine in the house marking their territory. The behaviors are hard to eliminate once they have developed." Other reading I did offers this:..."causes no physical hardship to the dog, it's safer surgically than spaying, What effect will castration have on my dog's behavior? The only adverse effect castration may cause is a tendency to slow down and gain weight, both of which may be overcome with exercise and proper diet. In some cases, the dog may become a little too docile; however, if he was causing problems before, this is more than a fair exchange. Roaming, aggressiveness, and inappropriate mounting cant by about 75%." From the Maltese book it offers: ...the operation does not alter their personalities; you will however, notice that males will be less likely to roam, to get into fights with other male dogs, and to mount objects and people." Hope this helps, but "don't bet--consult your vet". I would think your vet would be happy to give you some case histories so that you can effectively decide what is best for you and your dog.
-Vicki