Will neutering my dog make him skittish, lose muscle, or change bark?

Great question! There are both health and behavioral benefits to neutering Buster. If you neuter him, you will eliminate the chance of him developing testicular tumors later in life, and you decrease the risk of prostate problems later in life as well. In terms of behavioral benefits, it will stop him from wanting to roam to find females to mate with, decrease and possibly eliminate territorial urine marking, stop him from jumping on your Akita, and can lead him to be better behaved. I would highly recommend having him neutered if you aren't planning on breeding him.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Neutering will do very little to his build as long as he remains active & has an age appropriate diet. Neutering early, at 5-6 months can result in a leaner build, & generally a slightly taller dog as the growth plates in the legs stay open a little longer, but at this point in Tux's life you will see very little change in his build. Hope this helps. Take care.

Castration will have the following benefits: No more icky discharge from the penis or prepuce, no incentive to roam and look for females, if the dog shows some aggression, castration will usually lessen aggressive behavior. A lot of entire males are constantly upset and excited if they smell females in heat ( and the smell can travel for a mile and more), No chance of making babies. Here is more info by the ASPCA: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/spayneuter-your-pet

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Popo. Neutering him will help to prevent against certain types of prostate diseases and even some forms of cancer. It will decrease his desire to roam looking for female dogs. It does not affect personality. Every surgery carries the risk of anesthesia. He could experience post-operative swelling or infection. Some adult dogs can gain weight after the surgery. So his calories need to be monitored. These risks are minimal in most cases though. I hope this information helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question. There are certain health benefits for neutering dogs. Prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate) and certain testicular tumors can be prevented by neutering dogs. However, dogs can also live happy and normal lives intact. Behavioral problems such as territorial aggression and marking may be reduced by neutering dogs as well. Once neutered, Dante will not behave more like a female, this is a misconception and does not happen. He may become more calm and not as hyper or aggressive once he is neutered and this is due to the reduction in circulating hormones following removal of the testicles. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Withering of male dogs is advised between 4 and 6 months of age. Here is wonderful resource to explain the many benefits; https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-great-reasons-to-spay-or-neuter-your-pet/ The only behaviors that will be affected by castration are those that are under the influence of male hormones. So for example, a dog’s temperament, training, and personality, are related to genetics and upbringing, not hormones. Neutering does not “calm” an excitable dog, and unless a castrated male dog is overfed or underexercised, there is no reason for it gain weight or become inactive. The undesired traits which are related to male hormones such as sexual behaviours, aggression, and urine marking will change over the course of a few days to a few months. I hope that is helpful information!

The only behaviors that will be affected by castration are those that are under the influence of male hormones. So for example, a dog’s temperament, training, and personality, are related to genetics and upbringing, not hormones. Neutering does not “calm” an excitable dog, and unless a castrated male dog is overfed or underexercised, there is no reason for it gain weight or become inactive. The undesired traits which are related to male hormones such as sexual behaviours, aggression, and urine marking will change over the course of a few days to a few months. I hope that is helpful information and I wish you the best of luck with Nipper's surgery.