Why is my unneutered dog escaping, losing weight, and dull?

The pining for females and going on a search for females takes a lot of energy and many male dogs stop eating during that time. Having him neutered will stop this and also keeping him inside and feeding him good quality food may make him gain weight again. However, having him neutered will be best to avoid him getting skinny.

I would recommend neutering Harley. If there is a dog in heat within a mile they can always try to get out and not want to eat. I would have blood work performed prior to the procedure to check his organ function. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If he is not neutered then I would be suspicious that there is an in heat female somewhere that he is spending time and energy trying to get to. However, there are certainly other possibilities. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian to make sure there isn’t something medically concerning going on, and then potentially consider having him neutered. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Your dog is not neutered and may be looking for females. You should not let your dog stray with stray dogs as he may be picking up disease such as mange, distemper or rabies (especially if he is not up to date on his vaccines). If you are worried about Tiger being ill you should take him to your pet doctor for a wellness exam.

Is Charlie neutered? If he is enticed by an in heat female he may do whatever he can to get to her. Also consider if something could have scared him in the yard? Kids teasing him, construction close, loud noises, thunder? You may need to consider adding cameras to see what happens to cause him such drive to escape. Good luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hello, it is not uncommon for unneutered male dogs to roam. This is a natural behavior. Neutering him may decrease some of the desire to roam, but if he has been doing this for awhile, it may already be ingrained in his behavior. I would consider getting a fence, either a phsyical fence, or an electric fence, to try to contain your dog. Or you might consider making him an indoor dog and only having him go outside when supervised. Working at an obedience class may help you train him to return when you call, but I don't think it is going to stop him from wandering when you aren't outside with him.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! His recent weight gain is likely unrelated to his intact status. It may be a good idea to contact your veterinarian who knows him and can tell you how many calories he should be eating daily based on his weight to avoid further weight gain. You can also consider a weight loss diet such as Hill's metabolic diet. That diet you can get at your veterinarian's office. Good luck!