Dogs Training Blog

People always say that ALL male unneutered dogs mark their territory, roam, hump, are aggressive, bite, etc.My dog does none of this! He was a show dog, but I’ve come to the realization that he isn’t show material (long story). However, as a college student, I don’t want to spend the money, when my dog doesn’t even have any problems/issues. It’s not that I can’t afford to pay for it, but I looked at risks and benefits of neutering, and, economically speaking, the benifits of not neutering him are greater than the risks. (We just ended his show career this month.)He’s been around females in heat at the breeder’s, and even in high heat, if I tell him to (which I do), he ignores them and sits at my side. He is NEVER left alone with any dogs unattended. In my last question I don’t believe that I made that clear. At the breeder’s I do yardwork and training, and I bring my dog with as he was born there and is welcomed back. Sometimes people let out dogs without checking if there are other dogs out, and if I tell my dog to leave it, he will. However, I only tell him to leave it until I can stop what I am doing and either put the female away, or put him in a pen. He is never alone unless he is locked safely in my house.He lifts his leg when he pees outside, but that’s just how he pees. Is he not supposed to pee on a bush? I don’t consider it marking territory, as he doesn’t do it constantly (he only does it to urinate).He’s not aggressive, he doesn’t roam…Heck, I’ve walked him many places, conservation land, fields, towns, parks, trails, by the lake, off leash, and he doesn’t even leave my side.Maybe it’s just my dog’s training, but it really bugs me when people say that ALL male unneutered dogs have those behavioral issues. Am I wrong? I see more dogs without problems than I see dogs with those problems.I guess my main question is: Is it just my dog’s training, or are there other dog’s that have this too? Or is it both?I also am looking at being convinced into neutering my dog, however I haven’t been able to bring myself to it. If he were having behavioral issues, it would be a no brainer. The breeder still possibly wants to breed him as well. He has good lines, and good traits (aside from color), and she knows the ins and outs of the genes. He is getting OFA’d later this year. It would be at least a year until he’d be neutered if he were.I’ve been to this site: www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf and the second page of it has kept me from neutering so far, as has the fact that my dog was being shown.I’m willing to be convinced, but I don’t see the point right now. He doesn’t roam, he has never tried to leave my side, and I don’t let him out of my site whether outside or in the house.

More: continued here