# Question re: intact male GSD in the house



## Kori Bigge (Nov 28, 2007)

While reading some info re: dealing w/female dogs in heat, I started wondering: What (if any) issues may I have to deal with having an intact male house dog? I always intended to neuter Kodee around 6 mos old. Since getting Kodee, I have done tons of research on canine nutrition, health, training, etc, and I now believe that neutering isn't really necessary. (I used to work for a vet, and of course all pet owners were strongly encouraged to spay/neater by 6mos of age, and I thought that was gospel until recently.) My intentions now are to not neuter Kodee at all. He is a house pet, and he is never outdoors loose, even in our own yard. He is on a leash or long line at all times, so he's always under my control. Therefore, I won't be contributing to the overabundance of unwanted puppies in the world.

However, aside from marking in the house (which I don't expect him to do, as it's my understanding that males normally don't do this if they know their place in the pack, as Kodee does), what other behaviors can occur with an intact male house dog? What happens if he smells a dog in heat somewhere? Or can he do smell them from indoors at all, if the female is out away from our house? Do males try to get out of the house to get to a female in heat?

Sorry if this sounds dumb, but I can't learn if I don't ask


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Kori,
I get this type of question alot and the answer is simple, neutering prevents them from reproducing. It has nothing to do with the dog's temperament, that is largely genetic. There has been some discussion that neutered males become less likely to get reproductive cancer. 

Also, outside males will mark property lines and use it as dominance markers/sign posts. Deer and other animals in the wild do the same. If properly trained your males should not mark inside the house. I keep all of my dogs outside to prevent any accidents or other occurances from happening. If you are not going to breed, it might be better to neuter.


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## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

You shouldnt have any issues. Its really not a big deal at all.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Most of us on this board use our dogs for sport or working and don't alter them. You will get very different information on pet boards.


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## Will Kline (Jan 10, 2008)

Kori, do you intend on working the dog at all? I know that certain sports require a male be intact to show at International, National and specialty events. If you aren't going to be participating in any working venues then it really is just a matter of choice. 

Its funny to me that you posed this today as I just received a letter from my Vet last night informing me that I would be best served by neutering my pup for the multitude of reasons they always give customers even though I have informed them that he is competing in French Ring and is not allowed to be neutered if he is going to try and compete at the above stated levels. I will be making a stop at the vet's office after work to "re-inform" them as to his status and request I be removed from all future mailings of that nature. =; Tiko, my social butterfly is neutered but then, he isn't a working dog.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Will you misread the letter, it was an invite for you. :-( 
You are correct as overseas sports want dogs not cut in any way shape or form.


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## Will Kline (Jan 10, 2008)

Howard Gaines III said:


> Will you misread the letter, it was an invite for you. :-(
> You are correct as overseas sports want dogs not cut in any way shape or form.


Hmmm, gonna have to look that letter over again, could've sworn it was for my pup but then again the ladies at the vets office will find most any reason to get me into there. I told them I won't take less than $50s with a minimum reserve price of $500 and that is just to show up for pictures!  

As far as the altering goes....Ummm, gonna have to pass on that one. I don't have kids but still like my testosterone levels appropriate for being a male!


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Will I should have put the coffee down BEFORE reading this. Hot rocks don't feel cool!


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## Dan Long (Jan 10, 2008)

My intact male is a house dog and we don't have any problems that people say an intact male will have. He doesn't mark indoors, roam, hump, or act aggressively towards anyone. He could easily hop my fence if he wanted and go after the girls but he never has. 

To me, a growing pup needs to be intact. Those hormones are needed for proper growth. It's reported that a male that is neutered early will not fill out as much and will tend to grow taller. 

I think neutering is a personal choice for your dog. If you feel comfortable leaving him intact, then go for it.


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## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

> I think neutering is a personal choice for your dog.


I agree wholeheartedly, and when I asked them, they all told me "My personal choice is that you don't hack off my nuts".


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

No problems here either.


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## Ulla Jokinen (Aug 16, 2007)

No problem with either one of my intact males.


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## Barbara V Eichman M.D. (Jan 24, 2008)

I have three intact males in the house. Each one has his own time out with me. One is in the house all day while the super alpha goes with me in the car 3/4 of the year when the weather permits, has his BH but retired from schutzhund due to past handler aggression, and is now a very successful personal protection dog I have raised from birth. The other is a Czech border patrol bred hard male, BH, who is with me now. None of these dogs will mark inside. When the super alpha dog comes in for the night to own the house the other two are in 700 crates in my room and there is not a peep out of them. These are all high drive dogs but they understand they all have a place so there is no messing in the house. Two other intact males in the sport, one a SchH3 son of the super alpha and a really dominant 10 mo old pup are in my kennel in my walk out basement. Now THEY do mark like crazy so it really depends on the dog. Have never neutered a male and we work through any issues one way or the other. If you only have one male the chance is he will not mark or if he tries a correction should take care of it, Barb


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## Lyn Chen (Jun 19, 2006)

Have three intact males currently. No problems whatsoever. It's all about proper leadership. YOU are the alpha dog, not them. If you don't want marking in the house or (insert behaviour here), it's totally within your rights to enforce that law and the dogs shouldn't have a problem. 

Of course, the status quo changes a bit if you throw a female in heat in their midst, sooooo...if I do have an intact female, I'd kennel her out of the way during heat.


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## Kori Bigge (Nov 28, 2007)

Thank you all! I had already decided not to neuter (he is a pet, not a working dog), but just wondered what issues I may have to deal with as a result. Sounds like it probably won't be any problem. Kodee gets away with zip in my house (he knows I'M the alpha - lol). If he does anything stupid, he'll just get a correction like we do with any other shenanigans he may try to pull. 
We grew up with intact males GSD's when I was a kid, and they were outdoor dogs. They were gorgeous, strong, sweet protective dogs. The last GSD my parents had was the only one that was ever neutered, and although he had pretty markings and was huge, his head/face looked very feminine to me. (I never gave this any thought until I read about the males not getting their hormones to help them mature and fill out.) Live and learn...

Kodee is in agreement re: "don't hack off my nuts," BTW.


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## Will Kline (Jan 10, 2008)

> If he does anything stupid, he'll just get a correction like we do with any other shenanigans he may try to pull.


"I'll pistol-whip the next one of you that says the word shenanigans"...Hey Farva whats the name of that resteraunt you like with all the stuff on the walls?... you mean shenanigans? DOH!!!!!!! :mrgreen:

Sorry, couldn't help myself. *I LOVE that movie!!* 

For those of you that don't get it...go rent the movie "Super Troopers!" It's a classic in my book!


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Kori, it is a personal choice. All my dogs are neutered or spayed except my 9 month old puppy, who likely will be around 18-24 months. It's actually a requirement in the therapy dog group I'm in for visiting dogs to be altered. If he's a pet, I'd say do it when he's pretty much done growing, especially height wise. This is usually fine around 12 months old, but you can wait 18-24 to be safe. For females, I don't have an issue recommending they be spayed before their first heat if you can time it that way as the more endogenous estrogen cycles they go through, the more likely they will get mammary cancer, ~50% of which is malignant. 

If you have no intention of breeding him and wish to keep him intact until he is done growing, but wish to prevent unwanted litters, a vasectomy is a very fast surgery similar to human vasectomies where the surgeon goes in and ligates the ductus deferens. Should take a grand total of 5 minutes and very non-invasive as far as surgeries go. Then you can neuter him whenever you wish, as I would recommend for older males, as just about all males, like human males, get benign prostatic hyperplasia. The prostate needs both estrogen and testosterone to grow in this annoying and painful way, so the neutering helps with that.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Kori Bigge said:


> Thank you all! I had already decided not to neuter (he is a pet, not a working dog), but just wondered what issues I may have to deal with as a result. Sounds like it probably won't be any problem. Kodee gets away with zip in my house (he knows I'M the alpha - lol). If he does anything stupid, he'll just get a correction like we do with any other shenanigans he may try to pull.
> We grew up with intact males GSD's when I was a kid, and they were outdoor dogs. They were gorgeous, strong, sweet protective dogs. The last GSD my parents had was the only one that was ever neutered, and although he had pretty markings and was huge, his head/face looked very feminine to me. (I never gave this any thought until I read about the males not getting their hormones to help them mature and fill out.) Live and learn...
> 
> Kodee is in agreement re: "don't hack off my nuts," BTW.


Sounds like a good decision!


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