Should I neuter my 6 months old shih tzu?

He's super cute. I want him to be the happiest dog on earth. By neutering, I would eliminate the enjoyment a dog can get that nature provide. But if not neutered, he will have health problems later on. Should I or not neutering my dog?

Do not, under any circumstances, neuter this dog! Remember, it is a Shih Tzu, a very particular breed.Instead, why don't you just try cutting his balls off?

Neutering does not eliminate a dog's joy. Neutering eliminate's a dog's ANXIETY. Mating is an instinctual drive for most animals, like eating or sleeping. It doesn't give them the same kind of pleasure it brings humans.

I feel it is best to neuter unless you are going to breed from him, but do it soon before he starts marking his territory, i got mine done too late 9mths and he used to mark wherever a male had been be it dog or human. They are beautiful little dogs and he will bring a lot of happiness into your life

Neuter him.There is not one single valid reason not to. There is no "enjoyment" in being an overly aggressive dog that has an internal drive to breed females without any sense of pleasure.

Neuter the dog unless both of its parents are champion shih tzus and you plan on showing your dog. This will prevent the dog from creating any unwanted puppies in the future as there are already enough of those in the world, just go to any shelter.

While I understand this argument against neutering, it is wrong.it is only "natural" for a dog to mate when he is not Neutered. If you want him to be happy, realize that he would be happier to stay healthy later, rather then suffer because he wasn't neutered. also think about other dogs. if he gets away and mates (or is allowed to mate) with a dog, there will be puppy's, and the majority if not all of those puppies will end up in a rescue or pound, and only a few, statistically speaking, will find their way into a nice home before either being euthanize, or stuck in a kennel for the rest of their lives.so in short, by denying him just one pleasure (which he does not yet even really know that he wants, and will NEVER want it if neutered) you will grant him COUNTLESS pleasures later in life due to the fact that he will live MUCH longer. As a bonus, no puppies will suffer in pounds, due to a lack of owners.

Neutering a dog unless it will be shown is the best thing for both dog and owner. In order for your dog to feel the "enjoyment" nature provides he would need to be breeding females... and the world doesn't need any more puppies.

Yes you should have your dog neutered.

Decreased Aggression: One of the most important behavioral advantages of castration is that as adults, these dogs will tend to be less aggressive both toward other male dogs and also people. The androgen (male) hormones, of which testosterone is the most important, are responsible for the development of many behavioral patterns. When young puppies are sexually mounting their 7 and 8-week old litter mates this is because of androgen surges in their bodies. The same is true with aggressive behavior. Some medications that have androgenic hormonal activity often cause increased aggression (an example would be the birth control medication, Cheque Drops, which contains one of these androgen-type chemicals). The degree castration has on suppressing aggression varies between animals and the age at which it is done. Its effect is greatest if it is done before one year of age.Decreased Roaming: A second behavioral advantage of neutering is that these dogs will not 'roam' when they sense a female in heat. Male dogs can sense females in heat through pheromones. These are airborne chemical attractants that are liberated from the female when she is cycling. They travel through the air for great distances. We grew up on a farm where the next closest house was over a mile away, but when one of our female dogs was in heat, the males would come for miles from upwind, downwind, and crosswind. Pheromones are, to say the least, very effective stimuli. In the seventies, it was briefly popular to do vasectomies on dogs thinking that we would not be taking the 'joy of sex' away from our canine counterparts. The problem with this reasoning was that many of us keep our dogs restricted in our homes, a kennel, or on a chain. Now think of the psychological stress the vasectomized male is under when he is locked up, but yet smells that female in heat four blocks away. There is no joy of sex, as he is trapped on your property unable to go and mate with her. He is, in effect, teased continuously for three to fourteen days while the female is in estrus and he is unable to mate with her. If dogs are neutered at an early age, they will not sense or respond to pheromones, and would certainly be less stressed and tend to stay home.Increased Concentration: A third behavioral advantage occurs when you are training or working your dog, or using him for field work. If neutered, he will be a much better student with a much longer attention span when there are females nearby that are in heat. This is because he will not be constantly distracted by pheromonal stimuli.No Testicular Tumors: There are several different tumor types, both benign and malignant, that arise within the testicles. As with most cancers, these usually are not noted until the animal reaches 5 or more years of age. Therefore, these would not be a problem in those individuals castrated at the recommended age.Fewer Hernias: A hernia is a protrusion of an organ or parts of an organ or other structure through the wall of a cavity that normally contains it. Perianal hernias occur when the colon, urinary bladder, prostate, or fat protrude from the abdominal cavity, through the muscular wall by the anus and then lie just under the skin. This type of hernia is far more common in older, unneutered male dogs. The levels of testosterone and other hormones appear to relax or weaken the group of muscles near the anus. When the animal then strains to defecate or urinate, the weakened muscles break down and the abdominal organs and fat bulge out under the skin. In shorthaired breeds, this large bulge is noted by the owner almost immediately, but in the longhaired dogs, the problem may go on for months before anyone realizes there is an abnormality. Left untreated, these organs may become damaged, unable to function or even die from loss of blood supply. Additionally, because of the displacement of organs into this area, the animal may not be able to defecate or urinate correctly or completely and may become constipated or have urinary incontinence (dribble urine). The surgery to repair this condition is not simple and today can easily cost $700 to $1500 or more, depending on the severity.Fewer Perianal Tumors: There are tumors whose growth is stimulated by testosterone. These occur near the anus and are called perianal adenomas (benign) or perianal adenocarcinomas (malignant). As with the hernias, these usually do not occur until the dog is at least 7-years old. They require surgical treatment and should be caught early in their development to prevent recurrence. These tumors and the above hernia are very, very rare in those individuals castrated at 7 to 8-months of age.

Hi,Neutering does not hinder your dog's enjoyment or happiness. I think will bring more benefits to your dog. Check out its benefits:http://lnk.nu/dogtime.com/ser.html

I would recommend neutering your dog. It will not eliminate any enjoyment what so ever, if anything your dog will be happier. It also reduces the risks of various diseases and it is better for him.It is up to you as the owner of the dog as the dog is your responsibility but the responsible thing to do would be to neuter him.

He will be the same exact dog, he may be happier if he is neutered. If he sees a female dog he might go nuts. Also he will be more liklier to have health problems later on. Also the earlier you neuter him, if you neuter him later on, then his recovery will be a lot easier on him