About Male Dogs

Owning a male dog isn't the same experience as owning a female, with the two sexes often affected by different behavioral and health issues. Most pressing of these for an owner is deciding whether to neuter a male dog. While different breeds of dogs may not behave in exactly the same way, some general observations about male dogs can be made.

  1. Neutering

    • Neutering a male dog often discourages some behavioral traits that develop in unneutered animals, such as aggression, territorial dominance, and an undesirable attitude toward female dogs on heat. Neutered dogs are thus generally better behaved and less likely to develop concerns about territory. Neutering has also been found to reduce or remove the risk of a male dog contracting a number of ailments and cancers, such as testicular tumors and prostate disease. Neutering is a simple and relatively quick operation that is usually performed when the dog is around six months old.

    General Characteristics

    • While every male dog is different, in general, male dogs are slightly more aggressive than females and tend toward greater curiosity and boldness. Many owners, however, claim that male dogs are less prone to mood swings than female dogs. Other male characteristics are dependent on the dog breed in question. For example, male English cocker spaniels are more difficult to train than females, according to the Terrific Pets website.

    Health

    • Many health concerns of male dogs are related to the animal's reproductive system. For example, in some male dogs one or both testicles fail to descend as the dog reaches maturity. These dogs are called cryptorchids and this condition tends to require surgical correction, since affected dogs are at greater risk of developing testicular cancer, as noted by the Veterinarian Dog website. Unneutered dogs often suffer from an enlarged prostate, which causes pain when the dog is urinating.

    Breeding

    • Many owners of male dogs, especially those with nonpedigreed animals, choose to neuter their pets to remove the health risks associated with leaving the dog unneutered. Owners of pedigreed dogs may opt to breed their animals, however, and breeding is usually possible after the dog is about one year old. Finding another breeder is advisable, since it prevents a male dog from breeding randomly and allows the owner to select the mother dog. Male dogs are usually neutered after seven or eight years, rather than breeding throughout their lives, as the Sarah's Dogs website notes.