"A Lover Or A Hater?" posted by BlackMagikWoman
Some of the reasons for early neuter / spay many advocates are fond of reciting is that it will eliminate, or at least minimize, intermale aggression, territorial aggression, dominance aggression, and serious fights over any nearby intact females who are in heat. Some even go so far as to claim that an intact male, who is in the prime of his sexual life, can be very aggressive to not only strangers but even people that he is familiar with!
One animal trainer and behaviorist went to far as to caution that although your 1 y/o or 2 y/o intact male K9 may be acting like a neutered male in terms of being easy to live with, chances are that if you leave even an easy-going fellow intact to the age of 3 years, you'll see undesirable behaviors. She claims the age of 3 is prime time for an intact male to be involved with a terrible tragedy, such as those dogs who have killed children. She adds that obviously, not all intact male K9s are aggressive child-killers. But the risk is increased, and parents need to know this, as does everyone who has a large-breed male K9.
Finally, proponents advocate that neutering relieves sexual frustration and lets your dog relax and enjoy being part of the family.
Having recently adopted an intact 6-month-old bluenose Pit Bull, this is a concern for me. I know these guys are infamous in the media for their aggression. In the '70s they blamed Dobermans, in the '80s they blamed German Shepherds, in the '90s they blamed the Rottweiler. Now they blame the Pit Bull! Ironically a celebrity dog whisperer and world-renowned trainer, Caezar Milan (deliberately misspelled), uses a Pit Bull named Daddy as his "first right-hand dog."
I agree with Caezar, "it's not the breed, it's the human behind the dog. Aggression is a state of mind, not a breed thing."
Right now, my own Pit, Marley (named after Bob, of course), is the most chilled, laid-back, and loving pup, with a very calm-submissive energy. He was already well-socialized when I adopted him, having lived in a family with an older intact male Bull Mastiff and intact female Pit Bull, 2 younger intact Pit Bull puppies, a cat, a pig, and two little boys, ages 3 and 4. When out in public, he's adorabe and irresistable to the ladies. He sure knows how to use his puppy charm and good manners to win their hearts.
Marley is very much a puppy. He still urinates like a bitch, and has the rare accident (no doubt my fault) that requires him to still wear a cute denim "diaper" while indoors at home. Aside from sniffing, and eagerly licking my "cat" 
during our "training sessions", he hasn't shown any serious interest in sex with me, or any K9 bitches for that matter. Likewise, he plays very nonaggressively with all the other K9s at the dog parks when I take him off his leash. Otherwise, I always keep him on a leash, especially because of the bad rep Pits have.
We'll be starting our Beginner's Obedience class in a week, followed by a 6-week Canine Good Citizen certification class.
I hope by the time he enters puberty, and we begin to mate on a regular basis, he'll not only resist the urge to bolt and roam every time he picks up the scent of a K9 bitch in heat, but that he won't become aggressive and get into territorial or intermale dominance confrontations. If the comfort and security of a loving home, companion and consistent sexual playmate aren't motivation enough, hopefully all the obedience training and the fact that I'm his "pack leader" and alpha bitch, who leads with an iron hand in a velvet glove, will at least hold him in check.
So, guess what I'm really wanting to know is if all this hype about aggression in intact males is just another lame rationale for castration, or is there really cause for concern? ...
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BlackMagikWoman also wrote these zoophilia posts:
Human Versus K9
A Lover Or A Hater?
Conspiracy Theory
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