Totally in my opinion unless the dog is about 10 when when done then you can't tell if the change is due to the missing hormone of senility.

I've never found that with any of my 4 dogs, they are the same as they were before.

early neutering means that dogs remain puppylike all their lives, they don't mentally mature, and physically they mature differently - longer in the legs mainly, which can affect their joints.
Neutering after a dog has matured doesn't change it's character as such, although they are treated differently by entire dogs and may become more aggressive as a result of neutering meaning they're treated more like a bitch by other blokes.
Bitches if neutered after maturity are usually ok - although they can suffer incontinence problems, their character remains the same and of course they're still treated like girls by the boys.
Most bad behaviour is learned, rather than caused by testosterone and if you neuter before the dog has had chance to mature through the behaviour then you can get it forever.
Basically neutering isn't the only answer and has to be done at the right time for it to have the desired outcome - they can still be aggressive (sometimes more) and still want to hump the girls....just can't actually sire any pups

THats exactly what i thought, once mature it makes very little differnce to their character.

> THats exactly what i thought, once mature it makes very little differnce to their character.

So if it aint broke don't fix it.

Depends on the way you look at things, i wouldn't neuter for behavioural reasons alone anyway, i neuter for the physical things that go with it.

lucyandmag said i neuter for the physical things that go with it.

Do you mean seasons and do you really think an intact bitch has the same temperament and behaviour as a neutered one?

> do you really think an intact bitch has the same temperament and behaviour as a neutered one?

Yes, but none of mine have been neutered before five years of age and having had puppies.

I have had dogs for all of my 75 years and during that time have had many dogs neutered.  Why do people always discuss males and do they think spaying alters a bitches character?  I have never had experienceof this personally.
from Moody

I've found that spayed bitches tend to have steadier characters because they no longer get hormonal swings.

I am very pro-neutering (I dont breed or show) I am lucky to have exellent temperamented dogs of which castrating and spaying has never affected them in any way.  To me, the benefits of neutering are high.  If it were me I would certainly have the retained one removed asap and remove the other one too.  We all have different opinions of this but this is my view. Like I said, none of my dogs have ever changed, even their coats but understand that some breeds coats go wooly but not my breed.

well, that wasn't really what I said, I think it can change their character, particularly if you do it early, and certainly for the boys it can make them very defensive and liable to use attack as the best form of defence.  I don't think it changes the girls much as long as they're mature, the impact of hormones has already happened and the boys still think they're girls.  For boys though, it doesn't change lots of behaviour people want it to and it can put them at a significant disadvantage and change the way they relate particularly to other boys.

> I am very pro-neutering (I dont breed or show) I am lucky to have exellent temperamented dogs of which castrating and spaying has never affected them in any way.  To me, the benefits of neutering are high. 

Apart from preventing reproduction (which assuming one sex entire in household can easily be achieved without neutering) what high benefits do you see?

Have your dogs been neutered before maturity, and if so have you ever had entire mature dogs to which to compare?

I have one male and two bitches. The male was done when he had stopped growing and my bitches have two seasons before being spayed.  My reason are to prevent unwanted puppies, preventing the desire to wander, health reasons (prevent cancers), the inconvenience of not being able to take the dogs on holidays with us (seasons) and competitions.  I also have dogs come to stay on with me (casual boarding for friends) its a happy household with no worries.  As their temperments haven't changed after the neutering I dont need to compare, they are the same.
When I lived at home with my parents, my father did not agree with neutering males, I did not like the fact that our male dogs became unsettled when a local bitch was in season, it worried me that he would try to escape (but never did) he used to frett and pine.  All my dogs get on with all other dogs all year round and altho not everyones cuppa tea this is what I do and will continue to do.  My dogs are all very happy and so am I.

Sounds great, but as you say you let them all mature first. 

Most of the negative effects (except coats, and spay incontinence in some breeds) seem to be mainly in those neutered before maturity.

All mine have lovely full and glossy coats (GSD's) but have seen some very wooly springers, cockers and Irish setters etc, that is a shame that happens but I can only assume it doesnt affect them or does it interfere with their insulation/body temperature when the coat looks so different?

I regret every day that our now 6 yr old was neutered. No one gave us any indication to the character changes of an already insecure dog. Loss of any drive that he had, to become timid and fearful with the added concern that he is now charged by most dogs from toy breeds up with the sole aim of mounting him. Which he put up with for quite some time but no longer.

> Apart from preventing reproduction.  Which I imagine is why most of us have subjected our dogs to the op along with the constant query when visiting the vet. But then how many of us allow our dogs access to inseason bitches. Unless a medical reason, I would never do it again.

> I can only assume it doesnt affect them or does it interfere with their insulation/body temperature when the coat looks so different?

It certainly does stop the coat being weatherproof and insulating.  In my breed the changes are not very noticeable, but when I take mine out in the rain the coats of the spayed bitches are no longer as watertight as they were when entire.

It's not an issue as they live indoors and  get rubbed down and dried, but for working dogs, those living/working outdoors this would be an issue.