should i neuter my pug?

he is 6 months old.

thanks in advance for any advice!

Why would you not want to neuter him? It is worth exploring the answer to this in some detail because generally speaking spay and neuter is the way to go.

I have two entire males so it would be wrong for me to say that you absolutely must neuter him without asking why you might not. Then we can discuss the relevant issues.

I am a "pro" spay and neuter advocate, but feel that it should ultimately be left up to the owner's discretion. Neutering can sometimes deter males from marking in the house. (ie, if they have not started marking before they are neutered, they generally don't, BUT that is not always the case).
I encourage spay and neuter so much so that my son was anxious to leave home. lol He said he was afraid I'd get him neutered too!

I also favor spay and neuter unless you plan to show him.

Unless you are showing an animal with thoughts to breeding to improve the breed ... spay and neuter is the best option.

I, too, believe in neuter/spay if the dog is not being shown in confirmation classes.

If there are no health reasons for him not to go under and anesthetic.....he's just the right age!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF2TyajIL94&ob=av3e

take care,
Lisa

This seems to be a cultural issue. In my country, dogs are rarely neutered or spayed unless there are medical reasons to do so. Few vets would recommend it. I have a feeling that the strong pro-spay and neuter sentiments in the US are motivated by the the fact that there are many stray and abandoned dogs. That is something we rarely see here. I've never heard of anybody here abandoning a pug. Personally, I feel that as long as dog owners are responsible and make sure that there are no occasions for male dogs to meet females in season, there's no reason to neuter. Pugs are rarely, if ever, aggressive towards other dogs. There are no major health benefits to neutering and any benefit must be weighed against the risks involved in sedating a flatfaced dog. Also, a neutered male will be more prone to weight gain, which can be a problem with pugs in any case. At any rate, I would not neuter any dog until fully grown (more or less), which in pugs means at about 1 years of age.

Is there any particular reason you would want to neuter?

Given all the unwanted dogs in shelters and abandoned on the street, Pugs and many other dogs as well as cats, I say yes you should do it. As others have said if you want to avoid marking by the dog, I would do it now. No garauntee he won't mark, but he will mark if you don't.

the only real reasons that i would neuter are:

1. most people say i should, and some of my friends swear there are health benefits to the dog;

2. he is a bit agressive/scared of other dogs and people, and i wonder if neutering would prevent him from becoming more aggressive in the future.

thank you for your comments. i don't plan on showing or breeding the dog, but i just feel terribly cutting off his nuts!