Leg lifting / neutering

[GabiGina]

Please share with me what your experience has been with neutering a male baby at a young age. Does it stop leg lifting/marking? My babies will be staying inside while I am at work. Will I be asking for trouble if I get a little boy?

[Monroe-Rylee]

I've mainly had girl dogs but my male Pug and male Chihuahua both lifted their legs to potty but were potty trained to go outside. The Chihuahua was neutered at 8 months and my Pug was never neutered. I think most males will end up lifting their leg to mark but you should definitely be able to potty train them to go where you want (outside or potty pad).
The one reason I prefer females is that I like to rub their bellies. haha. You should be fine with either, in terms of potty training though!

[matese]

I have always had females, all now passed. 3 years ago I adopted a surrendered male, he was 2 1/2 years old, I have all his medical papers, he was neutered at 8 mos. old. He squats to pee, he is also trained to go outdoors and will squat. However on walks if he is near a tree, wall anything another dog has peed on,he will hike his leg. So I "try" to stay away from any high objects. He is my first boy, so my experience is based on me owning only one male dog in my lifetime.

[Lovetodream88]

All the male dogs I have had were neutered around 7 months and did not mark inside. They lifted their leg outside but after being potty trained never in the house.

[atlantis1982]

Sunny was neutered at approx. 8 months and has never lifted his leg; he still squats like a baby!

[margaritaville]

My male was neutered at 6 mo. He lifts his leg to pee outside but doesn't mark in my house. If I take him to anyone else's house he needs a belly band or has to stay on my lap.

[Maximo]

Max was neutered at 6 months, Teddy at 7 months. Neither one has ever marked inside the house. They are champion markers outside.

Teddy was a squatter, but learned from Max how to lift his leg outside. I didn't fight it since they kept it outdoors.

[janicecue]

Basil was neutered at 5 1/2 months. Before his surgery he squatted most of the time, but once in a while he lifted his leg, barely! I haven't noticed a difference now that he is neutered. He was very easy to train to potty outside in a designated area in our fenced in yard and has never lifted his leg in the house. On the other hand, his sister, Anise is another story! They both will be 6 months old tomorrow and I wouldn't dream of trusting Anise in the house. In my many, many years of owning dogs of several different breeds, both male and female, I have experienced the male dogs to be easier to potty train and more reliable to stick to it throughout their life.
Good luck chooses a male...you will also find him more loving than a female.

Anise's, Basil's and Ginger's Mom

[Wylie's Mom]

If you're super good about potty training, you should be fine.

[Rachael1983]

I love male dogs! I've neutered at 6 months per vet recommendations. My boys didn't lift their legs. However, when my yorkie was around an unneutered male he would lift his leg. I never had a probably with marking in the home, if thats your concern. Potty training was similar with a girl, as I used crate training and the preferences of each dog I think came based on personality.

So if you're considering a male dog, go for it, they are great IMO.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Tibbe was intact when I got him age 9 mos., just beginning to experiment w/leg lifting outside a bit & 3 weeks after, he was neutered. Every since, he still occas. raises his leg in the yard. It's so cute to watch him raising his leg, just like he thinks he's a big guy, but he's never raised his leg inside. Not once. He'll be 10 this August.

The three or four times he's peed in the house because I was busy on computer or busy working at something, he does so right in front of me to tell me, as if to say, "Sorry but you ignored my asking so here goes!". I always feel awful but still tell him 'uh oh' so he won't get the idea what he did was acceptable and rush him right outside. I do an enzyme cleanup so no odor can possibly remain. Until he got to be 8, he had no accidents in the house but now his little bladder won't hold it forever so I respond immediately to his indications he needs to go.

[canana]

My Scottie was neutered at 8 months. I was very very strict in my potty training to make sure he never marked indoors. He's been amazing and has never marked indoors. But outdoors, he's also a "champion marker"!