Do Male Dogs Need to Mate?

We received a question from a Chihuahua owner of a male Chi. The owner was concerned regarding the issue of a male dog's need to mate. We are placing the Q & A here, as it may help other owners.

i have only one Chihuahua male. It is necessary for a male dog to be allowed to mate? If so, then how often and after how much time?

It is not necessary for Zoro to mate. There are many myths about a male canine's 'need' to breed and negative things that can happen if he does not. However, there will be some upcoming issues that you may face if you do not have him neutered.

A male will not be more aggressive if he does not release sperm. A male, may however, become very restless if he senses a female but is not allowed to reach her.

Dogs do not mate for pleasure; it is simply a matter of canine instinct. While the act of procreating does bring pleasure for a dog (though some females do panic and a tie can panic them if it lasts too long), dogs do not mate for the goal of physical satisfaction. It is a pure and raw canine instinct to pair together.

Male dogs have viable sperm at an early age; by 4 months of age for most dogs. To follow proper breeding methods, one would want to wait until the male was at least 7 months old to breed him.

The male will easily pick up on the scents of female dogs that are in heat. When a female in heat urinates, she leaves trace amount of blood with the urine. This is a signal that is carried to all males in the area. A dog will be able to pick up on this scent from as much as 3 miles away.

The instinct to track down the female will be so strong, that a dog will often try to escape to reach her. Even dogs with excellent training and those that normally do not try and leave the premises may run off. One of the leading causes of death for toy breed dogs is trauma; this includes being hit by a car. Therefore, if a an un-neutered male does run away, this puts him at risk:

- He may become lost and finding him may not be easy

- He is at risk for being hit by a car or otherwise injured

- He may father a litter of puppies and the owners of the dam may try to hold you responsible for her pregnancy care (if they trace your dog back to you)

- This may lead to a litter of puppies to be born that may not be wanted. While you may never know about them personally, this is a shame to allow puppies to be born when there are so many kill-shelters. If a dog did run off and tied with another, the chances of the owner of the female being an experienced breeder is just about nil.

An intact male dog may hump other animals, people and even inanimate objects. Most humping behavior is done by puppies. With older dogs, it may be done as a sign of dominance. However, either way, when a male is not neutered, he will hump much more than he would otherwise. This can be an embarrassing event. In households with small children, a male trying to hump the leg of a youngster can be troubling.

Marking is not necessarily done by a dog that is not allowed to mate; but is done by a dog that is marking his territory… And this is done by intact males much more often than neutered ones. A male may spray urine in just one area of the house or in several different spots. Even some of the most well house trained dog will mark. In some cases, a neutered dog will do this as well; and at that point it will be a matter of the hierarchy of the house needing to be established.

We highly suggest having Zoro neutered. If done, it will eliminate any chance of testicular cancer that may develop at a later age. Also, an owner must understand that a male dog does not become distressed when neutered. When neutered, that instinct to mate will be gone and a dog is just fine without that urge. The stress and tension of smelling females in heat but not being able to reach them will be gone.

There are myths that when a male dog is neutered his behavior changes in a negative way. In some cases, a male dog will be a bit more calm and this is almost always due to the fact that the dog does not have that strong instinct to hump. Most owners find that their pet seems much happier and content.