[FastestMilkmanInTheWest]

Our Ernie has just passed 18 months, so is at the age where the vet recommended castration. I have him booked in at the end of this month, and I'm still in two minds as to whether he should lose his love eggs but my Wife 100% wants him done.

He has a brilliant temperament, we have two young boys and he's pretty good with both of them.
He's friendly with all other dogs, even in the face of an aggressive one it doesn't seem to affect him.

The only negatives - and in my opinion, they're pretty big ones...
Recall - he will respond to me but not my Wife, and he has a tendency if he picks up a scent to race off at 100mph. He recently did this at a national trust site and we found him 1/2 a mile away sniffing some poor couples' cocker spaniel. Thankfully they were fine with it but many aren't.
He's also strong puller on the lead - or was until we started using a halty (he's like a completely different dog with it on), and he marks until he is completely empty and then does some phantom marking still.

Questions/opinions then, will neutering help with any of the above issues? Asking those that have been/experienced similar.

 

[2ndhandgal]

Regardless of neutering the longer he gets to practice running up to other dogs like that the harder it will be to teach him not to and I would be using a long line to make sure he is not able to do that whilst really working on his training either yourselves or with the help of a trainer. For many owners with reactive or worried dogs one running up to them, however friendly he may be is a huge problem and can set them back enormously.

Likewise pulling on the lead is a training issue although he may mark a little less if he is neutered.

Some entire dogs can become a target by other male dogs so I guess the question is why you don’t want to neuter him?