Toy Poodle Neutering (Testiles not dropped)

Question
We have a 13 month old male Toy poodle (we got him at 4 months) whose testicles have not dropped. Before we purchased ELVIS..., we were told about this imperfection by the breeder and that his family (the mother) has passed this problem on to her other babies. Elvis is under 5 pounds and a PERFECT gentleman with a loving, warm spunky personality. We've taken him to (2) vets who've both said that we should neuter him. I expected that and feel that they always lean that way. I'm told that the neuter probing operation (searching for his tiny testicles inside the stomach cavity) is far more complex than a normal neuter operation. I'm an "If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix it" person...., and I'm extremely worried that after the vet opens Elvis, what is they can't find both or even just one of his testicles....??? Might they just close him up and hope that they'll dissolve, while making us believe (without telling us an outright lie) that everything is OK....???  I would greatly appreciate your candid thoughts on this matter. THANKS VERY MUCH. Yours truly, Trade Martin.

Answer
Hello Trade,
I have to believe with the Vets on this one, and not just because your dog is male and "should" be neutered.  When the testicles haven't dropped on a dog, it increases the chances of problems with the testes.  They can develop infections as the sperm die, and your dog can also run the risk of higher chances of Testicular Cancer.  
The probing operation isn't as high risk as it sounds because they don't actually go into the stomach cavity to locate the testicles.  The testies begin begin growing just above the scrotal sac, then drop as the dog reaches sexual maturity.  Your dog could be retaining one or both testicles.  
By leaving him intact or without doing anything, you run a higher risk of him developing Testicular Cancer or reproducing and passing on undecended or underdeveloped testicles.  

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions about this or other Poodle questions in general, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim