Unneutered males

Question
Hi Karen, I'm getting 2 Tibetan Terrier male pups, litter mates, that I would like to show. (conformation, agility, etc) One is tri-color, the other gold and white.  I would like to try to keep both whole, for show, and the reputable breeder says "not a good idea" because of hormones in a few months. As you know, we don't know potential for quite awhile and neutering is usually at 6 months.  The tri is no problem; the gold and white has a possibility of a beautiful black nose turning to "snow nose" which of course disqualifies. Common sense says to neuter the gold and white, but .... hence the dilemma.  Possible to keep 2 unneutered TTs together without killing each other? Does this depend on the breed? They will be kept crated all the time unless under supervision, but this is the way it will be anyway, neutered or not. By the way, supervision will be just about all the time, because both will be companion dogs also.

Thank you in advance for your advice; I think it's wonderful you offer this service to the public.

Barb

Answer
While I am not that familiar with Tibetan Terriers, I do have a houseful of unneutered males, and, for the most part, do not have a problem. They can be a bit testy when bitches come into season, though.

The biggest problem with only two dogs can be if both are at the same level of dominance; you will know soon enough if you will have a problem with that, and might have to return one of the dogs. Just neutering one might not be good enough. Otherwise, many households live quite happily with two (or more) males. A friend of mine has a schnauzer and two scotties... and recently added a scottie puppy... all intact boys, and they all get along extremely well.

Just make sure that you are the Alpha in the house! http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm