Zatara was neutered a couple of weeks ago, just before his first birthday. We had him neutered for a number of reasons.
For the last few months he had been showing increasing alpha behaviors (including an occasional growly challenge when I would try to get him to obey a command) -- the negative behaviors were exaggerated because of the presence of high male hormone levels. Zatara's trainer, who has 20+ years experience training police dogs and other dogs, even made the remark that Zatara has a high sex drive as compared to other dogs he has seen.
My understanding is that if you wait too long, some of the negative behaviors can become ingrained. I wanted to get Zatara neutered a few months ago, but it took me a while to convince my hubby that it was the right thing to do.
Another factor is that Zatara has a weak immune system -- not something we wanted to pass on to offspring. Our vet also thought it would be less taxing to Zatara's immune system to be exposed to the rigors of high hormone levels.
Another benefit is that a neutered dog is less likely to develop other medical problems later in life (I don't remember which ones, however).
Hope this helps in some way. Good luck in your decision.
