Finally getting neutered. Opinions please!

[celloyogi]

Dogs and bitches not intended for a serious, registered breeding program should be neutered and spayed, PERIOD.

Having been involved in rescue work for years, I can tell you there is a reason for the overpopulation of companion animals in shelters, and it is not just backyard breeders. The vast majority of the excess is from irresponsible owners, who either have "accident" litters or who feel their kids need to see the "miracle of life" or some other ridiculous excuse. The puppies and kittens that result may end up in homes, but many do not. The overpopulation is an economical burden, as well as unfair to the animals. It also adds fuel to the fire for those who want to condemn the purebred dog and cat fancies.

County animal controls, in my state and in many others, require a spay/neuter deposit on all animals adopted out. The deposit is refunded upon proof of spay/neuter. Why does this policy exist? To prevent six dogs coming back in place of the one that went out, to prevent backyard breeders from getting new stock from the AC, etc. Most humane societies won't allow an animal off the premises before it has been spayed/neutered for the same reasons.

It doesn't matter what you think neutering will do behavior-wise to a dog. If your dog escapes and impregnates a female dog, that is your fault. Not all females are going to have safe pregnancies, what if the bitch dies or there are complications? No matter how responsible we are, dogs can escape, and an intact male will find a female in season anywhere, anytime. If you haven't spayed your bitch and then you find out, oops, she's pregnant, well, again, that is your fault. And you have no way to predict how the owners of the females in season, or intact males, will react when they have to deal with your dog/bitch.

My Olive's spay was tough; she had pain for some time after and it wasn't pleasant for anyone. But would I do it again if I could go back in time? Absolutely, without a second thought.

I make no apologies for my bluntness. Every rescue I've worked with, every animal control officer I've worked with, every serious breeder I know, every vet I've ever used, are on the same page. Spay and neuter your cats and dogs.

Done speaking from my soapbox, but still standing on it.

 

[tofu pup]

This is obviously a topic that different people have different, strongly-held beliefs about.

Please remember to keep the thread civil. Like politics, religion, and dog food, this is likely to be a topic that people will have to agree to disagree on.

 

[mellie]

NOT neutering is a boom to the dog population. Please, let's not go back 50 years when most dogs were not spayed or neutered.

If I could not sell my companion puppies with a spay/neuter contract, I would never breed another litter. I require proof of spay/neuter from a vet. I feel responsible for not only the puppy I bred, but for, what could happen along the way in the life of that pup. The lifetime of a dog can be many years, with many twists and turns in ownership, care, and safety.

And, I won't even go into the thought that my 23 year old breeding program would be open to the whim of the companion dog owner. I have never allowed a companion puppy I sold remain intact. And no ethical breeder would.

Thank you !!! Like it or not pet overpopulation is a real issue and just because it doesn't creep into your life doesn't mean it doesn't exist or doesn't need to be delt with. This is not just the mantra of rescue groups/shelters but should be of importance to anyone concerned about companion animals !! It is estimated that 3-4 MILLION dogs and cats are euthanised each year in the U.S. because they simply don't have a home. Do you have any idea how awful it is to put a perfectly healthy puppy or kitten to death just because there isn't a home for it ??!!! Or how many bitches die trying to deliver a puppy too big to have without a c-section because their owners can't afford to pay for one ? Imagine that kind of death. Your male could get loose and impregnate a female before you even know he is loose. You may never even be aware of it... Do the right thing, neuter your pets.

 

[mellie]

This is obviously a topic that different people have different, strongly-held beliefs about.

Please remember to keep the thread civil. Like politics, religion, and dog food, this is likely to be a topic that people will have to agree to disagree on.

Sorry...

 

[3Stars]

Bottom line is that neutering is a convenience for people, not a boon to dogs.

Agreed.

If I could not sell my companion puppies with a spay/neuter contract, I would never breed another litter. I require proof of spay/neuter from a vet. I feel responsible for not only the puppy I bred, but for, what could happen along the way in the life of that pup. The lifetime of a dog can be many years, with many twists and turns in ownership, care, and safety.

And, I won't even go into the thought that my 23 year old breeding program would be open to the whim of the companion dog owner. I have never allowed a companion puppy I sold remain intact. And no ethical breeder would.

Obviously you are a caring, ethical breeder, and you are passionate in your stance about this - and that's a good thing. But it's important to differentiate the science from your personal beliefs in that case. I have no problem with you demanding neutering/spaying for all of your pet homes for all of your reasons stated above - they're all reasonable reasons. I just get tired of people who say dogs should be neutered because it will improve their health and temperament, when the science says otherwise. Let's at least be honest about the real reasons spaying/neutering is being pushed - humans can't be trusted.

Regarding your last statement - "no ethical breeder would" - that's a huge generalization, and unfair to many breeders who are allowing delayed spaying or neutering or allowing owners (especially of performance dogs) to keep their dogs intact. Many breeders are now doing the research, and under specific conditions are allowing dogs to remain intact - that doesn't mean they are unethical - it just means that under certain circumstances they recognize that neutering a dog is unnecessary and may be detrimental to the dog.

I make no apologies for my bluntness. Every rescue I've worked with, every animal control officer I've worked with, every serious breeder I know, every vet I've ever used, are on the same page. Spay and neuter your cats and dogs.

I work extensively with rescues so I understand where you are coming from. Shelters and rescues should demand spay/neuter after a certain age (6 - 18 months), depending on the size/purpose. However, I would never get a dog from a shelter that demanded a dog be neutered/spayed at less than 6 months of age, and I would never get a dog meant for performance from a shelter unless it was neutered after 18 months. I understand and agree with shelter rules regarding spay/neuter, which is why my performance dogs will come from breeders where there is greater flexibility.

Thank you !!! Like it or not pet overpopulation is a real issue and just because it doesn't creep into your life doesn't mean it doesn't exist or doesn't need to be delt with. This is not just the mantra of rescue groups/shelters but should be of importance to anyone concerned about companion animals !! It is estimated that 3-4 MILLION dogs and cats are euthanised each year in the U.S. because they simply don't have a home. Do you have any idea how awful it is to put a perfectly healthy puppy or kitten to death just because there isn't a home for it ??!!! Or how many bitches die trying to deliver a puppy too big to have without a c-section because their owners can't afford to pay for one ? Imagine that kind of death. Your male could get loose and impregnate a female before you even know he is loose. You may never even be aware of it... Do the right thing, neuter your pets.

If you research countries that have anti-altering laws, you will note that in general they do not have the problem of overpopulation of animals that Canada and the U.S. do. There are various theories on the whys and wherefores of this, most revolving around various facets of human roles and responsibilities. That would make an interesting thread in itself.

So let's be honest about neutering/spaying - that's all I'm advocating for. It's interesting how the arguments on here have changed. Instead of making statements like "There really aren't any negative consequences when it comes to neutering a dog", let's be truthful and fair to owners. The OP asked whether neutering would solve:

a) Problems with roaming - according to the studies, yes, it may help with this.

b) Licking females private areas - the studies didn't address this specifically, and I know intact and neutered dogs who do this, so it's an unknown.

c) His fear of other dogs - according to the studies, neutering may not help this, and may in fact make it worse. In addition, there's a chance your dog may develop undesireable behaviours as a result of neutering.

d) There's a reasonable chance your male dog will be at increased medical risks for certain cancers because of it.

e) If you are unwilling/unable take the responsibility upon yourself to ensure your dog will never breed, then you should absolutely get your dog neutered.

 

[ClantyreSheltie]

Amen to the above.

Fixing skewed hormones is big pharma business in people, it's not logical to assume it would it cause less issues in other mammals.

I am all in favor of vasectomies and tubaligations. Best of both worlds,

 

[Toffee's Mom]

Amen to the above.

Fixing skewed hormones is big pharma business in people, it's not logical to assume it would it cause less issues in other mammals.

I am all in favor of vasectomies and tubaligations. Best of both worlds,

I tend to agree with the above!
Only recently have I started to read up more about this...
I always have my dogs neutered, don't get me wrong because it IS more convenient for me. It definitely helps against over population which is a concern as well as a roaming dog, but the going arguments that say spaying and neutering is for behaviour modification and a quick fixes are possibly outdated?

 

[mellie]

• Mainly looking to reduce the number of sick, starving ,unwanted, euthanized dogs /cats, that's all.

• As far as a country"s spay/neuter practices ,Mexico comes to mind with it's overpopulation and street dogs.
• If you are talking hormones, then you will have all the behaviors that go with them, which is up to the owner. There will still be the urge to mate and roam and the need for doggie britches. You will also have the issue of cancers that goes along with hormones. Also the issue of pyometra in females.

 

[Mignarda]

Amen to the above.

Fixing skewed hormones is big pharma business in people, it's not logical to assume it would it cause less issues in other mammals.

I am all in favor of vasectomies and tubaligations. Best of both worlds,

I don't think there's any question about the effects skewed hormones have on humans. Millions of men get vasectomies every year, and I think if you suggested that castration would accomplish the same result with zero long-term effects, you'd probably not be taken seriously.

Another thing I've considered over the years is the effect on the domestic dog's genetic health of taking millions of sound and healthy dogs and arbitrarily removing them from the gene pool. I suppose that in some people's worldview the only dogs that ought to reproduce are selected purebreds, purpose-bred for a handful of specific phenotypes. I'm not sure I agree with that. There are thousands and thousands of traits that need to be selected for, not just those that go into making a particular breed look and act like a particular breed. Only natural selection can account for those traits. Even if breeders had the ability to account for them all, the result of so doing wouldn't be consistent for all the desired outward characteristics of a particular breed.

I don't think neutering is cruel, and I wouldn't waste any time trying to convince a dog owner not to do it. But for a variety of reasons it's not Balm of Gilead for dogs; far from it!

 

[Caro]

Exactly - which is why I turn to the science. Human bias and the impact it has on dogs is an interesting thing, and it's addressed in some of the scientific studies. Bottom line is, the results will vary from dog to dog, breed to breed - science recognizes that as well. But when making an informed decision, it's important to have all of the proven facts, not just theories spouted off by well intentioned vets/rescue groups/etc. who are mainly concerned about overpopulation. We are overloaded with messages that responsible pet owners always neuter/spay their dogs and that it solves all problems. Owners have the right to have the actual scientific proof one way or another. If they still decide to neuter, at least it's an educated choice, instead of one based on theories.

I can also show you scientific proof that shows the exact opposite. In the end you need to make your own decision. Having had neutered and unneutered males I can tell you my preference is neutered. And generally everyone here will only be able to give you their preferences for various reasons because the 'evidence' can be skewed either way. So it's really up to you what you decide.