Finally getting neutered. Opinions please!

[xerospin]

Justicemom: lol good for Birch! Poor guy wouldnt even know what hit him if justice and the rest of the gang decide to take him out

Calliesmom: Cranberry seems very athletic too! Too bad agility is not practiced at all in Taiwan. I would love to have alfie participate in it too...

Your babies really know how to pose for a picture! I rarely get photos of mine sitting together, it's just not possible because ajax cant be more than 30cm away from me at all times


My previous dog Lucky was not neutered, and he would try to escape the house every chance he gets. He LOVED to roam.... that was the biggest problem I had with him, so i have all my dogs altered now. It's just so much easier to manage.

 

[Calliesmom]

Calliesmom: Cranberry seems very athletic too! Too bad agility is not practiced at all in Taiwan. I would love to have alfie participate in it too...

Your babies really know how to pose for a picture! I rarely get photos of mine sitting together, it's just not possible because ajax cant be more than 30cm away from me at all times

Cran is very athletic- he loves agility and chasing his soft frisbee.
Stay and/or wait are the best commands for taking pix. they weren't so good at it as younger pups but they know what it's all about now. stay and let mom take pix - then there's tons of cookies after.
now to get the lil pup to master that one..... http://jocubiblack.shutterfly.com/pictures/360

he had to be repositioned after every shot........

 

[AusnAsh]

Justicemom: It really does depend on the individual dog. That's why I love working with as many as I can. A few years back, I volunteered at a humane society and tried to train the dogs. My whole life, I've been wanting to become a professional trainer. I do pretty good it's just that I've never trained a Sheltie before. Asher and I are learning together.

Poor Birch haha I'm glad that the team decided to keep him Is there any reason why you waited until 18 months to neuter him? I'm just curious

Calliesmom: Cranberry is so sweet! And the little one's definitely on their way. Those pictures could go on a calendar

Xerospin: Asher does that too unfortunately We've been working on bolting though and he's starting to get better (by a very tiny amount of progress). Any improvement is great! Just have to socialize him more in the right setting

 

[Calliesmom]

Calliesmom: Cranberry is so sweet! And the little one's definitely on their way. Those pictures could go on a calendar

thanks- I have made my own calendar of my dogs
just to contribute to the neutering conversation- Cran was neutered at around 13 months- there was a thread about it: http://www.sheltieforums.com/showthread.php?t=8623&highlight=berries

I waited until he was over a year old to be sure that he had the opportunity to finish growing - the agility world is all about not altering until the growth plates have closed.

 

[Justicemom]

.Poor Birch haha I'm glad that the team decided to keep him Is there any reason why you waited until 18 months to neuter him? I'm just curious

I had Birch neutered at 15 months. I was hoping he would settle into size because I was hoping to show him in conformation. Long shot I knew but I didn't want to be hasty. He almost did at one point and then decision to grow alittle more.

After the holidays and it was obvious he was done growing and not going to settle I neutered him. Plus he was starting to become that semi jerk I talked about earlier. Puffing up and challeging the other boys. Diva going into season blew his mind, even after she was gone to Rachels' for several weeks. He was wanting to hump everything. To be fair he was a humpy puppy at even 4 weeks but seriously it was annoying. Life is good now.

 

[AusnAsh]

just to contribute to the neutering conversation- Cran was neutered at around 13 months- there was a thread about it: http://www.sheltieforums.com/showthread.php?t=8623&highlight=berries

So that's only a few month's difference. Thanks for the thread! I just read through it. One thing I noticed is that it shouldn't be such a nerve-wracking decision as I'm making it out to be, right? I still feel like it'll help Asher. And since he hasn't grown in height for a while (just more fur ) then I'm confident he'll be fine. And unless I get bit by the agility bug - so far it's the frisbee bug that's got me - then he and I will be doing stuff non-competitively.

To be fair he was a humpy puppy at even 4 weeks but seriously it was annoying. Life is good now.

Oh so that's why. I'm sure you agree, but, Birch really is a great dog even without those shows. I love his name, by the way. Though, I believe I've said that before haha. It kinda stumps me how Asher's never been one to hump at all. Unfortunately, he does go stir crazy when it comes to the girls. He's a licker which I really don't like.

Glad that Birch didn't die. They sure are vulnerable during the puppy days. Asher's brother Bugs had an extreme reaction to the shots that I was afraid he was going to die too. But everyone's healthy now woot!

 

[BarbV]

I read through most of this thread, and admit that I did skip some posts because my eyes started to spin.

There were so many opinions and research posted on this thread that it would be difficult for anyone trying to make the spay/neuter decision from all the opinions posted.

So I'll chime in with my opinion on the pros and cons. No scientific evidence to support any of my thoughts, btw.

To me, its really quite simple:

- If you plan to breed, then don't neuter/spay. But control your dog and bitch
- If you don't plan to breed, then do the surgery. You'll do yourself a favour.

An intact female is a magnet for every intact male out there.....An intact male is an aggressor waiting to happen

You can debate the pros and cons of the surgery forever and your eyes will spin while you try to decide.

But while you try to decide, I think its important to remember that these are dogs, not humans. I know that goes against the grain for a lot of us, because these pups are our furkids. But the reality is that we have to stop humanizing animals.

Dogs and cats and humans live well together but in controlled circumstances. And the control, is with the humans.

 

[Mignarda]

But while you try to decide, I think its important to remember that these are dogs, not humans. I know that goes against the grain for a lot of us, because these pups are our furkids. But the reality is that we have to stop humanizing animals.

If the dogs were the only ones doing the suffering, I'd probably say "amen." But considering the cost and time loss and general frustration of having to deal with sick animals, I'm at the point where I don't want to do anything that increases the likelihood of illnesses such as orthopedic problems, thyroid issues, weight issues (which doesn't help the poor dog, because you have to reduce his feeding to an uncomfortable amount to keep his weight at reasonable levels) and certain others identified as being associated with neutering. In my case it's not just a consideration for the dog that's made me decide to try a different tack.

I've got a new pup now, and my plan for him is no neutering, no overvaccination, a reasonably high-protein diet, no simple carbohydrates and as much exercise as he can take or I can give him. Which is not much different, when you come right down to it, than the paradigms I apply to myself!

 

[AusnAsh]

So I'll chime in with my opinion on the pros and cons. No scientific evidence to support any of my thoughts, btw.

You're right haha this thread is quite long. I never thought it would get this much attention, but, it's a delicate topic so that's probably why. I do agree with you Barb. Lots of people refuse to neuter their dogs simply because they think, "we're taking away his manhood" which is completely humanizing. What needs to happen is to think about the dog itself as, well, a beloved dog.

In my case it's not just a consideration for the dog that's made me decide to try a different tack.

That's great that you've found your own way of handling it Mignarda. Everyone has their own beliefs and their own systems. That's true that there still are disadvantages for the dog. Neutering isn't risk-free. That's why we have to look at the individual dog.

That's probably why I like prefer to find information that pertains to individual people and their dogs. Of course, I'm careful to take into account the dog's personality, behavior, and other circumstances.