Why NOT neuter?

ORIGINAL: glenmar


Perhaps if this poster has a large assortment of pets, s/he would consider using a different one in the avatar??

I'm also terrified of snakes and I actually had a nightmare with snakes the other night after seeing the snake avatar in a lot of the topics that I was posting on. [&:] I have no idea why I'm so scared of snakes. I LOVE frogs, geckos, lizards, etc.

As far as neutering. In a way I'm glad that I waited until Gingerbread was about a year old so he had time to develop and mature. On the other hand I think it was harder on him physically than it would have been if he were a puppy. And in a certain way it was sad to see his little speckled puppy parts go, it felt like I was taking something from him. BUT, I know that's just me projecting human emotions onto him. I really don't think he could care less whether he has testicles and now he isn't plagued by that pesky testosterone. []

THANK YOU!  I'm glad to know that I'm not the only freak on the planet who has nightmares after seeing snake pictures.  I bet you would have been housebound all summer too if you'd seen the number of snakes in the yard that I did.......walking out to get my mail literally terrified me and I'd get back to the safety of the deck with my heart just POUNDING from fear.
 
Rational fear or not, it's still a fear...more a phobia really, and I do hope that poster will choose a different picture.

ORIGINAL: glenmar

THANK YOU!  I'm glad to know that I'm not the only freak on the planet who has nightmares after seeing snake pictures.  I bet you would have been housebound all summer too if you'd seen the number of snakes in the yard that I did.......walking out to get my mail literally terrified me and I'd get back to the safety of the deck with my heart just POUNDING from fear.

Rational fear or not, it's still a fear...more a phobia really, and I do hope that poster will choose a different picture.

Lol, I was glad when I read your post too because it meant I wasn't the only one. There are "others".... []

As an honorary old broad, I guess I'm part of the sisterhood, with my hairy, manly legs and 240 lbs of pure daintiness.
 
And the reply was on topic. There is no reason to not neuter/spay outside of a few for a limited time, such as growth, breeding, title. And the title is really for breeding purposes. That leaves growth and breeding, and the anecdotal evidence goes in support or non-support of delayed neuter/spay. Judgement call for the owner, rally. But the practice of neuter/spay was never in doubt. So, that leaves just breeding.
 
Can an owner improve the breed or maintain the breed by breeding, conserving (IMHO) temperment and workability, and some conformation? If not, don't breed. More important to me, can the owner guarantee good homes for the off-spring? If not, don't breed.
 
We are allowed to express our opinion on this topic, whether it's popular or not. If that makes me an intimidating old broad, so be it.

We need to start our own little club...We are terrified of snakes so kindly don't stick them in our faces!!  Misskiwi....I know that this is irrational, but it's my phobia and I have to own it....so yes, if you wouldn't mind terribly could you put someone else in your avatar?  I don't even mind gators, but something about snakes terrifies me.
 
DPU, I will agree with you to an extent that Chuffys post seem to be designed to provoke response.  I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say that s/he was looking for a fight tho....and honestly, Anne wasn't a jerk to you.  That's basically from the outside looking in since I've been sick as a skunk for the past two days and not terribly involved in the forum......

Glenda, Snakes?  I feel a tremble in the force.  There is a difference between the terms challenge and fight.  Chuffy clearly challenged a rebuttal to her post for educational purposes.  Also with regards to "Anne wasn't a jerk to you” the meaning of any message is how it is received.  Would if I responded to the poster that mistakenly referred to me as irresponsible like (and this is an extreme example to make my point and not to be taken seriously)

• 
  "Hmmm, I understand the distinction now and in your way I accept your apology.  It is like referring to someone as a couched page-turning bookworm who snips writings from authors, posts them, and then claims to be intelligent.”

Same style and same focus, but I clearly would be labeled the jerk.  Why would that be?  The list of names in the sisterhood is coming to light.

Ron2, you left out an important reason for the "Why NOT neuter?”.  Trust.  Believing what is said and the advice given by dog professionals.  I now really feel duped by the dog professionals for not spaying Drizzle.  My word to the breeder who did not ever contact me.  My vet who did not discuss spaying Drizzle but did an early spaying of her sister Blizzard, possibly performing her own experiment. And the fact that Drizzle did not have any health issues as a result of not being spayed.  Plus Blizzard having health issues because of early spaying.  An easy justification in making a final decision is "when in doubt, don't”.

Just a heads up... I changed my avatar (hopefully). Let me know if it meets your approval.

ORIGINAL: Misskiwi67

Just a heads up... I changed my avatar (hopefully). Let me know if it meets your approval.

 
That was a grand gesture and a very nice act of kindness.  It doesn't bother me but I do understand phobias and feel for people that suffer from them.  A picture of your dog or the ones provided by the forum would erase all doubts of anyone being uncomfortable.

ORIGINAL: Misskiwi67

Just a heads up... I changed my avatar (hopefully). Let me know if it meets your approval.

LoL, I still have to ask....where did you get that blood python?? I have looked EVERYWHERE for them!  I'm from Raleigh, NC and specialty stores around here can't even order one (well, from a reputable breeder) for me.  Any suggestions?

Ok, I am done hijacking the thread.....I promise! []

Ugh!  I looked...and the thing that stops my heart is still there!

you left out an important reason for the "Why NOT neuter

 
No, I didn't. But you are welcome to have an opinion otherwise. My reasoning is in line with all the proper ethics of breeding and pet animal husbandry.
 
You may keep an intact animal, as is your right, until they pass a law against owning a breedable dog of your breed, as they have done in certain cities regarding the "pit bull". FWIW, Shadow was given to us, intact. As I learned more and more about the ethical reasons to breed or not breed, I came to the conclusion that he should be neutered, for the reasons I listed in the previous post. So, he was neutered at 2.5 (12-07-05). It has not made him less "male". He still likes females. He doesn't mount anymore, partially because he has been trained not to mount and we simply don't allow it. Even if I had planned to have him sire a litter, and there were offers, BTW, I would still have eventually had him neutered.
 
I know some will say that it's "unfair" to neuter a dog to avoid testicular cancer. But guess what, they don't have a whole series of treatments for canine testicular cancer like they do for humans. And even in humans, the treatment often involves removal of the testicles, anyway, and the rest of the treatment is to stop the spread or keep it from metasticizing elsewhere. So, the most humane thing for the dog is neutering. It avoids that illness, thereby prolonging his life. And, just as importantly, it avoids unwanted litters. Shadow is tall enough to jump out of the yard but he doesn't. For one thing, he has it so good, here. But even so, he wears a flat collar with an id tag and his new rabies tag. Just in case. It wouldn't matter if I was here all day. He can run 30 to 40 mph and if he want to jump that fence, I wouldn't be able to stop him, even if I'm right there. So, I train recall, etc. Just in case. The leash and harness hang by the front door, always. I put hooks in the wall just for that equipment. If, in the unlikely case that he gets out of the yard, he won't sire an oops litter. With the neuter, he is less driven to find a mate. But he can still be guardy when he wants to, so it hasn't taken away from his ability to defend himself.
 
In the end, you are welcome to keep an intact dog or bitch but we may disagree with the reasons. As for trusting someone else's advice to keep a dog intact, you can always change your mind or realize that their advice may have been good at the time but it has served its usefulness and now, a change is in order.
 

Glenda,
 
Then you must still be in a daze!  I notice the new picture in another thread about an hour ago, and it's changed here as well.
 
It's a cute lizard - gecko, I think she said.
 
For what it's worth, I wasn't terribly fond of the picture either. A little unnerving.  BUT, at the same time, I kept admiring the photographer's view -- it was a very unusal angle and for someone who would like snakes, or nature photography,  it was a very good shot!
 
I like the black snakes we get around here.  I stay away from water snakes - just in case, and those that appear to have a pointed head.  Not fond of them, but I think I would like all snakes better if none were poisonious.  I wouldn't ever want to hold a snake, but I'm glad we have the black garden type snakes around.
 
Anyway, I think it was a beautiful picture, but I do like the gecko better, it certainly isn't unnerving, and I agree with DPU that ot was very nice of misski to change pictures.   (I keep shortinging your name b/c I can't remember the rest.   Hope that you don't mind this).

Before, I speak my thoughts, Glenda.. the avatar is not a snake but of a gecko(at least it looks like a gecko to me). []

Anyways, I own spayed/neutered dogs. I neutered my Rottweiler when he was 3 because he was driving us insane by marking all over the house and acting a complete fool whenever he saw another dog in public. We got him neutered and noticed a major difference. He stopped marking in the house and I was able to take him to public places without him feeling the need to challenge other dogs.

I neutered my Boston Terrier when he was 6 months old because the breeder told me that neutering at an early age usually prevents "bad male habits" from starting. 

Shelby was spayed after she had her first heat. I allowed her to go through a heat cycle after doing some research. She was 11 months when she was spayed.

With that said, I consider myself to be a responsible dog owner. I am educated about dog issues and I am capable of properly maintaining an intact animal. Based on the research I've done, I refuse to keep an intact animal unless I was showing in conformation or it had health issues where a surgery such as a spay/neuter would jeopardize its' life. 

If people choose to keep intact animals, that's their business but I do hope the reasons for doing so are based on education and research and not out of misconceptions or anthropomorphism. In all honesty, and I don't mean this out of disrespect, I do believe DPU's experience with Drizzle to be uncommon as the majority of bitches do not act that way and I hope people who own intact bitches and are unsure as to whether or not to spay them will not look at DPU and Drizzle's experience and think that's how bitches normally act. If DPU chooses to keep Drizzle intact, I respect that as DPU sounds like he's a responsible owner and he'll keep an eagle eye on Drizzle when she's in season to make sure no accidental breedings will occur.

In regards to Chuffy's posts, I notice you are from the UK. If I'm not mistaken, the UK does not have such an insane shelter overpopulation as we do in the States. Based on our shelter overpopulation and the fact that 3 to 4 million animals are euthanized every year due to a lack of homes is enough reason for me to believe that the majority of people in the United States cannot properly maintain intact animals and they should be spayed/neutered mainly to prevent adding to our shelter overpopulation.
 
**Edited because for some unknown reason I thought DPU was all woman. []

I know some will say that it's "unfair" to neuter a dog to avoid testicular cancer. But guess what, they don't have a whole series of treatments for canine testicular cancer like they do for humans. And even in humans, the treatment often involves removal of the testicles, anyway, and the rest of the treatment is to stop the spread or keep it from metasticizing elsewhere. So, the most humane thing for the dog is neutering. It avoids that illness, thereby prolonging his life.

I understand that is your opinion, so I am not criticizing it, I am just responding with my own opinion.

I do not feel that is a good reason to neuter a dog...I am very "pro" spay/neuter but I would never use that as a reason.  The incidinces of testicular cancer in dogs is extremeley rare.  Bone cancer of the leg and jaw and lymphatic cancers are far more common and there are no good treatments for these either...so does that mean we should remove their legs, etc to be humane?  I am not saying that nobody should spay/neuter their dog for this reason, but I do not think that it should be the reason to do so.

Yes, it has changed now, and it's a little cutie!  THANK YOU so very much for changing it.  I fully realize how stupid my phobia can seem to some folks and I actually reached the point that I went outside and THANKED the snakes for scaring me inside so DH was having to mow the lawn, having chest pains which he mentioned to the doc who sent him for tests that resulted in life saving angio........admittedly tho, I did so from the safety of the deck a full story above the ground, but at least I was able to see SOME benefit to their hanging around.
 
Again, thanks for changing it.  And Dave, I just don't have the energy to argue with you, or anyone else, today.  But, I do agree with Meilani.....JQP should not look to your experience as what is typical.