Pro or contra neutering?

    • Gold Top Dog
    my dog is spayed and for several reasons....
    primary is her health
    due to the overly populated animal shelters and with millions of dog being put to sleep daily I prefer to be a part of the solution and not part of the problem.
    I simply don't want to risk her health as breeding her isn't something I want to do, so why leave her intact.
    Cost to license is $3 cheaper, here, for spayed/neutered dogs. But that doesn't have anything to do with my reason for spaying/neutering all of my pets.
    I don't want my pets to reproduce as it's not necessary, I don't feel a need to let any of them have a litter, I don't feel a need to watch a birth, and I definitely don't want the responsbility of finding good homes for the offspring.
     
    • Gold Top Dog
    even if people were responsible enough to keep all intact dogs from breeding, its very unhealthy stressful for an intact dog to not breed.
    • Gold Top Dog
    This is the way I feel. In the United States, we euthanize 3 to 4 million animals yearly due to a lack of homes. That is proof enough that people are not responsible with intact animals. Until that number goes down, I will always highly advocate the spay/neuter of pet quality animals.
     
    By the way, I can tell the difference between intact male dog urine and neutered male dog urine. Intact male dog urine is way stronger.
    • Gold Top Dog
    ORIGINAL: glenmar

    The heat cycle does NOT last 7 days....more like 21 or longer and they are often MORE fertile after the bleeding has stopped.  PLEASE be careful with your intact female for more than that one week.

     
    I know that, Glenda, but she usually doesn`t let a male get near her for the whole time, just for a couple of days. And the most fertile days are about 10-15 AFTER she started bleeding...


    Yes, even responsible owners can have whoops litters.  Stuff happens no matter HOW careful you are.

     
    Agreed, sh.. happens as everyone knows, but as a responsible owner all you can do is to take care as best as you can and if something happens you still have the opportunity to abort the pregnancy immediately.
     
    About 3 days ago I walked my dogs and suddenly there was this intact male dog, no owner in sight, trying to get on mine. I was lucky that my husband was there too cause I really had to fight with this dog. I had to kick him, yeah I know, shame on me but he wouldn`t let go, but that was useless too. Then I tried pepper spray and this darn dog didn`t notice anything at all. so I had to go back, took my doggies home and DH took this XXXXXX dog away from our house and called the police.
     
    And that was the 3rd time with this dog, last heat I had such problems with another male, in my lifetime I had to call the police 5! times to get rid of a male dog and I`ve never had a litter of puppies. I don`t unleash Kruemel for 3-4 weeks in that time, she walks on a, I don`t know how it is called, "flexible" leash for that time so she`s under my controll.
    Okay, I admit I don`t have kids and yes, that`s something that can definatley happen then, even so you wouldn`t get to know it, but otherwise?
     

    And, testicular cancer is far more common in intact males.  Cancers of the reproductive organs, including mammary cancers are far more common in intact females.  And then there is the danger of pio in unspayed females.

     
    Sure, it is much more often in intact dogs but cancer can only develope in organs that are there. Still no legal reason for me to neuter. Cause then youh should really let any "useless" organ away even so in humans.
    What about appendix, tonsillar and uterus for women who don`t want to have children?
    And for dogs, what about their tails, ears? They wouldn`t die but what if they break their tail? That`s supposed to be extremely painful for them?
    And I know, they NEED it to communicate but that`s the same with hormones. Their scent changes completely, they much more often have problems with intact dogs who try to figure out their gender. And that`s no argument for then neutering all dogs so they wouldn`t have this problem.

    I recently read abouts statistics that neutered dogs cannot, of course, get mammory or testicular cancer but have other problems cause they lack the hormones.
    But I surely also know the proverb 'don`t trust statistics that you haven`t manipulated yourself'....[;)]

    I've never had behavior issues that I couldn't work with

     
    Yes, but so many other people think that it will be much more easier, that their dog is easier to handle cause they don`t want to work with him/her. And that`s the danger I see here. Don`t need to work with him, just neuter him...WE know that that`s not true but too many people don`t.
     

    Now Thor IS the only one of my boys who marks and he can mark to his hearts content OUTSIDE.  But that is not acceptable in my house whether it's in his nature or not.  Unlike Jennie, I don't smell any difference between an intact and nuetered male.

    I´ve never said that marking INSIDE the house was acceptable to me (or I didn`t express it correctly? [8|]) BUT marking in general OUTSIDE is normal and as a dog owner I knew this before I got a dog. And keeping a dog from marking inside is just a question of education, same with marking on our neighbours hedges, cars, etc. THIS isn´t acceptable to me either and I can teach Barnie not to do that and have an eye on him on walks. And I don`t smell a difference either.
     

    Until every single person who takes a cute little pup home makes a LIFETIME commitment to that animal, our nation will continue to have too many animals for too few homes.  

    Yes, that`s a general problem, no matter what country or even continent but neutering dogs who already have a safe and loving home with responsible owners won`t solve that.
     

    You have said that in YOUR country you have dogs living on the streets.  That's not acceptable.  EVERY dog should have a loving, forever home.

     
    No, I said in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Croatia, Hungary, Poland and and and there are sooo many homeless dogs, living in the streets and you are absolutely right when you say that this isn`t acceptable but that`s daily life in Europe.
    And the alternative would be to catch all these dogs, and kill them (what they already do in those countries). So the rescue founds catch these dogs, neuter them and put them back in the streets cause they don`t have a choice. They don`t have the money to keep them all in a shelter nor they have the place. Dogs  there are caged in too litlle spaces. Barnie was living in Spain among 350! dogs, only 2 people managing this daily, others just for some days a week and then helpers in Germany who try to get some of those poor creatures here cause dogs are so cheap in Spain that they rarely adopt one from the shelter.
    Even cute little puppies, purebred, are brought to Germany cause no one wants them there. I endorse neutering those dogs whole heartedly. After that they continue living in the streets. But as I said, the alternative would be in killing thousands of them.
     
    Well, but I think that`s a different subject. I mean the dogs having a good home, responsible owners...they don`t need to get neutered.


    I don't LIKE early spay/nueter, but by golly I support early spay/nueter for shelter pups.  I support the shelters NOT letting dogs be adopted until they are altered. 

     
    Goes along with my opinion (s.a.).
     

    I support the responsible breeders who place pups in homes ONLY with a spay/nueter contract and who collect a HEFTY spay/nueter deposit. 

     
    Do you mean, that NO puppies at all should be bred as long as there are so many homeless dogs? I don`t quite understand? In your opinion who is then allowed to breed? I don`t talk about those backyard-"breeders" and this kind of scum but what`s with the people who try to do any kind of research about possible diseases or hd and try to do their best to improve a breed?
     

    and the idiots who don't train their dogs.  There is much that I don't LIKE in our world, but spaying and nuetering our pets to safeguard their health is not one of them.

     
    YES, YES, YES but then the problem is that so many people shouldn`t get a dog or they should be taken away from such people.
    But that`s still not my point because that still doesn`t justify neutering safe, beloved, trained dogs. The only reason that could be acceptable eventually is cancer. But as I wrote then you should take away more organs as in humans.
     
    Just to remember, when I get too personal it is NOT intended, maybe I just didn`t express myself correctly sometimes. This is meant as a discussion cause opinions are so different here and I really appreciate your arguments!
    • Gold Top Dog
    ORIGINAL: jaye
    even if people were responsible enough to keep all intact dogs from breeding, its very unhealthy stressful for an intact dog to not breed.

     
    This is just a myth. That`s an old story, saying that every intact female should have at least one litter `to stay healthy and this is simply not true.
    • Gold Top Dog
    ORIGINAL: jaye
    i know just about everyone disagrees with me but i see nothing wrong with  "designer breeds".  people have always invented new breeds i dont see how its any different, and they are good dogs.  if done in a responsible manner just like all breeding it doesnt add to the population problem.

     
    I can see two problems here:
    1. in a responsible manner is always a subjective impression and the temptation is too high and too dangerous. It takes so much of genetic research to "create" a new breed, I read Aldington`s book about (in Germany it is called) The wolve`s soul and there is quite a biiiig chapter about genetics and it`s  so complicated that I don`t think that " a responsible manner" is enough.
     
    2. It DOES add to the population problem, you cannot just mix two breeds and then you have a new one.
    You need a certain size of a gen-pool (?), over at least 10 generations that are pure-bred...how many pups do you think will there be until it comes that far?
     
    • Gold Top Dog

    I know every authority can tell  the difference between a dog spayed early and a dog spayed late but I just couldnt do it...I hear on this board all the thing that are supposed to  change and not change in the maturing of a dog..But if it were that obvious I would never have had to ask new clients, when they came in with older dogs, if they were spayed or neutered or not...

     
    I´m certainly not an authority and I cannot tell if a dog`s neutered or not just by seeing him but, well, I don`t have to. It`s something among dogs and they certainly can tell the difference immediately
     

    even if the were no testicles showing, there still could be an element of doubt...Maybe some people could tell but after 50 years I still cannot be positive...course, though maybe i may be a little slow but i wasn't slow for the entire 50 years   , i hope

    I´m sure you were not [;)]
    • Gold Top Dog
    its not a myth, and male dogs can have serious problems over time if they are intact and dont mate.
    • Gold Top Dog
    ORIGINAL: glenmar
    See, Dvet and I do disagree on early spay/nueter, but that's ok. 


    Sure, that`s what a good forum is about I think...to exchange different opinions!


    But, with shelter animals it just flat HAS to be done.  You simply cannot trust people to take care of business.(...)  Even folks with the best intentions don't always put this HIGH on the priority list and then when the first heat comes and goes they are determined to get it done before they have to deal with it again...and they forget.  And these folks are carefully selected, excellent home, responsible owners.


    I agree, shelter animals must be neutered! (s.a.)
    Glenda, don`t get me wrong, I really don`t want to offend you but then why were you breeding?
    What makes you sure that those responsible homes you selected for your pups weren`t responsible enough to be good breeders themselves?
    This really irritates me.


    In our country, unfortunately we are a nation of folks who want instant gratification,  and we are a highly "throw away" society.  Not just pets, but stuff, and marriages as well.


    Same here, people are really not that different...but that`s a general problem and I still think neutering a dog (blablabla...good home, etc. what I wrote before) won`t make THAT better...
    • Gold Top Dog
    Well, I´ve heard such problems with men too....[;)]
    And that`s why I say it`s a myth.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Opps, I misspoke on the MALE cancers..there is also prostrate cancers which are much higer in intact boys.
     
    See, to me it is NOT ok that in ANY country in this world dogs have to live on the streets while people pump out MORE pups.  You get the truely whoops litters cuz people won't spay/nueter, and figure that nature can just take it's course...and the abortion you mentioned, well, in this country at least, that includes a spay.  You get the whoops litter that was truely unintended....in my case the dogs weren't altered because we hadn't made a decision yet regarding breeding.  I have a friend with shepherds.  She recently had a litter.  Her dogs did NOT tie.  He mounted her bitch and the owner shoved him off....no penetration, no tie, and this was the ONLY time they were in the same room during her entire cycle.
     
    then you get the scum who are "trying to create a better breed" and lining their pockets mightily with the proceeds.  In this country we have not only back yard breeders, but also puppy millers...folks who FARM puppies and treat the dogs no better, and often worse than the poor livestock.  We are talking about dogs who eat garbage, never see a vet, who live their entire lives in cages cranking out litter after litter of sickly pups who likewise never see a vet and are snatched from momma at 4-5 weeks for shipping to the pet store so they can be sold while they are still young and "cute".  These are genetic nitemares of pups...no genetic testing of course has been done on the parents, and they are often the product of inbreeding, mother to son, father to daughter, brother to sister.......and people buy them for HUGELY inflated prices, and encourage the millers to just make more.
     
    Who should breed?  People like Jaime should breed.  People who prove their dogs are WORTHY of breeding, who do every single test for genetic problems common to the breed, people who do breed rescue, who work on public education, who are RESPONSIBLE and willing to accept ANY puppy that they allowed to be created back into THEIR homes at any time in their lives.
     
    Sheba is a white shepherd.  She was far too young for a litter and I had NO idea that she was pregnant until about 3 days before she whelped.  At that point in time, I truely did not have the knowlege about the breed that I do know, and despite her color being a fault, we had NOT decided not to breed.  Literally the ONLY time that Thor could have gotten to her was at nite and through the crate door.  She had two pups who didn't live 3 days.  Next time around I was leaning very heavily towards altering and she was in TWO crates.  The little 10 year old foster child let her out to play and Thor nailed her.  Fortunately she had only ONE pup and he stayed right with us.  I consider myself a VERY responsible and very careful pet owner.  But I couldn't prevent TWO pregnancies.  By golly I can and DO now.
     
    Why do mixed and lesser quality (pet quality) purebreds NEED to be left intact?  I doubt that your girl enjoys the attentions of strange dogs on her walks.  It's probably somewhat frightening to her.
     
    I clean up other peoples messes FAR too often to think it's OK to leave dogs intact and take your chances.  The reason that I have so many dogs is that MOST folks in my area who want big dogs think that they can live outside ALL the time.  They think it's FINE to put them on a chain, maybe give them a doghouse, and LEAVE them alone all the time.  Oh, they'll see the person when and if he remembers to dump garbage food in the bowl, and if he's really lucky, water.  I couldn't find homes for some of my foster pups, so they stayed with me.  Or rather homes that I find acceptable.
     
    Have you ever wondered how there happen to be so many strays in those countries?  I'm betting that at some point dogs owned by "responsible owners" and left intact got dumped and nature took it's course.  And honestly?  There are some fates WORSE than death and I'm thinking living on the streets is one of them.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Glenda, don`t get me wrong, I really don`t want to offend you but then why were you breeding?
    What makes you sure that those responsible homes you selected for your pups weren`t responsible enough to be good breeders themselves?
    This really irritates me.

     
    Sorry, I missed that one.  The dogs that we bred WERE quality dogs.  And the pups that I placed on spay/nueter contracts were PET quality...those that would NOT make the cut in the showring.  And, we did absolutely everything RIGHT....nope I didn't show....hate the politics and butt kissing in showing, but I had absolute confirmation of the quality of my dogs from outside sources.....other breeders and a couple AKC judges who we got to know.  All the health testing, etc, we DID do.
    • Gold Top Dog
    ORIGINAL: Susa

    Well, I´ve heard such problems with men too....[;)]
    And that`s why I say it`s a myth.

     
    male humans have a means of releasing other than intercourse with a female, male dogs do not.
    • Gold Top Dog
    It isn`t okay to me either, I also do think that every dog should live in a family...obviously I have to express myself clearer.
     
    Sure, that would be best, so you think neutering should be mandatory?
     
    We also have puppy mills here. My husband and I once went to one, not to buy a pup but just to see how they live. It was so heartbreaking though they were dewormed, vaccinated, micro-chipped, well-fed and mostly clean. But still that`s not the right way to raise puppies and I wouldn`t want a puppy living in those cages for some days or even weeks, not getting properly socialized, peeing where they sleep, hardly contact to people. And we were lucky not to have any money with us, cause there was this cute little Bernese mountain dog...but I cannot and will not support such "breeders"[:'(]. Supply and demand...
     
    I don`t think that Kruemel is frightened or feels unsecure, why should she? Just because she is the way she was born? She doesn`t know the difference. And as long as she trusts me and sees that I´m the "gang-leader" she has complete confidence in me that i will handle any problem, no matter if she`s in heat or not.
     
    I can only repeat what I said before: people are not that different...I also know many people who think it`s okay leaving a dog outside in the backyard and feeding him from time to time or to abuse a dog as a alarm device. I always wonder why such people want a dog when they don`t want to share time with him.
     
    No, the fate of living in the streets is not that bad. It surely isn`t as good as having a real, loving home but those street dogs are fed constantly by some nice people, playing and living in crowds, not frightened by humans.
    There will always be dumb people but see, it`s  the same with all the regulations we have for so-called "Fighting dogs" like Amstaffs, pitts, rottweiler, etc.: responsible people try to do their best for their dogs and give them a proper education, a good life. The others won`t do it anyway, no matter how many regulations/sanctions our state will "throw" to the people. The victim is always the dogs.
     
    What I mean is, you won`t get the scum people by neutering your own dog. They are going to breed and breed and breed, even if neutering would be mandatory.
    You can solve this problem not by neutering, just by changing people´s mind.
     
     
     
    • Gold Top Dog
    ORIGINAL: jaye
    male humans have a means of releasing other than intercourse with a female, male dogs do not.

     
    Sure, but you won`t get serious health problems by NOT doing it.