Why cant people respect my decision to keep my dog intact?

I have no issue with keeping your dog intact. Are you showing him? Or is he a working dog?

That is because some people can't help but to stick there noses where it doesn't belong,  In other peoples business when to affects them in no way what so ever.  I don't know why it is that there are so many people out there that seem to want to tell other people how to live their lives.

Ok, I'll play devil's advocate here -- since it is the VET'S office telling you this (among others) ... have you considered that it may be OBVIOUS that this dog isn't conformed well enough to be a good breeding prospect?

Ok I'll play devil's devil's advocate here.  Most vets and techs I have seen don't know squat about breed conformation unless they are in the breeding world or a breed judge.  Heck, I even had a vet tech argue with me for a half hour once that insisted that my dogs were really mini collies!!!!

If your dog is intact and you are considering breeding you need to be doing far more research than health issues.  It is perfectly reasonable to get a healthy dog out of a given litter and have litter mates with any number of genetic faults.  You need to know the health of the litter mates and past generations and you need to be ruthless in your breeding choices.  Although I own purebred dogs with championship (or pointed), who work in herding and participate in other dog sport, I will unlikely breed on my own.  I have purchased a dog who the breeder reserved the right to have  a litter produced.  Be assured, if I found out health problems I would be willing to break a contract and suffer the legal consequences should that breeding be arranged.  Luckily that is not an issue with this dog or that breeder, but it can be.

I have no problem with an intact dog unless there is an intact female in the home without adequate kenneling (yes kenneling) options and TWO CLOSED DOORS between them.  Oops breeding happen all the time.  (might as well add a moat and a vertical wall of unscalable height and slippery surface)

I am affected by the choices that people make to not spay/nueter, when I look into the eyes of a litter of pups who can't be placed and are bound for the death room.  I am affected by the choices that people make when I meet a wonderful elderly dog whose only crime was getting old, and landed him in a shelter.

I have purebred dogs.  Two are from a breeder, one is an "oppps" litter of ONE, and three are pups that I fostered from a couple weeks of age or who were born in my house of a foster momma.  Momma number one developed mastitious and her owners didn't want to be bothered with bottle feeding so they dumped the entire litter at the shelter.They are purebred and could have been registered.  Momma number two "escaped" from vacationing owners who didn't bother to look for her for several months.  Those pups are also purebred, from show parents.

I will readily admit that I can't spend much time in the shelters I work with.  It breaks my heart into too many pieces.  But I work to raise money and I'm in the trenches with foster care, so maybe it IS a bit of my business when someone talks about not altering a dog who isn't proven or genetically screened and maybe using that animal as a stud.

People like me, who work to clean up the messes made by others who don't fully understand what responsible breeding involves, maybe deserve to have an opinion.

glenmar

...so maybe it IS a bit of my business when someone talks about not altering a dog who isn't proven or genetically screened and maybe using that animal as a stud...

 I totaly understand, Glenda, but the way I read the original post was that the OP is waiting to see what her dog will grow into, and getting all the necessary health screenings.  Remember, hips can't be OFA certified until the dog is 2.    I also didn't see anything that made me think the OP wasn't going to "prove" her dog in one way or another.    To me, it sounds like she's in the beginning stages of "getting all her ducks in a row", and catching flack for it.  Now, I could be way off base.

We were in the same situation- I haven't gotten Caleb neutered yet because I was thinking about dabbling in the conformation ring with him.  A couple of minor faults have popped up, and, since there are so many Labs out there showing, I decided not to do it.  He has a good chance of becoming an awesome performance dog, but I'm starting to have issues with him marking as he walks.  He's going in for "the snip" at the beginning of November.

As far as the vets office goes, well I had a run in with a tech. She was doing a walk back with Kord who was 5 months at the time. She asked me if I wanted him eval'ed for a neuter. I said no, the breeder suggested I wait until he was 12 to 14 months old, she snapped back real fast and nasty that the breeder no longer owned the dog I did and I could do what I wanted. I snapped back, yes I am, and I do not want him eval'ed, and if the VET has a concern they could talk to me about it, not you. I had Kord neutered at exactly 1 year and 9 days old.

I agree that no one should really push their values on you, but by the same token, unless your showing or working your dog and plan to use him to impove his breed there really is no reason to breed him, outside of those reasons all your doing is producing cute little potentially homeless puppies. And that would be a shame.

My post was more general than specific and actually I think I was responding more to timsdat than to the OP and for that I apologize.

Biffymnstr

From the first time we brought him to the vet, they insisted that he must be neutered.  They harass us about it every time I bring him in for treatment.  It seems that they are searching for any way possible to try to make us feel foolish about this decision.  It's gotten to the point that I'm so sick of arguing with them that I tell them it's not my decision and blame it on my boyfriend (since I always take him to the vet, my boyfriend wont have to deal with the ridicule).  In addition, it seems like every person out there insists that we are terrible for not neutering him.  He is actually very well behaved.  I think it's great that people rescue dogs, but rescues aren't for everyone.  I bought my dog from a breeder, and would not have even gotten a dog if I hadn't.  I know there are other people that feel that way.  So before you lecture other people on neutering, remember, everyone is entitled to their opinion on how they want to treat their dog.

In my sig is Drizzle, all natural until her 9th year.  My vet's office asked me once and I told them why I wanted her natural.  They never asked again until 7 years later when a medical condition required the spaying.  No one has ever really commented to me about Drizzle.  I foster and place rescue dogs.  The rescue organization asked me once why and I told them and then it was never brought up again.  Members here never asked or lectured me but they are sensitive when I do share my experience of having an intact female in the house.  If it bugs you, switch vets.

I have no problem with people de-sexing their pets, or keeping them intact.  But either way, I think it should be an informed decision.  If someone has a concerm about the health risks involved in neutering then who am I to tell them to do what they feel is wrong for their animal?  I like others to have the same tolerance for me and my decisions.  Unfortunately its not always the case, but what can you do?

glenmar

My post was more general than specific and actually I think I was responding more to timsdat than to the OP and for that I apologize.

Oh, Glenda, please don't feel the need to apologize because of what I said.  You stated your thoughts beautifully.  I sure hope you didn't think I was "scolding" you.  I certainly wasn't, I respect you way too much to treat you like that.  I was only tryng to maybe explain why the OP was asking what she was.

glenmar

People like me, who work to clean up the messes made by others who don't fully understand what responsible breeding involves, maybe deserve to have an opinion

I do see your point Glenda.  But even you mentioned the words responsible breeding. I assure you, if I do it, I would be responsible.  There is also no way my dog would be put in a shelter, or any puppies that result from potential breeding activity.  I don't agree with abandoning any dogs.  I also assure you that if we decide to breed, I will have done my homework and will fully understand what breeding involves.  I'm not the type of person that jumps into any decision quickly.  I research everything.  Hopefully I'm not offending you, but you have to understand that I want the chance to make this decision on my own.  I also am not promising that I will ever breed Digger.  There is a good chance I wont.  At this point though, I'm not positive.  I'm also not sold on the idea of neutering him for other reasons.  If it is never an issue, why should he get a surgery?  The way I look at it, neutering cannot be undone, but it can always be done if a reason comes up.  I am careful with my dog, especially when he's around other dogs. If there is an oops, I will make sure the puppies have a home even if I have to take on some of them myself.  So I hope that helps you see that not everyone who consider's breeding may be causing harm to dogs.  If no dogs were ever left intact, we would not have man's (and woman's) best friend.