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

There is a medical reason to spay bitches.  Each heat cycle has an impact on the uterine tissues, slowly degrading them (the impact of the progesterin flush for pregnancy).  Each heat cycle degrades a bit more.... the major issue, your bitch will be more likely to contract pyo.  Not something I want to face.

mrv

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. 

This is worth repeating over and over again.  My lab came from a breeder who health tested his dogs and no problems came out.  Jack, however, was diagnosed with elbow dysplasia.  It cost us about $2000 total in vet bills, not counting the physical therapy after the surgery that he still has occasionally or the special diet and supplements he is on to keep him from having to be on pain meds the rest of his life.  We would never have returned Jack for that reason, but some people would.  Would you be prepared to take on that cost on top of whatever other dogs you own if the owner would not shell out the cash to treat the pup?  Would you be willing to make the tough decisions about the rest of your breeding stock if such a health issue popped up?

Not trying to be harsh here, but as someone who knows the heartbreak that health issues can bring, this is something extremely important to think very long and very hard about.  Just my 2 cents... 

Personal Opinion on Subject:

• No dog should be bred unless show quality/history & Champion bred
• There are too many back-yard-breeders and puppy mills that lead to filled up rescue homes and shelters. Not to mention many "throw-backs" and non-regulation companion sizes for pets due to irresponsible breeding. Respect your dog and understand our current over population with other dogs.
• All females should be spayed before 1 year of age if not being bred
• Heat causes a lot of stress and pain. [Being a female I understand the hassle of menstruation and the possibility of unwanted pregnancy; don't let your dog suffer from the same situation.] Spaying also reduces risks of certain cancers. All though these reduction risk percentages are small [according to our Vet], it's just like a human women having a hysterectomy to prevent further pain/cancers.
• Males may stay "intact" if being shown or Champion bred
• In order to show (or in some cases "work";) a dog they must not be neutered. Those utilizing their dog for these circumstances typically understand the risk and are careful to not abuse this privilege. Once earned these dogs may be used to breed later.
• Regulation size/quality does not mean breeding worthy
• Many people feel that just because their dog is the regulation weight, height, color, etc means they are appropriate to breed. This is completely false. Show Hobbyist spends years showing dogs in attempt to gain Champion recognition for breeding rights, etc. I highly doubt the average individual could even comprehend what contradicts a Champion worthy dog unless you happen to be a show judge. Please show and research your dog before making any false inquisitions.

Personal Experience:

I have contemplated breeding myself. My own "Kayla" is a true model pup for her breed. Her personality stands out in a crowd of Pomeranians, and I have yet to ever meet one like her. Fear of never finding these qualities again and wanting others to experience an amazing pup too lead me to wonder "why not breed her!" Much research and understanding lead me to my previous opinion. Kayla is actually being spayed today [Friday January 4th 2008] and I know I will have no regrets. Currently I am in contact with the two top Champion Pom breeders in the country to discuss another pup later on with show potential/breeding potential. To obtain a pure bred quality dog I recommend this route as well! If you are not as picky and do not plan to show/bred/etc please check out your local shelter first!

Breeding takes a lot of knowledge, wisdom, time, and dedication. Yes it is your own life and you can do as you please with your pet; but all I ask is that each individual morally takes a good look at the "big picture" (the world) before making any decisions.

I think that each dog owner has the right to make the decison about spaying/neutering for themselves.  Yes, there are a lot of unwanted dogs/cats in the pound, and that is heartbreaking and horrible.  I have taken in enough rescues and have volunteered enough to know the heartbreak of looking into the eyes of those poor animals.  Yet I still think that each owner has the right to make their own decisions, without ridicule or criticism from other people.  I have my own personal feelings about the issue - and they are mine.  I don't impose my opinions on other people, and I do not feel I need anyone's permission if I decide to breed in the future; nor do I need to apologize or defend whatever I decide.  I am a responsibe person and if I were to breed my dogs, I will do all I can to ensure that any puppies do not end up unwanted and in the pound. I am happy to say that my vet does not pressure me about spaying/neutering - but he has also known me for almost 20 years.  Many years ago we used to breed and raise champion Alaskan Malamutes and he knows how incredibly picky I am about if and who to breed.

RIght now I have 2 intact females and 1 intact male.  I am dealing with females in heat and an intact male. Not always fun, but definately manageable.  My dogs are kennel/crate trained and I take incredible care to make sure we have no accidental breedings.  I may or may not choose to breed in the future. Right now I am fairly certain that I will not breed one of my females, and I may very well be getting her spayed soon.  

If I decide to seriously consider breeding my dog(s), I will definately have the medical testing done that I feel a responsible breeder should have done before breeding.  I will research all I can, and I will talk to knowledgable people who know my breed.  I will be showing in obediance and agility, but will not be showing in conformation.  With Standard Poodles I would have to have them show clipped and I am not going to do that. We live in the woods and my dogs have a huge outdoor area to run around in.  They wrestle and play hard - not condusive to a nice show coat. I do not want to have to change their lifestyle just so I can show them in conformation.  I do not feel that I have to have a 'champion dog' to have the right to breed. I do, however, want to preserve and improve on my breed, if I decide to breed my dogs.  So again, I will do all I can to ensure this.  I have had a judge tell me how incredible my male is. That was a wonderful thing to hear. It still does not mean that I will use him for breeding, but I am leaving that option open for now. 

So I guess my feeling is that hopefully, anyone who is considering breeding their dog(s) will make an informed, responsible decision. Right or wrong, it is their decision.  Spaying and neutering is a good thing - I have had most of my dogs 'fixed' - but those procedures are not without risk and expense either.  I know of someone who lost their dog during a routine surgery - not real common, but always a risk.  Again, it is a personal decision that each owner must make and should not be made to feel bad about. 

double post, sorry.

I often volunteer helping shelters, and often have seen the mess of irrisponsible breeding, and often had to clean it up. I personally, would not breed a dog if I couldn't spell the breed of the dog....I saw your profile, it's Bernese Mountain Dog (not Burnese). Also, 60lbs for a 1 year old seems small, especially since it's a male. I care for a pure bred BMD, she came from a very reputable breeder in Nova Scotia, she's much bigger than 60lbs and she's a female. I suggest you think long and hard before you breed; why do you want to breed your dog? Trust me, if you're doing it for money, all of the reputable/responsible breeders will tell you you're in the wrong business.

I respect your right to keep intact providing:

-he NEVER escapes your control his ENTIRE LIFE to run off and mate with the intact female 5 miles away who he can smell whose owner also insisted that its rights be respected

and

-the resulting pregnancy from the OOPS mating is immediately terminated.

Regarding your right to breed him, I'd support that also, when:

You can show participation and membership in the breed club responsible for making sure only the best specimens of his breed reproduce and contribute to the health and quality of the breed.

If you sit around on your couch and say "He's so great" because he came from good parents (so did my neutered Airedale, VERY GOOD LINES - NOT A GOOD BREEDING PROSPECT) and think it'd be super cool to make a couple hundred bucks off popping out a few pups with another of his breed who is also "from good parents", I can't support that.  Responsible breeding is not only making sure all the health checks are done (that's just a minimum starting point) it also involves participating in the future health and survival of the very best the breed has to offer, being responsible for the pups for their LIVES (as in, if it doesn't work out, you take them back and find them appropriate homes, NOT wash your hands of them the minute the check clears) and keeping your dog until the day he dies, not dumping him at a shelter or into rescue when he's outlived his usefulness to line your pockets and boost your ego.

 But honestly, why do you care what we think, you recognized in your OP that the majority here is not keen on breeding unless it's done VERY CAREFULLY, and you're going to do what you want to do, even if he is a piss poor example of the breed with numerous health problems, so why solicit our opinons????

 BTW, maybe your vet is concerned about the number of intact dogs they see coming in with cancer and other problems associated with remaining intact?  Or maybe they've just had enough of delivering puppies for idiots who think it'd be peachy keen to breed little Princess and sell the pups in the paper, knowing a good 50% of the litter will end up at the pound when they've outgrown their cuteness.

As to why we can't respect your opinion to keep him intact and possibly breed, it's probably because a number of us work or volunteer at shelters where we watch beautiful purebred specimens as well as mutts put to death every single day, 365 days a year for no reason other than THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH HOMES FOR THEM ALL.  And that makes us a little bitter after we drive home crying or we spend that dog's last 5 minutes on Earth trying to love it enough to make up for its owners ignorance.  Just maybe.

If you think your breed and your dog is so great, get involved in the breed club, get involved in rescuing other "great" dogs of his breed.  And then, maybe go volunteer just 5 weekend days at your local shelter and see how you feel about "owner's rights" then.

Rant officially over.

Good post

 Thank you.  :)  To the OP:  2 more things.  The reason I suggested you volunteer on weekend days is so you can see how many "great dogs" are being dumped on Saturday morning before their owner goes shopping.  So you can see the "leftovers" from intentional breedings that didn't sell in the paper and now are beginning to be a pain because they're puppies and they're starting to chew things and make alot of noise and it's just not what the breeder thought it'd be.  So you can see the owner turn ins with the Oops breedings that are too far along to terminate and the pups are due any minute and "we just can't afford all that".  You'll get all that and more on a weekend day.  You'll also get to figure out where to put all those new drop offs when all the kennels are full and some residents have been there for months and months and months without being adopted.  And maybe you'll get to hear the whispers about "the list" and wonder which residents you won't be seeing when you come the following weekend.

And two:  I hope you'll contact and/or stay in touch with Bonita.  THAT is the example of a responsible breeder and I support 100% someone like her's right to keep intact dogs because she is aware "it's not for sissies" and is making sure that she helps her breed and doesn't hurt it.  You could learn much from her grasshopper.

Dont get me wrong, I am all for spaying and neutering non working, companion animals.  I dont think early alteration should occur on dogs who have handlers planning on SERIOUS phsycial competition (regardless of sport).  Those animal should be lieft intact until all growth plates are closed.  With respect to breeding stock, you dont necessarily need a championship (it is one component to consider, but certainly not the only one).  Many dogs CONSIDERED for breeding should not be ruled out until full adulthood, in some cases 4 years.  There are late onset conditions in many breeds that need to be considered. So taking a dog out of the gene pool just because it is a pet, but comes from a phenomenal letter it not necessarily required to occur at or before 1 year of age.

 There are individual choices that need to be made, data collected and all aspects of the dog's life and performance before alterting should occur if the dog is part of a breeding program, especially for rare breeds.  This also applies to dogs that will never get a championship but have a true purpose in life, usually work of some sort.