Should people neuter/spay their dogs?

[lhczth]

We have turned to removing the reproductive organs from our dogs to compensate for lazy irresponsible owners. Spaying and neutering our dogs is so indoctrinated into our society that there are people who actually freak out at the sight of testicles on a male. They want to know why the dog isn't "fixed" as though reproductive organs are a disease. Very sad.

[AgileGSD]

Originally Posted by Freestep

What "neuter-related health problems" did you experience, and how did you determine that they were "neuter-related"?

One of my dogs had a reaction to the sutures and had to have a second operation because of it. I have also heard of dogs dying during spays. No surgery is without risk.

Originally Posted by Pepper311

Fact intacted female dogs are high risk of mammary cancer.

Except that it isn't quite that simple. Mammary cancer isn't the only consideration and while spaying may prevent mammary cancer in some dogs, it can increase bone cancer in some dogs which is probably more likely to kill the dog.

Originally Posted by msvette2u

That said, it probably wouldn't hurt and take hormones out of the equation as well.
I think all pet (not showing or working) animals ought to be altered.

They castrate horses and cattle (non breeding "bulls") and almost all other farm animals to make them less aggressive and more biddable and safer to work with.

Our intact male goat turns into an ass (well not literally but you get the point) in the fall, when he goes into "rut". It's just disgusting. But he produces very pretty babies so we keep him intact...all the other boys are neutered so they aren't a problem.

I'm not sure dogs can behaviorally compared to livestock type animals, especially not animals in which males go into "rut".

Originally Posted by Pepper311

Fact intacted female dogs are high risk of mammary cancer.

Except that it isn't quite that simple. Mammary cancer isn't the only consideration and while spaying may prevent mammary cancer in some dogs, it can increase bone cancer in some dogs which is probably more likely to kill the dog.

Originally Posted by msvette2u

Our intact male goat turns into an ass (well not literally but you get the point) in the fall, when he goes into "rut". It's just disgusting. But he produces very pretty babies so we keep him intact...all the other boys are neutered so they aren't a problem.

I'm not sure dogs can behaviorally compared to livestock type animals, especially not animals in which males go into "rut".

[VonKromeHaus]

Originally Posted by lhczth

We have turned to removing the reproductive organs from our dogs to compensate for lazy irresponsible owners. Spaying and neutering our dogs is so indoctrinated into our society that there are people who actually freak out at the sight of testicles on a male. They want to know why the dog isn't "fixed" as though reproductive organs are a disease. Very sad.

This ^ should be repeated over and over and over! ^^^^^

It is a personal choice and as long as they are owned responsibly, there shouldn't be a problem. I will fight to keep it a choice and not a "have-to"!!!

[msvette2u]

*sigh* then all animals should be altered, because the irresponsible outweigh the responsible owners at least 40-1. There's oopsie litters all the time, especially in our area, or maybe I notice it way more due to being in rescue. Oh, no, all one has to do is look at Craiglist to see all the oopsie litters.

I'm not sure dogs can behaviorally compared to livestock type animals, especially not animals in which males go into "rut".

Well, they were being compared to farm animals in another thread (about body shape/size), specifically steers vs. bulls, and even horses. If testosterone, or lack thereof, can affect body size, then certainly it can affect certain other developments. And, it is a proven fact that the highest bite incidents (in dogs) occur with intact adult males.

[msvette2u]

Originally Posted by Cassidy's Mom

I don't think that's true at all.

x100 not true!
Just because they don't go straight from the breeder to the shelter (or rescue) doesn't mean they didn't come from one. Just how did the purebreds get to be in shelters??
And...at any given time, 60+% of the pets in shelters are indeed purebred.

Pet adoption: Want a dog or cat? Adopt a pet on Petfinder <--- do the research. When you search for any breed, it gives you an actual number of the dogs of that breed that are in shelters at this moment.
That's not including the shelters or rescues who do not advertise on Petfinder.

[Emoore]

Originally Posted by lhczth

We have turned to removing the reproductive organs from our dogs to compensate for lazy irresponsible owners. Spaying and neutering our dogs is so indoctrinated into our society that there are people who actually freak out at the sight of testicles on a male. They want to know why the dog isn't "fixed" as though reproductive organs are a disease. Very sad.

I agree with you in a way, but if the only people who owned dogs were the ones responsible enough to own intact dogs, there'd be even more homeless dogs.

[AgileGSD]

Originally Posted by msvette2u

*sigh* then all animals should be altered, because the irresponsible outweigh the responsible owners at least 40-1. There's oopsie litters all the time, especially in our area, or maybe I notice it way more due to being in rescue. Oh, no, all one has to do is look at Craiglist to see all the oopsie litters.

So you feel your pets should be altered because of irresponsible owners? That doesn't really make sense unless you think you are an irresponsible owner. Do you feel we should work towards a "No Birth Nation" in regards to dogs?

Originally Posted by msvette2u

Well, they were being compared to farm animals in another thread (about body shape/size), specifically steers vs. bulls, and even horses. If testosterone, or lack thereof, can affect body size, then certainly it can affect certain other developments. And, it is a proven fact that the highest bite incidents (in dogs) occur with intact adult males.

Having owned intact animals that went into "rut" (ferrets) and intact dogs for many, many years I can tell you they are much different. Although, to be honest I always found the claims of aggression with intact male ferrets to also be over-exaggerated. Yes, the males are more likely to fight with each other when in rut but I never had any aggression issues towards me with the intact boys in rut or not. Haven't had hormone related aggression in my boy dogs either.

Many serious bite incidents happen because the owners aren't responsible enough to prevent them. People keeping their dog chained to a doghouse 24/7 are unlikely to pay for neutering but IMO it doesn't prove much at all about intact males and aggression. Some of the most seriously aggressive dogs I have known have been neutered males. And the majority of dogs I've been bitten by have been altered but as is common with dog bites, they were minor and unreported so don't factor into the statistics.

Originally Posted by msvette2u

x100 not true!
Just because they don't go straight from the breeder to the shelter (or rescue) doesn't mean they didn't come from one. Just how did the purebreds get to be in shelters??
And...at any given time, 60+% of the pets in shelters are indeed purebred..

Where are you getting this number from?

Originally Posted by msvette2u

Pet adoption: Want a dog or cat? Adopt a pet on Petfinder

Originally Posted by msvette2u

<--- do the research. When you search for any breed, it gives you an actual number of the dogs of that breed that are in shelters at this moment.
That's not including the shelters or rescues who do not advertise on Petfinder.

Well it gives you an actual number of dogs ID'd as that breed which are in shelters at this moment. LOTS of those dogs are not purebred or are completely misID'd.

[msvette2u]

I got the number from 10yrs. work in animal shelters, doing walk throughs, observing and also in our own rescue...plus, if my own observations aren't good enough, you can research it yourself, the numbers are out there.

Many serious bite incidents happen because the owners aren't responsible enough to prevent them.

That's pretty much my point.

Curious where you guys think all the animals in shelters are coming from, if everyone is so responsible? Legitimate question. Where do they all come from? Puppies and kittens?
Purebreds, mutts, mixes, whatever.

PS. It is much fewer percentage of purebreds - reported - but again, it doesn't matter if it's a purebred so much or a mix of two purebred dogs, my question is still the same, where are they all coming from?

[Emoore]

Originally Posted by msvette2u

Curious where you guys think all the animals in shelters are coming from, if everyone is so responsible? Legitimate question. Where do they all come from? Puppies and kittens?
Purebreds, mutts, mixes, whatever.

They come from irresponsible people. Many responsible people spay and neuter their pets. Many other responsible people are able to have intact pets and keep them from breeding. Irresponsible people don't speuter their pets and don't keep them from breeding.

I have respect for people who spay/neuter. They're responsible enough to realize that they don't want to deal with an intact dog, so they make the appointment and alter their dog. Nothing wrong with that. I don't have respect for people who say I'm irresponsible because my dog isn't neutered.

[msvette2u]

The numbers are too overwhelming to insist that "most owners are responsible". In fact, a browse over our local CL just now saw many pit bulls, dozens of mixes and even a purebred litter of St. Bernards.
Wonder where they'll wind up?