[Jehn]

Everyone keeps telling me I did a good thing by neutering my dog... so what's the big deal about leaving your dog unaltered? Is it just the chance that the dog might father babies unexpectedly? They are really big on neutering/spaying in the city, there are campaigns happening in all the pet stores and they don't let dogs or cats leave the shelter unaltered. Is it really so irresponsible to leave your pet unaltered if it's kept in the house/yard most of the time?

...Just curious if there are other reasons?

 

[MarleysMom]

I would have to agree with you! I just adopted a rescue dog from a puppy mill, and almost all adoption agencies MAKE you spay/neuter your new pet. There are sooooo many unwanted animals, you are doing your part to prevent overpopulation and the unnecessary killing of unwanted animals by getting your pet fixed. I say you definately did the right thing!

 

[Purple Poodle]

The simple answer is because 95% of pet owners haven't a clue how to keep an intact animal properly

When people ask me this question I always ask why would not have it done?

Besides not adding to the overpopulation of pets; it stops the twice yearly cycle of females and prevents mammary, uterine, and ovarian cancers. Unaltered bitches can and do have "false" pregnancies. It keeps male dogs from roaming and marking plus stops any possibility of testicular cancer. 85-90% of all hit by car dogs are unaltered males

Its not just a chance your unaltered dog might reproduce its a fact that unless contained properly it will find a away to reproduce. The only dog I have that is not altered in my show girl and I have no intention of breeding her unless she does outstanding in the ring. So for now she is kept in a fenced yard and crated when we leave the house. In public she is on lead at all times and when she comes into heat she will be secluded (meaning limited outdoor time) for three weeks.

I have yet to here a good reason NOT to have a pet altered

I think you did a wonderful thing not just for your dog but for you and other homeless animals.

 

[Jehn]

I never even thought about roaming... I guess that makes sense, they do have the instinctive desire to breed like any other animal. Living in an urban area (Calgary is a very large city!) I guess it is probably just better that there be no chance of him reproducing should he find a way out of the yard. I had no idea the stats were so high in regards to the dogs being hit by cars... I would be crushed if that ever happened to my own dog.

Thanks, I guess I just needed a little more insight. I do like that there is no chance of testicular cancer, our family schnauzer had undiagnosed cancer at the end of her 14 year life and it made us all very sad the day she went to the vet because she couldn't pee. We had no idea she had been battling cancer, and how sad to think that she may have suffered for a while... she was an amazing dog, such a good heart and the perfect family pet.

Thanks for your answers everyone!

 

[T o d d]

We have so-far left Moose 'unaltered' so that he could develop into a manlier dog. He is very dainty, and the vet and breeder both said if we don't do anything until ~2yr/o he will get more muscle mass and develop a little more. He is not aggressive, he does not have a clue how to lift his leg, and as far as wondering he scares him self when he bumps into things that move and comes running home. I have noticed he is getting more protective of me and the house lately but he's under control to the point I can tell him to sit when someone rings the door bell and he'll stop barking, sit and look and wait for a command. Moose may be an exception due to the fact that I work from home and am around him almost all day of every day so he knows who is in charge. Anyone else have a take on this?


-Todd

 

[Jako]

Sammy was altered at four months old by his previous owners. Good things include that he doesn't mark (goes all at once), he doesn't try to run away, and is less strong-willed than I think he would have been. But he's never learned to lift his leg, and he's a big scaredy cat. It's hilarious to watch him sniffing around the yard, because he jumps two feet in the air if a bug flies in his face.

 

[rmillstein]

Marley's previous owners had him neutered at about 6 mos. Sometimes he lifts his leg, sometimes he doesn't, but when he does, he doesn't always hit what he is aiming at. :/ He is not a big marker (he's not one of these dogs that has to mark everything), but he'll do so occasionally, especially if he's just seen another dog do it. But he is definitely on the aggressive/dominant side, and that's something we've been working on since we adopted him. He wasn't that muscular when we got him, but a half hour of playing chuck-it every morning changed that (he's still skinny, but what's not skin and bone is muscle). So, I don't know what to conclude from that... I think each dog is a little different.