Neutering?

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Shalista
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Neutering?

Post by Shalista »

Not sure this is the right forum but it DOES have to do with health so here goes.
Full disclosure this horse has LONG since left the barn for Bax but I'm always curious to learn more about dogs so:
I'm doing some back reading through old posts and I've noticed that a lot of you are fairly serious about not neutering (or at least waiting a decent period of time) I always had heard that all male dogs should be neutered all the time to prevent unwanted puppies, aggression, and marking.
Now obviously preventing unwanted puppies is easily managed, but i was curious if it was true that intact male dogs could be more aggressive?
What I'm mostly concerned with though is that I also checked through some of the old articles that have been posted and there is very little mention of marking, I was always taught that intact males mark prolifically. Have I heard wrong? Bax was neutered the day after I brought him home almost entirely based on the principle that at 8 months he'd mark in the house if left intact. Was that total bologna?

(feeling kind of bad that i snipped him tbh. i didn't really think that leaving dogs intact was a thing :cry: )
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
mansbestfriend
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Re: Neutering?

Post by mansbestfriend »

Hi. Eight months is still a young dog, but de-sexing is also a (mainly good) 'thing'. I base my opinion for de-sexing when it's safe to do so, on guidelines from the RSPCA who have to deal with an endless supply of unwanted pups and dogs on a daily basis. Only some of those dogs and other animals that fill shelters, find a home.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single Sit.
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Nettle
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Re: Neutering?

Post by Nettle »

I'm of the opinion that if it ain't broke it don't need fixing :wink:

An entire male (or female) dog is the design spec. It is not an aberration that needs 'correcting'. If an owner prefers to have a neutered dog, that should be their choice, not something foisted upon them out of guilt or another agenda by an individual or organisation. Similarly with an entire dog. Having an unneutered male (as the query is specifically about males) does not mean that the owner is personally causing gazillions of unwanted accidentally-bred puppies. Nor does it mean that the dog will fight other males, or mark indoors. Plenty of neutered dogs do both - it is all about training.

My lovely stud dog never marked indoors after the first time, never bred a litter by accident (and he lived with 3 bitches) and would wait for permission before he covered a ladydog that he was supposed to cover. He never escaped, ran away, started fights or anything else the testicle police tell us they will always do. I had him nearly 16 years and he was an absolute gentleman. Many of my friends keep entire males, some to be used at stud, some not, and they all find the same. But then they put the time into their dogs.

Entire dogs require more input from their owners. If you have a mixed group of genders, it is easier with neutered dogs, but never forget that neutered dogs can still mate and tie, so still need to be kept away from on-heat females. Vets and Rescues seldom tell people this when they are pushing owners to have their males castrated. I can see where the dog rescue people are coming from because many people are thoroughly irresponsible with their dogs. That does not give them leave to slate every dog owner. Plenty of us are competent too, and if we choose to keep our dogs entire and embrace the responsibilities attached, that is perfectly reasonable.

If you delve more deeply into the backgrounds of people who bang the drum for mass neutering, you'll find none of them have any experience of living with entire dogs.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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Shalista
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Re: Neutering?

Post by Shalista »

testicle police
LOL
yeah upon further digging i realized he wouldn't have been able to go to training intact anyway so i feel a bit better.

He also marks prolifically anywhere that isn't our house (including in stores and in training when i dont pause him fast enough :evil: ) so there goes that theory to. But WHY do people seem to think that neutering will prevent marking? is that likely in some percentage of dogs? i can't imagine that this theory about neutering preventing marking came from nowhere.
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
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Nettle
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Re: Neutering?

Post by Nettle »

Neutering makes money. Therefore the people who want to make the money have to find justification for it :wink:

But - keeping unneutered dogs properly does involve owner responsibility - and so many owners are not responsible.

I am aghast at the news that unless a dog is neutered it can't go to training class :shock: :? Those trainers can hardly be competent.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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mansbestfriend
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Location: Queensland, Australia

Re: Neutering?

Post by mansbestfriend »

Since there seems to be polar opposite opinions (for different reasons) on the board, maybe Victoria can share some thoughts on the subject. :)
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single Sit.
Drewtheman96nw
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Re: Neutering?

Post by Drewtheman96nw »

Hello Everyone! :D

I've always been against neutering and spaying, it's just how I'm. However lately I've been receiving a lot of heat for not neutering my dogs by my friends and family. They keep insisting it is the right thing to do. But should I listen and go against my own beliefs? :?: :(
I'm what I eat and my paw family holds a special place in my stomach! :D :) :lol:
master2

Re: Neutering?

Post by master2 »

Hi

No you don't have to neuterer unless you feel it is in the best interest of your dog.

My dogs for example. Watson I had no choice as he was a rescue dog and he was already neutered. Sherlock I had neutered because he was aggressive with other dogs I tried training even with several trainers but nothing worked and I spoke with Victoria at crufts and she told me to neuter him and she was right it did help it did not solve the problem but like she said he would be a tad eaiser to train and the training worked after he was neutered.
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Nettle
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Re: Neutering?

Post by Nettle »

Drew, they are your dogs, your responsibility and therefore your decision. Nobody else's opinion matters. If you are happy with the extra responsibility of keeping dogs as the blueprint decrees, that's fine. If that changes, you can then neuter. But you can never replace what has been cut off or out once it has gone.

Lots of proper scientific information is online about the drawbacks and benefits of neutering. Make sure you separate the truth from the opinion. There are 'fors' and 'agansts' for each - there is no clear-cut issue of one being better than the other. I find people with the least experience of entire dogs and b itches often shout the loudest :wink: for neutering.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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