Neutering

[persephone]

I know what all the rescue centres say about this and that there are benefits for the dog in the long run, but most of the info is based on stopping unwanted puppies, therefore stopping the destruction of healthy dogs.

Does anyone know or think it is cruel to neuter dogs, can anyone find anything that says it's cruel, I spent hours last night looking this up, and couldn't find anything myself.

I myself feel this is a daft question, but there's a very personal motive behind it, please let me know your views.

[rachelg]

Originally Posted by letha

I know what all the rescue centres say about this and that there are benefits for the dog in the long run, but most of the info is based on stopping unwanted puppies, therefore stopping the destruction of healthy dogs.

Does anyone know or think it is cruel to neuter dogs, can anyone find anything that says it's cruel, I spent hours last night looking this up, and couldn't find anything myself.

I myself feel this is a daft question, but there's a very personal motive behind it, please let me know your views.

I am a breeder of show quality cocker spaniels and if I sell a puppy to a pet home, I always require that the puppy be spayed or neutered. My reason is because it makes the dog a better pet and it ensures my puppy is more likely to stay in the home I've placed him in. A male will be much easier to keep housebroken if he doesn't get those hormones started that make him want to lift his leg and mark territory everywhere. One of the top reasons dogs end up losing their home is housebreaking problems. Even if the owner kept the dog but started keeping him outside, it would be a bad situation for the type cocker I raise. They have a massive long coat which if allowed to get damp or get sticks and leaves in it, will turn into a matted nightmare. There are also health benefits for neutered pets. In females several types of cancer are eliminated, including breast cancer and in males, testicular and prostrate. I have had intact males which still were good in the house, but it is the exception rather than the rule. I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but preventing unwanted puppies is a very important thing. It breaks my heart to see the number of my breed in shelters and rescue situations. I always have a dog or two here myself, trying to find it a good pet home, Want one?

[persephone]

I have enough with my Lurcher, he's a handful.
At 15 months he's now house trained, but dominant isn't the word for him, no man is safe and he even begins nipping me when my boyfriend is about. He's going to have to start wearing a muzzle as I can not trust him not to attack other male dogs.

At the same time he's a mummies boy and has seperation anxiety.

He's booked in for Thursday, and hopefully won't be needing a muzzle for much longer. It's the boyfriend who has issues with nuetering, but then he doesn't live with us.
Oh and I know the whole thing with men coming near me isn't going to stop by having him neutered, but i really don't mind that so much.

[rachelg]

Originally Posted by letha

I have enough with my Lurcher, he's a handful.
At 15 months he's now house trained, but dominant isn't the word for him, no man is safe and he even begins nipping me when my boyfriend is about. He's going to have to start wearing a muzzle as I can not trust him not to attack other male dogs.

At the same time he's a mummies boy and has seperation anxiety.

He's booked in for Thursday, and hopefully won't be needing a muzzle for much longer. It's the boyfriend who has issues with nuetering, but then he doesn't live with us.
Oh and I know the whole thing with men coming near me isn't going to stop by having him neutered, but i really don't mind that so much.

Actually he should be less aggressive once those hormones get out of his system. It takes about a month before they leave though. We had a male breed one of our girls right after neutering. He still had the hormones. I see you are in the UK and I don't know if you have this product there, but if your boyfriend has a problem with the neutering, we can get fake testicals called "neuticals" so they still look the same. They are a little expensive, but they keep up appearances

[persephone]

He thinks it's cruel to take away the dogs natural right of reproduction and stuff like that.
I think longer life and less risk of cancer is far kinder, and unless he runs off it's not like he'll have a chance to breed. He looks far more uncomfortable when he looses control of his body and starts dry humping.

I might feel differently if he had been pedigree, but he's not and that's the reason he was a rescue dog in the first place, he'd even had his tail badly docked, although it suits him it's annoying that I'm forever explaining it's something the cruel owners who dumped him had done.

[Gabs]

I have three Boston Terriers... two of them are from a rescue club. All my boys have been neutered--the one I have had since a puppy was neutered at 6 mos. He has never been a problem about running off, marking the house, or being aggressive other than if he is at home ...he doesn't want anyone he is not familiar with coming in our home when I am here alone.. and that is good. He isn't just real thrilled when someone comes in when my husband is here, but he tolerates it. The other two, are as I said rescues. very loving and very protective, but were also neutered in adulthood...they 'mark' if you aren't careful. It is better for the first one we adopted, as he has been with us for 2 1/2 years, but the last one I still have problems with... last night for example, we left the gate ajar and someone with a Bitch in heat is letting their dog run loose (very very sore subject as I keep my dogs in a fenced yard or on a leash) and the last two got out... One came home and the other we spent time looking for until a man who lived down the road saw us and asked if we were missing a dog. They had already called Boston Terrier Rescue (tag must always be worn ) and got no answer because of the holiday. So both are safe at home... I highly recommed neutering males and spaying females. The first Boston (the one neutered at 6 mos) showed no signs of even wanting to follow the bitch..just the other two ..... There are so many unwanted dogs dumped on the road just out of my rural town. They are run over by cars, and starve to death.... It breaks my heart. I have been a dog owner most of my adult life and all mine were "fixed" ....

[rachelg]

If your boyfriend persists in thinking all dogs should have the right to reproduce, take him to a shelter or go online and check out the rescue pages. In this country, very few dogs get adopted compared to the vast number of them in shelters. Most shelter dogs get euthanized. Let him look at those faces and know they won't make it to a forever home.

[persephone]

That's the crazy thing, he's against the RSPCA as well because they destroy healthy animals... This is one of his far fetched notions.
I'm sticking to my guns, just wondered if anyone had anything that might back him up, as I say everything I found last night didn't, even Veggy groups back neutering.

[Der Wulf]

Here's a thought, save the dog, neuter the boyfriend!

If you spay or nueter your pet you are giving them a better life. Their tempermates are much calmer and sweeter, if you have a female you will not have a mess all over you carpet. When my Basset got hit by the cr a year ago. We of course went to the Er for dogs, well there was this guy there that had brought his dog. I don't know what kind of problems she (the dog) was having but she has a severe infection because she was never "fixed" That night that poor man left alone. They couldn't save the dog. The Dog was a police dog. He was an Officer. He fell to the floor crying and in so much pain. My fiancee & i sat there with him trying to calm him down before he got behind the wheel with his eyes all watered up. So i recommend that you spay/neuter your animals. it is worth it in the end.