The Dog Neutering Procedure And Its Benefits For Male Dogs

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The Dog Neutering Procedure And Its Benefits For Male Dogs

By Rebecca Prescott | Published 03/12/2006 | Dog Care | Rating:

Rebecca Prescott

Rebecca is a writer with an interest in pets and health. She takes care of her Mum's cattle dog cross, Ginger, and owns 4 cats.

View all articles by Rebecca Prescott

The Dog Neutering Procedure And Its Benefits For Male Dogs

There are many benefits to dog neutering, and no cons, or negative effects. And given that by having your pet undergo the dog neutering procedure, you won't have to be hypervigilent should a stray or neighbor's female come on heat, there are significant benefits to owners as well. True dog lovers would be concerned about the potential negative effects should your dog impregnate a female and contribute to the number of unwanted dogs that are regularly put down in animal shelters. Or scrounge the neighborhood skinny and malnourished, prone to diseases, including HIV.

The dog neutering procedure involves both testicles being removed through surgery. The scrotum isn't removed, just opened to take out the testicles and closed up again. It's a simple procedure, and one from which your pet recovers quickly.

Vets highly recommend that all male dogs that aren't going to be bred get neutered. This helps keep the dog population under control. and protects your pet from contracting diseases like HIV should he impregnate a female carrier on heat. As well, some male dogs develop testicular diseases as they age. By neutering your dog, you ensure he won't be among those statistics.

Many dogs have behavioral changes, such as leg mounting, and urinating everywhere to mark their territory, as well as being more aggressive, if they are not neutered. As well, owners have to really keep an eye on them and make sure they cannot get out of their fenced yard. When un-neutered male dogs sense a female on heat, they will be very persistent in trying to reach her. Un-neutered dogs have a real tendency to go roaming, which can be troublesome for their owners when they have to go looking for them at night. Roaming dogs have a greater chance of being run over by cars in busier neighborhoods too. And you cannot hope to control the number and sex of the strays in your neighborhood, or even your actual neighbor's pets.

Having your pet undergo the dog neutering procedure will also help minimize his risks for certain cancers and prostate problems.

There are no negative effects to dog neutering. Many owners report their pets being much calmer. And the 'worst' that can happen is that their is no behavioral change at all! So, the benefits to dog neutering are very significant.

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Comments

Comment #1 (Posted by 123@yahoo.com)
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The author obviously has not done her homework and presents these comments as fact, which they are not!
Comment #2 (Posted by Bill McLaren)
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What a load of utter rubbish. For starters dogs can not be carriers of HIV (HUMAN Immunodeficiency Virus), in fact only primates can (and not even all primates).
While I am not anti neutering for certain dogs, people should get all the facts and not this sort of drivel that implies there is no down side. You should be aware that it can CAUSE severe behaviour problems including aggression, especially in the more intelligent breeds such as collies, German shepherds etc. where the dog suddenly doesn't know it's place in the pack. On many breeds (eg Labrador) it can cause a tendency to obesity with all the joint problems associated and in most it will significantly shorten the life of the dog.
Have your female dog spayed (AFAIK there is no down side to that) but think very carefully about having a male neutered, your well mannered dog could easily turn into a fear/insecurity aggressive disaster.
I have trained working dogs (mainly border collies) for many years and for myself I would not even consider a neutered male.
Comment #3 (Posted by Rebecca)
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Hi Bill and '123'

Thanks for your comments, but I definitely disgree.

I do understand that dogs don't get HIV - what I meant to write (which I will now rectify) was that they can get the canine equivalent thereof (called Canine Brucellosis).

As far as 'me not doing my homework' or 'presenting these ideas as facts' when 'they're definitely not', 123, I invite you to go have a chat to with your local vet, or other professionals. Or indeed, look online at many of the vet sites, such as this one www.uvma.org/Neutering.htm - the article may not be formatted well, but it certainly supports what I wrote.

Bill, I quote from the aforementioned site:
"Behavior: Unneutered males have a constant urge to roam and also to defend their territory. They can sense a female in heat from literally miles away. A neutered dog will be less likely to run away or to get into fights with other dogs. He will be more calm and easier to train because he will not be constantly distracted by his hormones."

Canine aggression is a complex thing, yet all the literature I've read actually supports neutering male dogs with reference to their behaviour. Anyway, if all the dogs a person has ie, in their pack, are neutered, then all dogs will be on an equal footing in terms of what you've spoken of.

With regards dog obesity, the best way to prevent that is in fact being careful what you feed your dog and making sure they get enough exercise. It's pretty hard for a dog to get obese if its not being overfed. Unless of course, its not neutered and therefore roams and escapes a lot more than it may otherwise (and therefore has a chance to eat things outside the control of its owner) ...

Bill, you've trained dogs and you obviously have your own opinions about how neutering impacts on dog behaviour and aggession. For anyone else reading this, I'd also like to point you to the opinions of another trainer, Kathy:

"A male dog who remains intact experiences a huge increase in testosterone in adolescence. At several months of age, the male's testosterone level can be several times that of an adult male! This gives a real jump start to hormone-related behaviors, including urine marking in your house, aggression toward other male dogs, territorial aggression, and escape-oriented behavior in order to roam."

Another thing I find interesting, which this lady points out, is that guide dogs are indeed spayed - and most guide dogs are labradors. Hmmm...

Kathy's article is great - I highly recommend it to those interested in finding out more about this topic: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1570

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