Many of the reservations that owners, often men, have about neutering their male dogs stem from the myths surrounding what neutering will mean for their pets, in terms of how the dog experiences life. And, to really get a good understanding of your dog in this regard, it's important not to project your own subconscious feelings and associations about life as a human, onto life as a dog.
If you're not breeding your dog, there is no good reason to not have him neutered. You will ensure he does not contract the canine equivalent of HIV, reduce his aggressiveness, make sure he doesn't roam as much, and minimize his chances of getting prostate problems, some forms of cancer, and testicular problems as he ages. Not only does this improve his quality of life, but it reduces potential pain, and your vet bills.
These are some common myths surrounding dog neutering:
* "My dog will be upset with me for not ever having a sexual experience" - No, he absolutely will not. Sexual drives in dogs are purely instinctual. They are not romantic, or emotional, either in the sense of being 'loving', or as serving an emotional or psychological need for the dog. Your dog does not keep a little black book or count the number of females he has shagged. He does not discuss his sexual prowess with other females or mates, nor joke around with his mates about the rump of a female dog. So, it is not a bonding process in his relationships with other dogs, neither is it an induction into his 'manhood'.
Scientific studies have shown that dogs do not act out any sexual behaviour unless they are stimulated by their own hormones in response to a female on heat. They have no 'need' to engage in sexual activity other than as a biological response to perpetuating the species. It does not concern their dog minds in everyday life otherwise. They do not fantasize about shagging other dogs, neither are they preoccupied with the subject.
So, no, your dog will not be upset by not having a sexual experience.
* "My dog will become wimpy and sad" - This is not true either. Neutering does not affect your dog's stamina, or strength. Neither does not having sex with other dogs increase his stamina and strength. They are completely unrelated. Stamina and strength are the functions of health. If your dog is not beset by instinctual hormones that have no other purpose than to perpetuate the species, it means his body can use its energy and resources for other things - including stamina and strength. Again, it's important not to project one's own values and judgments onto dogs. That is called anthropomorphism.
* "My dog will not a good watch-dog anymore" - Absolutely untrue. Think for a minute how good a watch dog your dog is going to be if he tries to get out all the time to catch the latest stray female on heat in the neighborhood. Taking into the myths above, we have established that your dog's strength and ability to be trained is not affected by neutering.
* "It is unnatural to neuter a male dog" - Given that the environment we raise our pets is completely unrelated to the natural environment, where they are dependent on people for their food, health and shelter, how is it possible to suddenly raise this point? And consider the way that HIV, and all the other changes we as humans have created within the dog's natural environment, the wild, have changed that environment to the point where many species who rely on this environment exclusively, are becoming extinct. It seems more than hypocritical to seriously believe you are doing something positive for your dog by entertaining this thought.
Neutering non breeding dogs is a part of responsible dog ownership. It is part of helping a dog fit into the unnatural world we introduced them to with domesticity. It's been a long time since the dogs your pet descended from were running around in the wild with the wolves - assuming the wild is still around in your area.
If you're concerned about your dog's happiness in this way, take him for long walks and swims and make sure he has plenty of exercise. That is giving him a far greater benefit and taste of the good things he experienced when he was a wild dog than leaving him unneutered.
* "Neutering will make my dog get fat and lazy" - Actually, what will make your dog fat and lazy is if you, his owner, don't take him for long walks, over feed him, and don't provide him with the opportunity to get enough exercise. The operation has absolutely nothing to do with it. Responsible dog ownership, on the other hand, has everything to do with whether your dog will get fat and lazy. If you're relying on your dog roaming around at night chasing stray female dogs on heat as his only form of exercise, then there is a problem, and it's not with the dog.
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
|
said this on 29 Apr 2007 5:37:47 AM EDT
Rebecca dear ... dog's do NOT get HIV. HIV is short for HUMAN Immunodeficiency Virus. Dogs can however become infected by a sexually transmitted disease that is the equivalent of HIV. Look up something called "Canine Brucellosis". Please do your research before spreading misinformation.
|
|
said this on 28 May 2007 9:21:00 AM EDT
didn't deal with real issue - bone health. Where are you getting your information from? No impartial studies which would be helpful. Why should I believe this article? Just the same regurgitated info I'm reading with no basis.
|
|
said this on 31 May 2007 9:46:48 AM EDT
Thanks Anne for pointing that out. I actually knew what HIV stands for, but it was a case of my fingers typing faster than they should have. I've clarified that it is indeed a canine equivalent of HIV.
|
|
said this on 25 Jun 2008 6:44:51 PM EDT
"Many of the reservations that owners, often men, have about neutering their male dogs stem from the myths surrounding what neutering will mean for their pets" There speaks someone that has no clue what she is talking about.
The real myth is that neutering a male dog has any health benefit or benefit in behaviour. It is a cop out for those that don't know how to handle and train an intact dog and don't have the first idea about the health and behaviour problems that neutering CAUSES. Fear aggression is far more likely, insecurity problems if far more likely, fatal oesteosarcoma is far more likely, prostate cancer (despite the claim here) is far more likely. The only things reduced is male dog on dog aggression (easily prevented by proper control and training) and testicular cancer, one of the easiest to diagnose where as oesteosarcoma is often not spotted until too late. |
|
said this on 30 Jul 2008 10:04:38 PM EDT
A neutered dog will get fat. I live by a dog park where many people take their dogs hiking. Some of these people go every day. Guess what? Their dogs are still overweight.
I also have a friend who has an intact dog who hardly exercises... and he looks glorious and muscular. It is practically impossible to give a dog the exercise they need- because they are animals and require much more than we do. An intact dog does not mean that he will reproduce. The second a dog starts humping at a dog park (EVEN IF NEUTERED) the owners separate them right away. I just really don't see how an intact dog would lead to more litters, especially since MOST females are spayed (since they are a lot more difficult to maintain when they are not). As for health problems.. that is all so rare. One good thing about the law is that... who will catch you? I've been taking my stepdad's Weimerainer (sp?) to a VERY popular dog park (where rangers are often present) and no one says anything. Because one look at our intact dog and a dog that gets just as much exercise everybody can see... no one wants a sausage for a dog.. especially if you know how to train them. And that goes for pitbulls as well. |
|
said this on 08 Aug 2008 1:08:42 PM EDT
In reading the comments here, I find it interesting that most of the comments are written by those of us who are knowledgeable about dogs and dog behavior. What seems to be overlooked however, is that far too many dog owners are totally clueless about dog training and behavior and are simply irresponsible. For those reason alone, neutering is vital unless you are a qualified breeder. How many more dogs will need to be euthanized in shelters, hit by cars or attack another dog or person before people get it?
|
|
said this on 21 Jan 2009 7:52:48 AM EDT
I agree with the sentiment about preventing unwanted litters however this article puts forward the standard WRONG information and spouts the usual rubbish.
Castration of male dogs only has a down side, there are NO health benefits (plenty of health problems), there are NO behaviour benefits (plenty of behaviour problems), there is NO reason to do it unless you can't control the dog at which point you shouldn't have it. In my opinion anyone having a dog castrated, for anything other than a specific medical problem, is admitting that they are not a responsible owner and should not have had the dog in the first place because they have just shortened the dogs life by anything up to 5 years depending on the breed etc. . The only correct method of reducing litters is spaying of females where it makes no difference to their behaviour or general temperament and does have definite health benefits. The only reason that is not pushed more is it is a more complicated, therefore more costly, operation and it's simpler to churn out the standard misinformation demonstrated here. |
|
said this on 06 Apr 2009 4:05:08 PM EDT
Surprisingly, some of this article is accurate. And to be fair, this article appears to have been written before extensive Veterinary research showing the detriments of neutering male or female dogs was published. I hope people do their research and read several more articles on neutering than just this very simplistic one. Any operation has its risks along with the benefits, and neutering is not an exception. Many serious health risks have been identified in neutered male and female dogs as well as detrimental behavioural changes. Many of the behavioural problems owners do have with intact dogs are in reality, training problems. As an example,Veterinary research proves that neutered males have higher incidences of prostate cancer. Many prostate problems are reduced by neutering but, sadly, prostate cancer is not one of them. Prostate cancer is actually 4 times more likely in a neutered male than in an intact male. Here are some research articles to check out if you want to educate yourself on this topic.
Long-Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay / Neuter in Dogs Laura J. Sanborn, M.S. May 14, 2007 Determining the optimal age for gonadectomy of dogs and cats, Margaret V. Root Kustritz, dvm, phd, dact You can find others as well, if you care to do your research. As a caveat, there is no doubt that the owner of an intact animal has a much greater responsibility to prevent an unwanted litter. Both articles will urge the reader to consider all points carefully and make up their own mind as to the decision that is best for them and their pet. P.S. I was not allowed to post the URLs to those articles but you should be able to search for them by title or author |
|
said this on 12 Nov 2009 9:36:07 PM EDT
there are no health benefit in castration of a dog, just control your dog and be responsible owner.
|
Author/Admin)