Adopting a new pup but.....

[Alan L.]

Sigarm, I understand people lie, my point is that they think I would lie about getting the the neutering done at the proper time, then I'd probably lie about taking care of the dog properly. Seems like they really are not concerned about long term health issues of the dog as much as they are preventing reproduction. If someone is willing to take the dog subject to poor judgement as to proper long term health, so be it. Kind of a delayed euthanasia I guess...

I read everywhere that they perform the surgeries at young ages, and "didn't see any problems". But I don't believe what happens to the dog when he is 8 years old is tracked, thus they don't really know that the dog lived to be 8 instead 12 years old.

Long term health matters to me. I want to rescue a dog, but they are not making it easy.


We will call tomorrow and see if there are any options. If they won't allow us to delay it, I think it is pretty poor policy. It tells me they really don't care what kind of home the dog gets, if they are going to allow the dog to go to someone they don't trust to comply with an agreement.

 

[Alan L.]

Mrs. Alan L. got ahold of the lady at the SPCA. She is going to see if she can get us a waiver to wait until age 6 months for the neutering. I'd still like to wait even longer than that, but if they allow this it will be a considerable improvement I guess.

 

[Alan L.]

Good news. The SPCA is going to let "Bennie" come home with an agreement to neuter at 6 months old. I'd prefer a year or more but they won't budge on that. I am hoping in this case it will be the difference - 6 mo vs 8 wks.

We will have to pay for it, whereas we would not have had to pay for neutering done now. But to me its worth it to give the dog a proper start to his life.

 

[czechsonofagun]

I did some extensive reading on the topic of neutering. The main reason - it is much more common in the States than overseas, and I am never comfortable with it with our dogs. However since all our dogs are from rescue, they are all fixed.
One of the more interesting opinions in this matter was, that it changes dogs personality, i.e. the dog without his balls will never mature.
Makes sense to me, it is like you carefully chose a dog breed that was bred for hundreds of years for specific qualities and with one snip you introduce huge trauma to his internal logical system - that was the system of glands truly is. I am confident, that it does not go without consequences to his/hers personality. And the BS they tell, that fixed dogs do not escape is simply not true - tell it to a great pyreneese owner.

 

[Chuck52]

Maybe a stupid question, but that's what I'm here for! Are there dog vasectomies? Horribly expensive?

Chuck

 

[Sigarms]

Good news. The SPCA is going to let "Bennie" come home with an agreement to neuter at 6 months old. I'd prefer a year or more but they won't budge on that. I am hoping in this case it will be the difference - 6 mo vs 8 wks.

Alan, nice to hear that common sense has prevailed. That said, please keep in mind, I'm certain that you are not the "norm" when it comes to the average person your shelter has to deal with. As mentioned, you would be amazed. Come to think of it, ask them if you can donate some time and work the phones. That alone will be an amazing experience I assure you (and perhaps give a little more perspective of the interesting people)

I did some extensive reading on the topic of neutering. The main reason - it is much more common in the States than overseas, and I am never comfortable with it with our dogs. However since all our dogs are from rescue, they are all fixed.
One of the more interesting opinions in this matter was, that it changes dogs personality, i.e. the dog without his balls will never mature.
Makes sense to me, it is like you carefully chose a dog breed that was bred for hundreds of years for specific qualities and with one snip you introduce huge trauma to his internal logical system - that was the system of glands truly is. I am confident, that it does not go without consequences to his/hers personality. And the BS they tell, that fixed dogs do not escape is simply not true - tell it to a great pyreneese owner.

Do some work at a shelter, and watch 10 dogs get crammed in a 4'x4' gas box, yelping, barking and scratching for thier lives as the lid is closed on them while they get gassed to death, and perhaps you may have another view on neutering. In my county with a human population of 37,000 people, roughly 2,000 dogs are put to death in a gas box a year.

Know why?

Irresponsible pet owners.

"Fixed" dogs may escape, but the FACT is that a male dog neutered is less likely to roam extended lenghts away from his home (needless to say, breed of dog does play a variable in the equation). FACT is, the benifits far outweigh the negatives when it comes to neutering and spaying dogs/cats.

Sometimes I find it amusing when I go to the nursing home with a therapy dog. Some of the elderly people ask me how many puppies Shadow has had. I tell them she's been spayed and has never had puppies, and they tell me what a shame it is because she's such a great dog, and she's never had the chance to experience "motherhood". Yep, 2,000 dogs being killed a year in my county alone, just what we need, more puppies.

Then again, we don't eat dogs here in the states, and they are considered a domesticated animal.

Jonathan Swift and "A modest proposal" comes to mind.

 

[czechsonofagun]

Simple tatoo or even a dog tag can help with lost dogs, not a big deal. And if the owner is not complet nimrod, he will call shelters and find his dog. And shelters are just as full in USA as they are in Europe - and in Europe it is not common to fix every dog in the shelter. Your argument does not hold water very well.

I still do not like the way americans deal with dogs. Liability and omnipresent lawyers messed it up big time. In my country growing up, we knew that there is a bad dog and you don't mess with it. That you don't just pet a dog on the street because you don't know him. That if you climb over the fence and there is a dog you are in trouble and it is your fault.

In good ole USA it is the other way - you climb the fence, get attacked by the dog and it is the owners problem. Precious! I got educated somewhere, that sign Beware of the dog implies, that you know the dog is mean and you can get in trouble if he attacks intruder. The correct sign is: Guardian dog on duty. To my outside of the country mine it sounds very very much like: I did not have any....relationship with that woman..... if you remember the famous line.

And I am not comfortable with the idea of gassing dogs. Are you serious? I always thought civilized countries use injections, at least that's what I know how they put dogs down in Czech Republic.

 

[Sigarms]

Simple tatoo or even a dog tag can help with lost dogs, not a big deal.

How about actually having a fence and knowing where your dog is at? How about an electronic collar?

You assume people actually CARE if their dog is lost.

Family down the road from me lets their black lab wonder for MILES away from the house. Actually was picked up by animal control because it was at a school about 4 miles away from their house by itself. Couple still lets the dog wonder, without having it neutered. What do you think will happen when it comes across a female dog in heat? Personally, my wife has had to stop me a couple of times at 0300 when our dogs go nuts knowing that black lab is outside. Oh, I've called the family to inform them that I don't appreciate their dog on my property at 0300. Guess what? They still let that dog roam.

In my country growing up, we knew that there is a bad dog and you don't mess with it.

In my backyard, if I know there is a bad dog who will be agressive, I don't mess with it, I shoot it. I can also assure if that if I'm not on that dog owners property and that "bad dog" gets off that persons property and decides to come after me, again I won't mess with it, but shoot it.

That you don't just pet a dog on the street because you don't know him.

Hopefully, the dog is on a leash being walked by it's owner, and that owner will inform anyone who comes up to the dog the proper way to approach a strange dog. Then again, if the owner knows the dog can be agressive in public, hopefully he doesnt have the dog out in public.

In good ole USA it is the other way - you climb the fence, get attacked by the dog and it is the owners problem. Precious! I got educated somewhere, that sign Beware of the dog implies, that you know the dog is mean and you can get in trouble if he attacks intruder. The correct sign is: Guardian dog on duty. To my outside of the country mine it sounds very very much like: I did not have any....relationship with that woman..... if you remember the famous line.

Usually children have a habit of not following signs.

FACT is, and you can't argue this, some people are just plain irresponsible and really don't care.

 

[Alan L.]

Sigarm, every thing you say about neutering is true, especially when it comes to the shelters. I only had a problem with WHEN the surgery is done. Makes no sense to expect someone to adopt, and then do a surgery at the wrong time, so that it is detrimental to the dog's long term health.

 

[tallyho8]

In my county with a human population of 37,000 people, roughly 2,000 dogs are put to death in a gas box a year. Know why? Irresponsible pet owners.

This fact is giving me nightmares. 2000 a year in one small county. I don't even want to know how many in the whole USA. We must control our animals better to stop this slaughter of man's best friend.