Animal Planet is a good show but they were wrong .

[getut]

I'd be more likely to say they should forcefully spay or neuter the purebreds. The lines have gotten so screwed up from all the tightly controlled breeding that I'm surprised most of them come out with 4 legs anymore. It is usually the mutts that are well adjusted, long lived animals. The purebreds ALL have one problem or another that is specific to that breed and that breed only. Somebody needs to sneak a little genetic diversity in on the breed registration societies somehow without them finding out to help the poor things.

I don't disagree completely with spaying and neutering, but if someone wants a non neutered male because it turns them into a lethargic lap dog, they should be able to get (save) one from being euthanized. I don't really see a downside to spaying a female because nothing changes other than their ability to have pups. That just isn't true of a male.

 

[slydog]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'd be more likely to say they should forcefully spay or neuter the purebreds. Somebody needs to sneak a little genetic diversity in on the breed registration societies somehow without them finding out to help the poor things.
)</font>

I totally agree. A few more suggestions:

Spay and neuter all the PETA people. When they reproduce, are they not creating an eventual loss of habitat for some poor animal?

Tell the animal shelter you are adopting a cat for the house, and then stick it in the barn. It is technically an "inside" cat, if you put it "inside" the barn.

 

[MossRoad]

I've had three male dogs that were neutered and none of them were lethargic lap dogs. Well, the first one ended up that way after he turned twelve, but up until then he was a quick, agile dog. After that, he was a fat old happy man. Our Cairn Terrier was wound like a spring until the day he fell over dead at about 12 years of age. And the best one was a mutt that we found abandoned in our neighborhood. Gentle, lovable dog until it came to small animals. I can't recall how many squirrels he killed with the help of a female Border Collie. Good teamwork. He lived to fourteen, also. So I don't buy it that neutering slows 'em down any. Just my opinion, of course. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

As for spaying females but not neutering males.... It takes both sexes to produce puppies so they are equally to blame. Un-neutered dogs are more likely to roam when they detect females in heat. They are more likely to get in fights over the female and more likely to get hit by cars. Also more likely to agitate neighbors. On the other hand, females in heat just hang around. Again, just my opinion. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Freds]

I like your opinion, Moss. I haven't noticed any attitude change in castrating a male dog, especially when done over one year of age... after they have released a good shot of hormones into their system. It makes for possibly less health problems down the road, too. So it saves you money in the long run.
Most competition people in working breeds will keep them intact because they think the dog has more drive, and it may have for as close as they are judging, but not all.

 

[MossRoad]

From what I've read and talking to my Veteranarian, if you have it done before they mature, it may affect their personality, but doing it after they pass doggie puberty, it just makes them sterile.

 

[getut]

Mossroad,

I guess that is what I have seen in the past and now that you mention it, every dog that I have seen the behavior change in was very young.

But even if someone like me (that hates the behaviour change in the males) were to be OK with the neutering, I still would be unable to adopt because they basically force it to be done before you can get the dog (which is hopefully at a young age).

I guess I'll never be able to save any then. I was able to squeak Methos, my half black lab/half border collie out of the animal shelter without having to have him neutered.

<font color="red">BAD JOKE ALERT... No one send you wives to my house if they read over your shoulder!!! hehehe</font> I want my dog to want to hunt and wrestle with my 5 year old boy, not have tea parties and browse the lingerie catalog. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[cowboydoc]

<font color="blue">From what I've read and talking to my Veteranarian, if you have it done before they mature, it may affect their personality, but doing it after they pass doggie puberty, it just makes them sterile. </font>

With a basic companion dog I would say you probably wouldn't notice alot. I'm not saying you're wrong at all for cutting dogs. Quite the opposite, most dogs should be cut. But from a working dog perspective it makes a huge difference. We usually never cut any of our cattle dogs. If you do they don't have near the heart or the desire. They will quit a cow and will give out in the day long before one that hasn't been cut. Our hunting dogs are the same way.

I'm really sad to say that it ruined our good border collie. He was a cow getting monster but he was constantly on the roam and if he was left out he was gone with the cows and chasing horses. He had to be in the pen all the time if we weren't working cattle. I made the decision to go ahead and cut him against my better judgment and now he's only a shadow of his former self. I was hoping he would come around but he hasn't. He was three when we cut him. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

It's the same in any animals that I've been around. With a rare exception all stud horses are completely changed when they are cut. Cattle are the same way. It also affects the way they develop physically as well. You won't see very many bulls getting butchered for quality meat and that's the same with pigs as well. You don't even want to touch a male pig that hasn't been cut at a very early age for meat. It literally is like eating rotten meat.

 

[getut]

cowboydoc.. you have passed the torch of knowledge...

Following your chain of logic, I now know why my wife tells me I'm full of #$%@.

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[thegreatrandini]

you are misinformed

 

[thegreatrandini]

you are wrong!