Should I neuter my dog?
by Jane Anderson
It's quite a common question that gets asked, and it is important that you ask it.
It is a myth that every dog should keep its testicles to maintain its "manliness". Dogs do not need to breed. It
doesn't make a dog any better if it does breed, and it certainly doesn't make its owner a better person either! And it
certainly can make that dog much more difficult to manage if it is not neutered.
The reality is that unless there is a specific reason to breed your dog, it should be neutered at an early age to
prevent unwanted pregnancies, minimise agressive male behaviour, and to lessen the chance of some forms of cancer.
My recommendation is that the dog gets neutered between 2 and 6 months old. In fact, when we place puppies, we
will neuter them before they go and include this as part of the purchase price. We strongly encourage other breeders
to do the same. Yes, there is always a small risk associated with any sort of surgery, but there is far greater risk
associated with owning and managing a dog with an aggressive sex drive. There is significant evidence showing that
younger pups manage through the surgery option much better than older dogs. Indeed, the surgery is quite simple
and can be performed in a matter of minutes. We recommend that you seek a couple of quotes from different vets as
prices can differ enormously.
If your dog is not neutered, you will often see the following:
o they will pee on everything and anything - including all furniture, curtains, shoes, and handbags in your house.
o a major change of behaviour around bitches "in season". Once a dog has actually had sex, this behaviour can be
magnified significantly on future occasions when coming in contact with fertile bitches.
o many dogs will actively seek fertile bitches breaking out of seemingly secure fences. Indeed we have a friend
whose dog broke his chain, then broke out of a shed, then chewed through fences, and got into the house where the
bitch was housed, and was able to breed with her producing pups 9 weeks later.
o sometimes dogs will be aggressive to other dogs and may hump any other dog (males included) that he finds.
This behaviour can go on for some time.
o often dogs not neutered will seek out neutered males to hump. You can imagine the outcomes that this can
have in terms of aggressiveness (not to mention your embarrassment)
o sometimes the male dog will hump people, children, and cats (yes, I've got a dog who'd do all of those! ... the
cat was least impressed!)
o sometimes the dog will refuse to eat whenever they smell a fertile bitch
o male dogs can sometimes be quite aggressive to a female in season
o male dogs seeking to fulfil their sexual drive will often hump anything or anyone that moves
o male dogs can howl and cry for weeks while a bitch is in season within smelling distance of them (and believe
me, this will drive you nuts)
o often males will exude a smell related to the sex hormones when a bitch is in season. This smell is appalling,
and you will be doing your best to figure out how to get rid of it. (good luck - we haven't figured out a way yet).
o intact male dogs will pee on everything. And I mean everything, including their owners and visitors.
It is surprising just how major the behaviour change in dogs can be when bitches are in season. Before I got my toy
poodle neutered he would actually attack my old neutered boxer when bitches were in season. Naturally, a toy poodle
cannot do a heck of a lot of damage to a boxer, but in one instance the boxer decided he'd had enough and turned on
the poodle. Luckily I was there to stop any damage. However, when involved with stud dogs on other occasions, I
have been damaged (bitten) by aggressive stud dog behaviour - and by dogs who normally had the most superb
temperament. As an old-timer mentor said to me recently - "a male will actually attempt to kill any male who he thinks
will mate a bitch near him."
When a male dog is after a fertile bitch, that is the only thing on his mind. He will do anything that he can think of to
get at bitches. This includes scaling fences, breaking down doors, mating through fences, and physically harming and
even killing other dogs, etc. Additionally, as the owner of the male dog, you are as responsible as the owner of the
bitch, for any puppies that are born. This means you have a ethical responsibility for life to rescue any of those pups if
they ever end up in the pound. (as a note: it is likely in future that legally as well as morally you will have this
responsibility).
When you get to this point, you really need to ask yourself, "is this really worth it?"
Frankly, in the 90% of cases, it is not worth it. Do yourself, your family, and your neigbhours a favour by getting your
dog neutered.
Don't wait until your dog starts getting sexual drives before you neuter him. In many cases, once the dog starts the
mis-behaviour associated with attempting to breed, that behaviour can stay after the neutering has taken place.
Should I spay my bitch?
by Jane Anderson
It's quite a common question that gets asked, and it is important that you ask it.
It is a myth that every dog should have at least one litter. In fact, if every bitch did have one litter, when you do
the maths, you'll quickly realise that this means that there would be a huge number of dogs in the world, far more
than we have already. As it is now, our pounds and humane societies are over-flowing with unwanted pets. All these
unwanted pets mean that it is the unfortunate job of a few people to spend each and every day putting those dogs to
sleep permanently.
The reality is that unless there is a specific reason to breed your dog, it should be spayed at an early age to prevent
unwanted pregnancies and to lessen the chance of some forms of cancer.
My recommendation is that the bitch gets spayed between 2 and 6 months old. In fact, when we place puppies, we
will spay them before they go and include this as part of the purchase price. We strongly encourage other breeders to
do the same. Yes, there is always a small risk associated with any sort of surgery, but there is far greater risk
associated with allowing a bitch to breed. There is significant evidence showing that younger pups manage through
the surgery option much better than older bitches. We recommend that you seek a couple of quotes from different
vets as prices can differ enormously.
If your bitch is not spayed, you will often see the following:
o a major change of behaviour in her when she is "in season". This can be moodiness through to aggressiveness,
particularly if she is trying to find a male dog.
o she will bleed usually for about 3 weeks, although this could be longer
o she will often be aggressive to other dogs and may hump any other female that she finds. This behaviour can
go on for some time. (I speak from experience here!)
o her body will undergo hormonal changes
o sometimes the bitch will refuse to eat, or change their eating behaviour in other ways
o male dogs can sometimes be quite aggressive to a female in season
o other female dogs can sometimes be very aggressive towards a female in season
Additionally, in order to prevent her from getting pregnant, you will have to lock her up for the three or more
weeks she is in season. Please note - bitches and dogs will mate through fences if they get the chance.
Depending on the breed, bitches may come into season every 4 months (sometimes every 3 months), or longer.
During this period great vigilance is required to ensure that the bitch does not get pregnant. This can be quite a
harrowing and worrisome ordeal for all involved. All of this can be prevented if the bitch is spayed.
Should I spay my bitch?
Should I neuter my dog? (scroll down)
by Jane Anderson