The reason I think it's wrong is because i feel like I'd be tampering with something that wasnt intended to be tampered with. I know there are benefits and risks with getting it done or not getting it done, and i understand the whole bigger picture for why its so widely accepted. I just feel so terrible thinking of having it done to my baby. I feel like as an owner whom he trust and loves, im making him go through something that he really honestly just doesnt need to go through. After my friends dog died it really scared me because it made me feel like i was risking my little mans life for it. He is 1 year old and only 3lbs i originally planned on getting it done because i didnt want him to display all the dominant male behaviors, because when i got him i actually wanted a girl. however he doesnt act like that, he doesnt mark in my house, he doesnt hump anything, he isnt aggressive. He's perfect!! and i dont see why i would want to mess a good thing up. I love him and i take very good care of him and hope he lives a long and happy healthy life despite the fact he's intact, which to me isnt a big deal since that is how he was created.

however i do not knock anyone who has got it done because as someone said earlier its all about how you feel and what makes you comfortable as a owner, and i think we have all made our decisions for really good reason. Personally its about what us as individuals feel is the right thing to do for our pets.

Ellie is spayed. I don't regret it at all and will continue to have any females of mine spayed. I'm less sure on castration with the research I see.

While some may think it is the responsible thing to do, that seems to indicate to me that if I don't have it done, I'm not responsible. Well, I can't agree with that. Responsible is looking at both sides of the issue and making an educated decision (which could include health concerns, behavioral concerns, or your own religious or emotional concerns). If somebody is religiously opposed to it or if they have looked at the research and feel that the risks outweigh the benefits, then I'm not going to tell them they are irresponsible.

What I do think is irresponsible is letting dogs breed til the cows come home and then dropping the puppies off at the shelter, etc.

It is not one size fits all or one age fits all. And there are way too many health concerns with the procedure to ever try and make it mandatory. JMO.

I would like to say that i have educated myself about the pros and cons of getting the procedure done, and not getting the procedure done. I have read countless articles, from reputable sources, ive read articles in veteniary medicine books. and based on the knowledge that i have aquired from reading i have come up with my decision and i feel like i've dont the right thing. I feel its unfair for you to call the owners who have come to the same decision as mine, ignorant. because they may have also based thier decision off of really solid and responsible evidence and understanding. There are risk with getting the procedure done, and there are risk with not getting it done. and for anyone to honestly think by taking away any living creators sexual organs you can only have benefits with no risk is pretty ignorant to me, bodies need hormones for other reasons besides to procreate, they also need it for bone growth and for the body to sustain itself, so when you take that way even if its just most of it, somethings bound to go wrong somewhere. that just how i feel however. I will agree that some pet owners dont make the right decisions all the time, and some pet owners dont do thier research before they make decisions regarding the life and well being of thier pet, but i dont think that any of this makes them ignorant.

OMG!:)
I totally agree with what you have said!!! it definatly is a decision that someone should make after doing thier research and deciding what is right for thier pet, taking into consideration all of the risks and benefits! I too DO NOT agree with people who recklessly allow thier animals to breed, i find that to be unfair and wrong especially if they have no where to place the new born puppies. I do think pet overpopulation is an issue, but i dont think making it mandatory to get an animal fixed is the solution or rather, the only solution.

Not all owner's are responsible. All you have to do is think about all the
homeless dog's in shelter's, rescues, females being breed until they are
no longer wanted and thrown in garbage can's or put on the street or
fend for themselves. Again, what about the millions who are PTS because
their irresponsible owner's didn't care enough to get their parent's fixed.
Not all dog's have a mommy who takes cares of them, feeds them good food,
get's then vet checked and has a soft bed to sleep in. If your not breeding
and do not have licence to breed get your dog fixed!
This conversation can beat itself to death I'm sure but I stand firm.
I think the law is a good one. There are millions of dogs suffering because
someone was to lazy or cheap to get their dog fixed.

There are some people that are irresponsible, but responsibility does not equal having a "fixed" dog. Because there are dogs that are treated poorly even after thier owner has "fixed" them. having an intent to breed is not the only reason some people decide not to get thier dog fixed. Some dogs are too tiny to fix, some dogs cant get fixed because they are allergic to the anastisa or have a heart condition, some dog owners plan to show thier dog (like me) and some have religious/emotional views (also like myself) that make them feel like it is not the right things to do. I do not knock your decision like i said earlier, but i honestly feel that people should become more opened minded, and expand thier view of the issue further then what is spoon fed to them, by the organizations that promote this procedure. I feel everyone should look at the research. also those people that are irresponsible and treat their unbred dogs like puppy making machines will continue to do what they are doing despite any law, those evil people who own puppy mills do have a license to breed! so, having that license will not stop someone from being an irresponsible person. But yes as you said this is an issue that will always be controversial, until everyone looks at each others point of view.

There are irresonsible pet owners, some of them have fixed dogs and some of them have unfixed dogs. but as i said my problem was with you calling them all ignorant.

I find it interesting that the experts in the field (The American College of Theriogenologists in this case) don't even think it should be mandatory. There are risks that nobody should be forced to except.

American College of Theriogenologists

There are irresonsible pet owners, some of them have fixed dogs and some of them have unfixed dogs. but as i said my problem was with you calling them all ignorant.


I forget you have to be politically correct everytime you post something.
A responsible person, such as yourself, would take great lengths to see
that her un-fixed dog will not impregnate a female unintentially. However,
there are still accidents.
The ignorant ones, which I was referring to, do not keep watch.
This site is large but you read daily dumb posts regarding females
getting pregnant by accident. How can it be an accident when you
have an intact male running around in the same house.
This is happening across the entire country. These people are ignorant
to reality and what can happen leaving thousands of unwanted puppies
to be born everyday. I know puppymills have licenses to breed but if
this goes into law perhaps they won't. How many of their offspring wind
up in rescues and shelter's because they are sick or become sick because
of unhealthy conditions. Not every BYB has a licence that's why they
are BYB. It's a vicious cycle I know but it has to start somewhere.
I am talking about pets only not legimate breeders.

:D I think your great! lol, but thank you for posting that link to that article, i have read the entire things and now have further information stored in my ever increasing knowledge of the issue. I to think that its interesting the experts find a mandatory spay an neuter not the right thing to do.

I agree there are those who claim thier dog accidentily got pregnant because they were not watching, or taking the necessary precautions needed to avoid a situation such as that. And if i ever find my self in such a situation (betting i wont since my dog is male) i would make sure that all the puppies have a nice home, if not my own.

All of our "pups" are/have been rescues and were neutered/spayed before they were adopted or within a week as part of the adoption agreement. The rescue groups paid for the surgery. I maybe wrong but, most/all rescue groups will usually have the dog/cat etc spayed/neutered before adopting to the new forever owners.

to snip or not
 

All of my girls are fixed. I wouldn't have it any other way. They are just pets and I don't want to deal with that heat mess. Plus they are happier to not have the mood swings or PMS (yes, they get that). I don't have any males but if my girls weren't fixed, i am sure all the stray males in the n'hood would be hanging around. :rolleyes: I have had a hysterectomy and feel i am healthier and love knowing that i don't have to worry about cancer from that area. Just because I had all those parts in my body, doesn't mean that i had to keep them there. I feel the same way with my girls.
Of course, you can do what you want. I hope your male doesn't turn mean and aggressive. Even Cesar Milan says that if an intact male doesn't breed like he is designed to do 2x year, they can get very aggressive with all those hormones and no release..just like humans. If you are going to show, he will have to stay intact.
The decision is yours of course. Research and ask questions and make up your own mind.

Here is my problem with what you just said...puppies won't be your problem because you own an intact male??? But how did the (hypothetical) female get pregnant?...If your dog impregnates another,you should be responsible for half the cost/puppies as you are responsible for half the oops!

There are few things crazier than an intact male that smells a female in heat and can't get to her. They become single-minded. To me, it is cruel to make them deal with that, unless they are breeding quality and are going to be used for responsible breeding.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

I will never own a male unaltered, or a female unspayed.

We had a Golden Retriever who my dad never spayed and for one... she made a mess during her heat. There'd be blood spots all over the kitchen floor. I remember constantly wiping them up as a kid. She obviously didn't keep herself clean by herself :rolleyes: she took really long to calm down, but I don't know if that was related to spaying or not. She ended up having to get an emergency spay when she was 9 years old because some major things went wrong with her... she almost died. Lived another year and a half after the surgery before passing away.

My dad now fixes all his dogs!