You're absolutely entitled to your own opinion. If you have talked it over with your vet and made an informed decision, then there's not much else we can say to convince you it is or is not a good idea to get your pup neutered.
I will say this though. If you have some time, look back at some of Brad's old posts about Hilo, Kona, and Luytiy and the stress they have gone through when one of his females is in season. IIRC, Brad has even gone so far as to board Kona and Luytiy to reduce the stress it puts them through. I understand your situation is different than Brad's due to the close living quarters Brad's dogs are in; however, his stories are poignant indicators of what an intact male goes through when a female is in heat. If you walk your dog at all, odds are he's going to pass a female in heat from a neighbor you don't interact with regularly or even a coyote in the area. Just imagine what would be going through his mind if/when that occurs.
we just got our bull terrier fixed. a friend of ours brought over a female that was just ending her cycle, they thought she was done but not quite... our pup was sooo incredibly difficult to deal with in that situation, not listening at all. He was frustrated himself because he didn't seem to really know what to do. The only reason to keep them intact I have heard is for breeding or showing. A friend of mine has a dog that she hasn't fixed because her husband wants to show him but she says she doesn't have the time to show him and he is a struggle, and will mark on other people's furniture and chases females at dog parks pretty constantly, even males at times. I agree with what a lot of people are saying though, most guys cringe about it because it makes them feel less macho if their dog is fixed. We wanted ours fixed though because we feel that is the most responsible thing to do since we like to bring him to dog parks and don't want him to have behavioral problems or impregnate someones dog.
well i can understand this. when my best friend go his dog, we had a long discussion about whether or not to neuter his dog. at first we didnt want to take away his "manhood" and we talked about how WE personally wouldnt want that to happen to us. But we realized that there are many health benefits and behavior benefits. We went from being really against it to being absolutely for it. i saw this one caesar milan and i thought it made a lot of sense, but he says that, if youre not going to breed your dog, youre essentially torturing it by not neutering them because they will be deprived of sexual activity while getting very strong cravings.
"Oliversdad" just to clarify when I made the above comment it was in jest.
To be quite honest I think it is very irresponsible to not neuter a dog that is not part of a breeding program or is some way endangered by anesthesia. The above reasons given for neutering are enough.
But please don't think I am advocating keeping a dog intact. I am actually the first to mock any man who keeps his dogs nuts as a manhood thing.
A little more seriously though, dogs don't care about their "manhood". When an intact male dog smells a female in heat, he will do whatever it takes to get to that female. If he doesn't get to mate, that puts undue stress on him. The extra testosterone will alter his behaviour, turning your angel pup into a nightmare.
Check your local laws. Most places will charge extra to license an unaltered dog.
Jack had really ugly testicles. When it snowed, they got chapped and he licked all the fur off. All you could see when he was pointing his rear end at you was his bright red, peeling scrotum. He looks way better without them, haha.
I see it this way - there's no benefit to having an intact dog unless you plan on breeding it, and even if you're really careful, there's still a slight chance that your dog will get loose and reproduce. It happens to the best of us, and dogs are more creative about getting loose when they're trying to get to a female in heat.
Also, no, we don't cut off men's testicles to keep them from getting cancer, but we also don't put collars and leashes on them, keep them in fenced yards, microchip them, take them to obedience class, feed them raw meat, or let them run around naked pooping on grass and then picking it up. People and dogs are different and they get different treatment. Dogs are more like children than adults; you don't let your kids do whatever they want, you keep them under control and make decisions for them. And no, I don't advocate neutering children, for two reasons: 1) they will grow into adults some day and be really pissed at you, and 2) they aren't sexually mature, so what's the point?
I have also heard that working dogs perform their work less effectively when altered.
I get irritated by people who call this process "fixing." Nothing about an intact dog is wrong in the sense that it requires repair.
Heidi, it would be nice if we could do that to our men (aside for the pooping part) and besides, we find it to be the norm to butcher boys genitalia for cleanliness.
I think circumcision is entirely different. I would compare it more to tail docking or ear cropping. Personally, I'm against all three (no one has given me a good reason to take a knife to a baby or a puppy), but I don't look down on those who choose to do it.
@Kevin: Working dogs are a completely different story than companion dogs. Whether or not the statement that working dogs are less able to perform their work when altered is true (and since it is vague and way too general I'd have a hard time believing it), comparing their needs to those of companion dogs is like comparing apples to oranges. If in fact it is true, it is still no reason to keep a companion dog intact.
When I got my first cat I thought I wont neuter her cause its against nature and every operation is a danger - after her first heat we visited the vet and did it
When I got my little Sophie I thought I wont neuter her cause its against nature, the danger of the operation + it wont be as nasty as a cats heat...
After 1 month of horrible stress for Sophie and me (afraid of every walk cause my dog went nuts over every other dog), 2 almost-accidents cause two males off-leash ran into us (one of them nearly got killed by a car cause he didnt look) and blooddrops all over in the flat, I decided to neuter her as soon as shes grown-up
so the most strongest reason for me is the stress my dog has during an empty heat!!!
And the same goes for males... I often hear stories about dogs who dont eat, sleep, or howl all the night and are really desperate to get to their female...
dont want my dog to suffer so much...
and if I decide to live with a dog in a place where he cant live like nature made him i have to bear the consequences and make sure he is able to adopt to this new art of living... damn on english its really hard now hope you understand what i have in my mind
We truly do 'force' dogs to live in an unnatural world, with us, in our society, abiding by our norms and rules. I truly believe that if you have a dog as a companion and not a show dog/breeder, its the safest most responsible decision as a companion pet owner. Pet overpopulation in our society today is not a topic to disregard or ignore... its part of the world we live in and are responsible for.
I think anyone who is living with an intact male dog, as a companion, who feels having their male intact is "not a big deal" has not yet experienced what having an intact male dog is really like.
They have not experienced the level resource gaurding that comes when a male dog is resource gaurding his female, or has not experienced a growling match between 2 intact male dogs, or has not had their couch pissed on by their intact dogs simply because they want to mark the territory of the other males. Having an intact male (and female) takes constant management.
The level of aggression that can come from an intact male when a female is around is AMAZING, really, it's shockingly amazing. To me, it just makes no sense to live with that type of discomfort in your life or even the risk of that type of discomfort.
Also, if you are a dog owner who has decided to keep their dog intact, and you take that dog to the dog park SHAME ON YOU!
Really, that is just irresponsible - not so much for fear of an accidental breeding - but due to the aggression issues that can come from introducing an intact dogs to a group of male/female dogs. Add that there may be a female that is in heat at the park too (I have read about a few members taking their females to the dog park when they are in heat - maybe by mistake - so don't think for a second it doesn't happen), there may even be another unneutered male dog at the park too... That's a recipe for disaster.
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To the point about working dogs working better intact vs not intact...
My personal opinion (from experience) is that a neutered dog has better focus than an intact dog. The drive level of a neutered dog may be slightly lower than in an intact dog, but I would argue that the drive reduction is less of an issue for most working dogs than their ability to concentrate and may clear decisions.
I don't want to be silent on this one, since I do live with an intact male dog. I do show him and the point of dog shows being to evaluate breeding stock, I feel he is a good representative of his breed and has many good qualities to bring to the genetic table, although he has some small flaws.
With that being said, that doesn't mean I ever intend to breed him because there are enough higher quality Shiba boys out there with less flaws than Ike (this is for any folks here with intact male Shiba that aren't showing/working to improve the breed somehow and still choose to keep intact dogs). Shikoku are a little different because of their small numbers, but there are hoards of Shiba, sadly, that don't need to be bred who are being bred.
I do feel guilty that I am allowing him to remain intact and experience these drives with no relief in sight. My duty to him in the meantime is to keep him safe, tired and well exercised until he retires from showing. He is a very nice boy and nice to work with, but he is also interested in looking for bitches to mount and will not hesitate to completely ignore me, if he thinks there is any possibility of that happening. He gets his prostate checked at the Vet every so often and I do check for testicular lumps. Ike looks forward to the day when he no longer has to be bothered with intrusive exams and enticing thoughts of sexy bitches that he can never meet.
Well said Brad! Im glad we got your imput on this since you know what it is like to live with intact males and females in close proximity!
I still stick to my two cents: If you aren't a responsible breeder or showing your dog, then spueter. You will have a happy and healthy companion dog for it!
Besides, we all feel those sexual drives, and isn't it incredibly annoying when you want it but can't get it. Now think of spending your whole life feeling that way, wouldn't it just be better not having to deal with those urges at all than suffering through unsatisfied cravings
I met a poorly bred shiba yesterday. she was a tiiiiiiny puppy and leaned to one side, couldn't walk straight and had deformed feet. She also wouldn't stop shivering but that could be the stress of where she was. but it was heartbreaking. (i was in a pet store) </3
i know that my grandpa's dog was a NIGHMARE before he got neutered. he was a Lab and would attack my little brother in all sorts of ways until he got neutered, now he's well behaved. I'm not sure if this is just a dog specific note though.
poor little Shiba, I wonder if he will find a home...thats the reason i cant go into the animal part of petshops.. would buy every poor doggie, kittie, bunny, guinnea etc... when i would come to the reptiles and fishes i hope i could stop, but damn even if i dont like them they still are poor in these living conditions so i would have to buy them too...yes i know im completly out of the topic
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You're absolutely entitled to your own opinion. If you have talked it over with your vet and made an informed decision, then there's not much else we can say to convince you it is or is not a good idea to get your pup neutered.
I will say this though. If you have some time, look back at some of Brad's old posts about Hilo, Kona, and Luytiy and the stress they have gone through when one of his females is in season. IIRC, Brad has even gone so far as to board Kona and Luytiy to reduce the stress it puts them through. I understand your situation is different than Brad's due to the close living quarters Brad's dogs are in; however, his stories are poignant indicators of what an intact male goes through when a female is in heat. If you walk your dog at all, odds are he's going to pass a female in heat from a neighbor you don't interact with regularly or even a coyote in the area. Just imagine what would be going through his mind if/when that occurs.
To be quite honest I think it is very irresponsible to not neuter a dog that is not part of a breeding program or is some way endangered by anesthesia. The above reasons given for neutering are enough.
But please don't think I am advocating keeping a dog intact. I am actually the first to mock any man who keeps his dogs nuts as a manhood thing.
A little more seriously though, dogs don't care about their "manhood". When an intact male dog smells a female in heat, he will do whatever it takes to get to that female. If he doesn't get to mate, that puts undue stress on him. The extra testosterone will alter his behaviour, turning your angel pup into a nightmare.
Check your local laws. Most places will charge extra to license an unaltered dog.
Jack had really ugly testicles. When it snowed, they got chapped and he licked all the fur off. All you could see when he was pointing his rear end at you was his bright red, peeling scrotum. He looks way better without them, haha.
Also, no, we don't cut off men's testicles to keep them from getting cancer, but we also don't put collars and leashes on them, keep them in fenced yards, microchip them, take them to obedience class, feed them raw meat, or let them run around naked pooping on grass and then picking it up. People and dogs are different and they get different treatment. Dogs are more like children than adults; you don't let your kids do whatever they want, you keep them under control and make decisions for them. And no, I don't advocate neutering children, for two reasons: 1) they will grow into adults some day and be really pissed at you, and 2) they aren't sexually mature, so what's the point?
I get irritated by people who call this process "fixing." Nothing about an intact dog is wrong in the sense that it requires repair.
Edit: I've only heard that spaying/neutering affects the "work" dog's performance from people that don't agree with speutering in the first place.
I only mentioned it like that to prove a point, and didn't intend to judge or berate the people who do do it.
When I got my little Sophie I thought I wont neuter her cause its against nature, the danger of the operation + it wont be as nasty as a cats heat...
After 1 month of horrible stress for Sophie and me (afraid of every walk cause my dog went nuts over every other dog), 2 almost-accidents cause two males off-leash ran into us (one of them nearly got killed by a car cause he didnt look) and blooddrops all over in the flat, I decided to neuter her as soon as shes grown-up
so the most strongest reason for me is the stress my dog has during an empty heat!!!
And the same goes for males... I often hear stories about dogs who dont eat, sleep, or howl all the night and are really desperate to get to their female...
dont want my dog to suffer so much...
and if I decide to live with a dog in a place where he cant live like nature made him i have to bear the consequences and make sure he is able to adopt to this new art of living... damn on english its really hard now
We truly do 'force' dogs to live in an unnatural world, with us, in our society, abiding by our norms and rules. I truly believe that if you have a dog as a companion and not a show dog/breeder, its the safest most responsible decision as a companion pet owner. Pet overpopulation in our society today is not a topic to disregard or ignore... its part of the world we live in and are responsible for.
They have not experienced the level resource gaurding that comes when a male dog is resource gaurding his female, or has not experienced a growling match between 2 intact male dogs, or has not had their couch pissed on by their intact dogs simply because they want to mark the territory of the other males. Having an intact male (and female) takes constant management.
The level of aggression that can come from an intact male when a female is around is AMAZING, really, it's shockingly amazing. To me, it just makes no sense to live with that type of discomfort in your life or even the risk of that type of discomfort.
Also, if you are a dog owner who has decided to keep their dog intact, and you take that dog to the dog park SHAME ON YOU!
Really, that is just irresponsible - not so much for fear of an accidental breeding - but due to the aggression issues that can come from introducing an intact dogs to a group of male/female dogs. Add that there may be a female that is in heat at the park too (I have read about a few members taking their females to the dog park when they are in heat - maybe by mistake - so don't think for a second it doesn't happen), there may even be another unneutered male dog at the park too... That's a recipe for disaster.
----
To the point about working dogs working better intact vs not intact...
My personal opinion (from experience) is that a neutered dog has better focus than an intact dog. The drive level of a neutered dog may be slightly lower than in an intact dog, but I would argue that the drive reduction is less of an issue for most working dogs than their ability to concentrate and may clear decisions.
----
With that being said, that doesn't mean I ever intend to breed him because there are enough higher quality Shiba boys out there with less flaws than Ike (this is for any folks here with intact male Shiba that aren't showing/working to improve the breed somehow and still choose to keep intact dogs). Shikoku are a little different because of their small numbers, but there are hoards of Shiba, sadly, that don't need to be bred who are being bred.
I do feel guilty that I am allowing him to remain intact and experience these drives with no relief in sight. My duty to him in the meantime is to keep him safe, tired and well exercised until he retires from showing. He is a very nice boy and nice to work with, but he is also interested in looking for bitches to mount and will not hesitate to completely ignore me, if he thinks there is any possibility of that happening. He gets his prostate checked at the Vet every so often and I do check for testicular lumps. Ike looks forward to the day when he no longer has to be bothered with intrusive exams and enticing thoughts of sexy bitches that he can never meet.
I still stick to my two cents: If you aren't a responsible breeder or showing your dog, then spueter. You will have a happy and healthy companion dog for it!
Besides, we all feel those sexual drives, and isn't it incredibly annoying when you want it but can't get it. Now think of spending your whole life feeling that way, wouldn't it just be better not having to deal with those urges at all than suffering through unsatisfied cravings
As for working dogs, I do know police dogs that are altered and obviously they can still get the job done. (or they wouldn't be there)
i know that my grandpa's dog was a NIGHMARE before he got neutered. he was a Lab and would attack my little brother in all sorts of ways until he got neutered, now he's well behaved. I'm not sure if this is just a dog specific note though.