Recently, someone on a Shiba board asked for recommendations for a good vet to neuter their dog. One of the responses was "Why do you want to do that to your dog? If you are a responsible owner and control your dog, there is no reason."
Well… there are more than a few reasons why truly responsible owners have their companions spayed or neutered.
Even if “you are a responsible owner and control your dog” there is no guarantee that your dog will never be loose without permission (how many of us have had our Shiba slip or break their lead?). If you aren’t there to control your dog, you can’t be sure he won’t impregnate another dog (or get pregnant if she’s female).
Dogs that are not spayed/neutered are not welcome in as many social situations (like daycare and some dog parks) and therefore can’t be as well socialized and enjoy as many fun activities.
Unneutered males are attacked more often by other males – regardless of how well behaved the unneutered dog in question may be – because other dogs can smell the testosterone and it makes them more aggressive and defensive.
Unneutered males are more likely to develop prostate cancer. Unneutered males can develop testicular cancer. Unspayed females are more likely to develop breast cancer. The odds of all these things are pretty low, but why take the chance?
I will admit, I am absolutely pro-spay/neuter, although I am not a fan of early spay/neuter. (I waited until Snick was 14 months old to have him neutered because my personal conviction is that no hormone production should be altered until after the dog is physically mature.)
I have seen too much pain and suffering caused by the overpopulation of companion animals in this country – overpopulation caused by irresponsible owners, backyard breeders and puppy mills – to not be pro-spay/neuter. I don’t believe anyone should own intact dogs other than responsible, knowledgeable breeders who are breeding selectively to better the breed. I strongly encourage everyone who loves the breed in general and their dog in particular to have their dog spayed or neutered.
http://www.shibainus.ca/speuter.html
The Misanthropic Shiba.. and her views on spay neuter.
she’s just alittle more blunt about it. =)
she address some of the responses i’ve heard in the past from people who do not want to spay or neuter their pet.
and i for one, like her responses. =)
I totally agree. And have nothing else to add. Well said.
Well thought out arguments Jenna. Mathilda and I wholeheartedly agree.
Amen! I couldn’t have said it better myself!
the average good dog bredeer has only 2 dogs a male and a femaleSo my question to all dog bredeers how many dogs to you have????Each female is bred 3 times a year.We have large kennels we put the male and the female together when in heat of course they are ot in there all day but when ever the female is out she wears diapers. And at all times female and males are seperated incase we dont notice a heat right away.sorry i didnt mean they were bred 3 times a year we only breed them 3 timesthrough out the whole life timeoh yeah and we are not backyard bredeers my mom and dad know what they were doing. They also screen homesMy parents our bredeers because they have had huskies ever since they could remember and they just love them. They breed for there tempermant and great family pets and they will take any dog and any stage of its/hers life
Hi David. I’m not sure where you got the statistic that the average good breeder has only two dogs, but, in my experience, that just isn’t true. If you’re interested in a conversation about what defines a responsible breeder, check out this post How to Find a Reputable Breeder from 2009 or this post When You Realize What You Don’t Know from 2006.