Neutering

Feral_Moon

catkins wrote: »

That's what my vet recommends. As I say, I was waiting until my dog reached 2 but when he did I didn't see any hurry or need to get him done so now probably won't

You replied before I'd edited my post to include the main reason I will get him neutered, other than not breeding from him, is to eliminate the risk of contracting testicular cancer. My dog is genetically at a particular high risk of this so I don't want to take any chances.

Huskyrunner

providing both his nuts have dropped dont worry about it

if he is fit and healthy wait and also remember most vets are under pressure too maintain a steady cash flow inwards if they are a franchise ie vets for pets etc etc

If your that worried re your dog and it getting with another dog on walks etc buy a long flexi lead or lunge line etc. We walk our dogs on bungee lines ten foot long.

Person_one

Feral_Moon wrote: »

That is absolute rubbish! My GSD runs off lead every day (1-2hrs, twice daily) along with several other dogs. He's almost 2yrs old, un-neutered and never shown any interest in humping another dog. My friend's 3yo neutered staffy, however, humps anything and everything in sight :rotfl:

It only has to happen once. Sorry, but I think it's irresponsible to let an entire dog off the lead in open/public areas.

thorsoak

It's even more irresponsible for the owner of a female dog in season to take her out in public areas where she is likely to encounter male dogs who will attempt to mate her!

Feral_Moon

Person_one wrote: »

It only has to happen once. Sorry, but I think it's irresponsible to let an entire dog off the lead in open/public areas.

Perhaps you don't train your dogs to the high standards I do. There's nothing irresponsible about it at all. As already said, it's more irresponsible to take a !!!!! in heat to an off-lead public place. My dog has impeccable recall and will walk to heel on command.

Person_one

thorsoak wrote: »

It's even more irresponsible for the owner of a female dog in season to take her out in public areas where she is likely to encounter male dogs who will attempt to mate her!

Both are irresponsible.

Person_one

Feral_Moon wrote: »

Perhaps you don't train your dogs to the high standards I do. There's nothing irresponsible about it at all. As already said, it's more irresponsible to take a !!!!! in heat to an off-lead public place. My dog has impeccable recall and will walk to heel on command.

Perhaps not. I do my best, and they're very well behaved. They are of course neutered too.

I think its pretty arrogant though to think that anyone can train any animal with 100% certainty 100% of the time, for the whole 10-15 years of their life. Have none of your dogs ever let you down or showed you up? If they haven't yet, they certainly will at some point.

missbiggles1

catkins wrote: »

Maybe it depends on the area in Cornwall. We went to The Lizard and found most of the beaches that were dog friendly 30 years ago are not now. Quite a few have a restriction in summer that dogs are banned from 7am to 7pm. Sorry but if I am on holiday although I get up early I am not getting up early enough to get on the beach for around 6am to allow my dog an hour's run. The evening is not so bad but not ideal.

Surely, if you want to let your dog loose on the beach then you research where has dog friendly beaches and go there, rather than choosing where to go and then hoping they're allowed on the beach?

I don't think that dogs necessarily need to run off lead all the time, once a day is fine and even a couple of days a week is adequate. I just think that never letting a dog off to run (as another poster was saying s/he did) is verging on mistreatment.

Feral_Moon

Person_one wrote: »

Perhaps not. I do my best, and they're very well behaved. They are of course neutered too.

I think its pretty arrogant though to think that anyone can train any animal with 100% certainty 100% of the time, for the whole 10-15 years of their life. Have none of your dogs ever let you down or showed you up? If they haven't yet, they certainly will at some point.

Well, I suggest you go back and re-read my posts, especially the ones that mention I will be arranging to have him neutered within the next few months now he's reached the age of two. And this is purely to do with a genetic defect which increases his chances of contracting testicular cancer.

And yes, he is exceptionally well-trained. He has to be for a tracking dog. He's a GSD from good working stock. Some of his siblings are currently training to be police/security dogs. And in fact, you'll find most male police dogs aren't neutered whilst in a serving role either. Or do you think the Police are also irresponsible?

You don't know anything about my dog or the areas we walk off-lead, or with whom, so I don't feel it appropriate for you to call me "irresponsible".

Paradigm

missbiggles1 wrote: »

I just think that never letting a dog off to run (as another poster was saying s/he did) is verging on mistreatment.

Just... :eek:


I find it incredible that most are totally ignoring the growing evidence that neutering, especially early neutering, shows an increased risk of the dog developing a serious medical issue, directly related to neutering, in later life.


A small snippet...


The research tracked 759 Golden Retrievers, and looked at early neuter (less than one year of age) vs later neuter (12 months or older) vs intact dogs and five common diseases:

1. Hip dysplasia (HD), the arthritis of the hip joint common to dogs
2. Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) damage, the “football injury” of dogs’ knees
3. Hemangiosarcoma (HSA), a type of cancer that can be fatal
4. Lymphosarcoma (LSA), immune system cancer, usually fatal
5. Mast cell tumors (MCT), yet another cancer that can kill dogs

To summarize the researchers’ findings:

• Neutered animals fared significantly worse in all five diseases.
• Early neuter of males doubled the rate of hip dysplasia compared to intact males.
• None of the intact animals had cruciate ligament disease. Zero. It only appeared in the neutered animals.
• Early neutered males had three times more LSA than the intact males, while late neutered males had no LSA.
• The percentage of HSA was four times higher in late neutered females than in either intact or early neutered females.
• MCT was absent in intact females but present in neutered females. In males, neutering status made no difference.

It takes time for entrenched views to change in light of new research but change they will...eventually!


I have to ask myself why so many rescues are full? Is it due to family pets not being neutered or is it down to irresponsible breeders & people not having a clue what owning a puppy is all about? I'll suggest the latter... as soon as they find out that the cute little bundle chews stuff, craps in the house etc they're gone... a big vet bill, guess what?


In my opinion, after owning entire males/females for many years, if you can't prevent an accidental mating then perhaps you shouldn't own a dog at all, neutered or not.