Too neuter or not?

[cornflake]

I am not sure whether I should neuter my dog or not. My husband says no I say yes.....other than that is there anywhere that does it for under $100?!?!

[Squawksx3]

Please neuter!!!!

There are hundreds of animals euthanized every day because they are unwanted. Millions are abused, neglected, starved, etc.... Not spaying/neutering adds to this unwanted population. Check out this site regarding the "ugly truth"....WARNING: THE PHOTO IS VERY GRAPHIC...... the statistics are from the Humane Society of the United States....
http://savecats.brinkster.net/uglytruth.asp

I'm involved in dog rescue, and I can tell you it is very heartbreaking. If people would spay/neuter their pets and leave the breeding to the breeders, we wouldn't need animal rescues. Even if you have no intentions of breeding, when nature calls... animals jump fences, dig holes and do anything they can to get out and find a mate... both males and females... the results can be fatal to these "oops" litters. Check out some shelter sites on the internet.... there are so many puppies, kittens, dogs & cats today on death row.

There should be a low-cost spay/neuter clinic in your area, you might try asking the Humane Society or shelter.

I guess you can tell I'm a spay/neuter advocate ;)

[cornflake]

Squawksx3, I understand all this. I have always had all of my animals altered. My husband would like to breed our puppy. I know about 3 people who would want one of the babies from the litter and we would want one...I was just wondering if the breeding would change my dog at all. I am worried about him lifting his leg in the house and humping people......and would it have an effect on him if I neutered him after he "made" a litter.

[Squawksx3]

It's your decision on neutering or not.... thats what makes this country we live in great ;). May I ask why your husband would like to breed?. Is it for the betterment of the breed, money, or maybe a puppy just like dad?. Its wonderful you know people that say they will take a puppy in advance, but that sometimes doesn't always happen. If there are 8 pups in the litter, what happens to the other 5 if no homes are found?. There are many purebreds that end up in shelters. There is no guarantee that a replica of mom and dad will be produced, they all have their own personalities and qualities. The lady that runs our rescued used to breed and show Siberian Huskies years ago. She found 2 of her tattoo'd Sibe pups in the pound. After all the care and time she spent on finding her pups good/loving forever homes, they still ended up at a kill-shelter. She quit breeding and went into rescue.

Dogs are known to become more aggressive when used for breeding, but not always the case. The humping thing is also a form of domination in dogs. They will do this to be the Alpha dog.... finding their place in the pack. It shouldn't effect him if you neuter him after mating. You might want to ask your vet these questions, and just keep in mind that every dog is different.

Please dont think I'm slamming you for this, its wonderful your asking questions and doing your research before jumping into anything.... I like to play devil's advocate and hopefully people will think before doing. We need to be the voice for the voiceless.

Best of luck to you on whatever you decide :) ... you will be a wonderful fur-mom.

[cornflake]

I believe he wants to breed bacause we eventually want another puppy and it would be great to have Boris be the dad. It is also very hard to find a breeder in our area, we had to go 3 hours away to get Boris. He only wants to breed him once, and then have him altered. It is deffinatley not for money purposes, we having the stud would most likley only get the pick of the litter anyhow.......thats all we would want.

[Jenny]

What kind of dog is Boris? IMO I would definitely neuter. One dog at a time makes a big difference in companion animal overpopulation! For instance, say you foudn great homes for all the pups and then got your dog altered. However, not all the owners of the puppies did. Of course they say they will when you give the puppies away, but then they forget....or decide it's not necessary... So then say two of the dogs then have puppies, or get a female dog pregnant. Then that owner tries to give away the puppies...but of course the trend continues. I would tell the people who'd like a puppy to at least take a visit to an animal shelter, and see if they don't fall in love with any! Or, they can put their name on a waiting list for specific breeds. There are some rescues that are breed specific, so maybe if you are 100% set on getting that certain breed of dog, you coudl find a rescue like that. I think though that every single dog, no matter what type, can make a great friend and each has somethign unique about itself, so I woudl definitely check into dogs sitting their lives away in a shelter with no home, and neuter Boris. Of course the final say is up to you and your husband.

[cornflake]

My dog is a pure bred Boston Terrier, it is very hard to find Bostons in my area....
Also I searched for 8 months for Boston Terriers in shelters in my area (even out of my area). I found a few in Virginia, but they were either very old or needed special care and meds ( there were about 3 then). They are not a dog typically found in shelters or pounds. All the others were mized breeds also.

[cornflake]

I have found a local human society that will do Boris' neuter for about $55. When I decide to neuter I can take him there. Thanks to everyone for their input!

[tatertot]

yes, neuter, neuter, neuter!!!

have you ever though about getting pet insurance for your dog? most vets offer it, and it comes with a neuter/spay plan, too! we got doggie insurance for our puppy. it's only about 12 bucks per month and it includes all her vaccinations, general check ups, dental, and took care of her spaying (hospitilzation, annethsia, etc.) many people say insurance for your pet! are you crazy? but i think it's a wonderful idea...they're a member of your family just like a person and dogs tend to live usually atleast 15 or so years. they're just like people...they need shots, dental, and stuff like that, too. they also have a warranty, too. :)