Many people have different feelings on the subject of spaying and neutering their dogs; and no matter who you speak with, you will get a different point of view. Below are some popular points of view I have heard over the years from a few different groups of individuals. Again, I am not speaking for each group of people, but I have personally heard this information repeatedly over time.
Breeders: Many breeders will tell the owners of their dogs not to spay and neuter until after the 1.5 year mark. The reason for waiting so long is that the breeder is mainly concerned with the physical appearance of the dog. Their point of view is that the dogs need to be intact until they are completely fully grown in order to develop and fill out according to standard.
Shelters and Rescue Groups: This may be one of the most obvious groups that strongly suggest spaying and neutering. Their logic is simple, spay and neuter your pets to prevent unwanted litters and promote responsible pet ownership. The lack of dog owner responsibility is one of the main reasons that shelters and rescue groups have a never ending cycle of animals coming into their organizations.
Veterinarians: From my experience, the advice of this community seems to be very balanced. Their reasons to suggest spaying and neutering range from health issues to responsible pet ownership, and I have even seen vets not recommending surgery because of other health issues as well as potential breeding options later in life.
Trainers: Many trainers recommend neutering and spaying as soon as your veterinarian approves. While neutering and spaying will not solve all behavior issues, it can help if you are seeing certain issues in the making and plan on taking your dog to a lot of public places, such as dog parks. Even though your dog may not be the cause of some undesirable interactions with other dogs in public, many dogs do not respond well to un-neutered males. While another dog not being socially stable is not directly your problem, it ends up being a burden that you now must now deal with.
Pet Dog Owners: I have experienced such a drastic difference in opinions from this group. I have heard people say that they are considering showing or breeding their dog and I have also heard that they will not neuter because they don’t want their dog to get fat or lose his “manhood”. I have also heard other pet dog owners saying that they do not want their dog urinating all over everything or having to go through the inconvenience of caring for their dog while they are in heat.
When all is said and done, it is YOUR choice. Which category do you fit into, and what are your thoughts on spaying and neutering your animals?
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