Pros & Cons Of Neutering Your Male Dog

The article below is reprinted with permission from Adopt-a-Bull Rescue (http://www.adoptabullrescue.com) in Coral Springs, Florida.

I was recently contacted by someone who had a friend that wanted to adopt an intact male.  I explained that our dogs are not adopted until they have been fixed, so that was out of the question.  She explained that her friend doesn’t find it necessary for a male to be neutered.  I appreciated her candor but still said no.  That reminded me of a vet that told me he doesn’t support males being neutered because there is no need for it (WHAT THE??).  So, that got me to thinking; they can’t be the only two people that think that way.  Maybe it’s time for a little friendly education on the topic.

1)      Neutering provides major health benefits for your male.  Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer and prostate disease if done before six months of age.

2)      Your male dog won’t want to roam away from home.  An intact male will do just about anything to find a mate!  That includes digging his way under a fence and making like Houdini to escape from the house.  And once he’s free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males.

3)      Your neutered male will be much better behaved.  Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families.  On the other hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house.  Many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.

4)      Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat.  Don’t use that old excuse!  Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds – not neutering.  Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake.

5)      It is highly cost-effective.  The cost of your pet’s spay/neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for a litter.  It also beats the cost of treatment when your unneutered dog escapes and gets into fights with the neighborhood stray.

6)      Spaying and neutering your pet is good for the community.  Stray animals pose a real problem in many parts of the country.  They can prey on wildlife, cause car accidents, damage the local fauna and frighten children.  Spaying and neutering packs a powerful punch in reducing the number of animals on the streets.

7)      Your pet doesn’t need to (father) a litter for your children to learn about the miracle of birth.  Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping is not a good lesson for your children – especially when so many unwanted animals end up in shelters.   There are tons of books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a more responsible way.

Spaying and neutering helps fight pet overpopulation.  Every year, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer as strays.  These high numbers are the result of unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.

(This information can be found at www.hsus.org and other educational animal sites.)

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