Not to want to castrate my new dog?

[Nataleejah]

He's 7yo, very well behaved, never agressive, very obedient. Previous owner did not neuter him, so why should i? Even though people in the park tell me off...

What do people tell you off for? How can you tell a dog hasn't been castrated? I know that's a silly question but clearly they must be able to see it. I assume your dog isn't trying to shag other dogs, given that you say he's well behaved, never let out alone etc etc, so it can't be that he is sniffing around female dogs, can it? So how can they tell?

Daily mail sad face

boschy

We actually adopted my dog the day after he'd been neutered. No issues at all. The dog never noticed.

Coat condition varies with age, health and grooming habits. Gonads have very little to do with it. After all, you expect bitches and dogs of the same breed to have very similar coats. And as for castrated dogs getting overweight... That's a pile of shit. Dogs that are over-fed get overweight: It really is as simple as that.

I don't think it's a great idea to get dogs castrated before they're fully grown. At least a year for small breeds, longer for big dogs. But once muscle and bone are well developed, and if you're not equipped to breed responsibly from the dog, the advantages definitely outweigh the disadvantages. YABU.

Your dog knowing naturally when to stop eating is great, though I am guessing you probably don't have a labrador. I do. Most of them simply have no clue when to stop eating, whether neutered or not.

However, NO dog naturally knows "oops, I mustn't chase and mate that bitch as I might make unwanted babies".

Yes, bitches are often spayed too, and it is usually a good idea unless you plan to breed. I have my castrated labrador boy, and also a spayed cocker spaniel bitch, who is very much on the small side for her breed anyway. Imagine the mayhem if I had left them to be "natural". Not to mention that a pregnancy in a bitch who is very significantly smaller than the stud could be medically very risky indeed.

shadack
Why would you wait till for a dog to get testicular cancer before considering neutering, when neutering can remove the risk? Also, why would you boast about allowing your intact male dogs around bitches in season? Just because they haven't tried anything yet doesn't mean they never will and it can happen very quickly.

We had to get our dog neutered as part of the buying of him.
He was a rescue puppy and I totally understand why they make it part of the deal.

But really?
Of course you're not being U in your OP, and as others have said, if you are in complete control of him all the time, who's business is it anyway?

A neutered dog won't automatically get fat though.
And who cares about a dog's coat if it's healthy? Bit of a vain concern.

Hecate t'is glaringly Obviously when an adult male as no dingly danglies, that's How other dog owners can tell

Your dog knowing naturally when to stop eating is great, though I am guessing you probably don't have a labrador. I do. Most of them simply have no clue when to stop eating, whether neutered or not.

He's a collie-lab cross

YABU. There are already too many abandoned, unwanted pets in shelters or on the streets. The only way to ensure that you are not contributing to the problem is to spay/neuter your dog. Failure to do so is immoral.

oh. thank you. of course.

Can you tell I spend no time at all around dogs?

Vet here. Its worth noting that the majority of vets are actually poorly trained in the benefits and drawbacks of neutering (the education hasn't caught up with current science). I work in this field so may be able to add a bit more actual science to the debate.

Recent research shows that neutering generally doubles the risk of cancer. For most dogs this isn't significant as the initial risk of cancer is tiny so doubling this risk still results in only a tiny risk. However in some breeds like rottweilers which have a higher risk of cancers like osteosarcoma (bone cancer) this risk can be significant. cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/11/11/1434.full

There is also evidence of increased risks in golden retrievers www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0055937

There are no anti-cancer benefits of neutering a male dog, to my knowledge (testicular cancer is vanishingly rare)
Prostatic cancer is more common in neutered male dogs www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12431819

Neutering a male dog will decrease the risk of prostatic hyperplasia but this is also a treatable condition

If a dog is fearful or fear-aggressive, neutering him can exacerbate this issue.

Neutering does decrease metabolic rate by about 20 - 25% and so he may gain weight. There's no evidence that food type has a significant impact link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-36488-4_31

Neutering may be routine but it is still a painful, invasive surgery requiring a general anaesthetic and after care.

Dogs that are neutered are less likely to roam and seek bitches in heat, get hit by cars etc.

Responsible pet ownership is about ensuring your dog is under control and doesn't bother others - this is generally easier with a castrated dog and the majority of pet owners castrate for the social/owner benefits. This doesn't mean that there aren't any benefits to male dogs, but there certainly aren't as many as are commonly touted, and it is perfectly possible to be a responsible owner without castrating your male dog.

The benefits and risks are different for female dogs

Castrated dogs do not necessarily put on weight. They just tend to need less food. Do you see the difference?

Also leg shagging is absolutely nothing to do with the dog saying "I'm bigger than you".

RSPCA volunteer or not you seem rather uneducated wrt dog stuff.

My previous dog was a chronic escape artist and enthusiastic female pursuer. He remained exactly the same after neutering.
My current dog, same breed, unneutered, never escapes or runs away, never leg humps etc. Like my neutered dog, he would get a bit het up at the scent of an in season Bitch, but that lasts about half an hour.
Smelling a Bitch didn't change either of them unto sex maniacs for 24/7 for the rest of their lives. My neutered dog became not fat but, shapeless and his coat most certainly coursened.

Nataleejah - there is a huge contradiction between your statement that you want your dog to be a 'natural' dog, and the one saying he is an indoor dog who is never outside unsupervised!

You do know that living indoors is not natural for dogs, don't you? And that it's not natural for you to feed the dog, rather than letting him hunt - I note you ignored the earlier poster who asked you what prey your 'natural' dog hunts and how much he catches - because you know that the answer would fliy directly in the face of your assertion that he is to be a 'natural' dog.

I notice you have also ignored the posters who have pointed out the positive health benefits to your dog of having him neutered - reducing the chance of certain cancers, for example. And you've also ignored those who,pointed out your dog doesn't have to get overweight or get a poor coat, if you look after him properly. Our Labrador bitch was spayed before her first season, and we take care of her diet and make sure she gets enough exercise, and I can assure you she is in beautiful condition - she's in good shape, and has the softest and most shiny and cuddly coat.

Your dog doesn't need his testicles, and the benefits of neutering him will outweigh the potential downsides - and your 'natural dog' argument is total bollocks, in the case of a house pet.

But you didn't come here wanting to hear the truth - you want validation for your stupid decision.

Obviously volunteering with the RSPCA hasn't taught you that humping bitches/legs/cushions/anything isn't always a sign of dominance.

It's pretty much never a sign of dominance chiggers.

Quite apart from people's pets, valuable pedigree or mutt, there are also stray dogs. Who is going To care for them and their puppies, and their puppies? No one can garuanteed that only stray males will mate with stray females.

Yes the "I want my dog to be a dog" is laughable. Do you imagine castration will turn him into a wood louse?

Collie-lab crosses are lovely. I know several. Perhaps they are better at knowing when to stop eating, unlike the majority of labradors I know (and I know a fair number). As a breed they are often best described as stomachs on four legs.

A fair bit of control is needed with labradors around food. They would eat you out of house and home otherwise.

It is your choice whether to neuter or not. People are setting out the pros and cons, and for many of us the pros outweigh the cons. Before my lab was neutered he would even hump me, so I had begun to think of getting him done earlier that I otherwise would have even before the incident at 9 months of age. He was already very testosterone driven, and was a handful. It had the desired effect and the worst of his behaviour stopped pretty quickly.

Ideally though, I would have waited another few months.

Wow there's a lot of very uninformed opinion on this thread from people who 'know a lot about dogs' but actually don't seem to have any evidence for their critical opinions....
Perhaps do some research before criticising the OP. Her choice is valid

I just like a discussion. Maybe cultural difference, but been around dogs long enough. I will not castrate my new dog...

The most uninformed opinion I've seen so far is from the OP.

Well don't ask in AIBU then.

I guess you've just rendered this thread null and void.