As a behavioural dog trainer and therapist my stance on desexing dogs is pretty clear.

But as a breeder I am often asked why I am so opposed to people not desexing their dogs. Let me assure you, that if not for our dedicated breeding program in place with the view to better our chosen breed of dog- the Boerboel (South african Mastiff) EVERYTHING at our place would be de-sexed in a flash!

As our dogs finish their breeding days, they are spayed or neutered with the vague hope of warding off the inevitable health risks of not desexing them when they were six months old. We usually lose this gamble and have lost 4 dogs to sexual organ cancers.
So on that subject, here are some of the reasons:

Health of the Dog:

Neutering a male eliminates the possibility of testicular tumours and greatly reduces the chance of prostate problems. Neutering decreases the incidence of perianal tumours and hernias, which are commonly observed in older, unaltered males.
Neutered males are less likely to try to escape a yard to find a female in season. This reduces the likelihood of them being hit by cars, getting into fights or lost.

Females spayed before their first oestrous cycle ("heat") greatly reduces her chance of mammary tumours, ovarian cancer and uterine infection (all of which can be fatal and costly to treat).

A spayed female eliminates the neighbourhood stray males from camping out on your lawn trying to get at your female when she comes into "heat."

Giving birth to a litter can be dangerous to your female. Some breeds have a high rate of caesarean sections, which are expensive and can be risky.

Temperament of the Dog:

Spaying and neutering before sexual maturity also offers a temperament benefit.
Males neutered early in life tend to be less aggressive and less distracted.

Neutered males are less likely to scent mark (real problem when they decide to mark inside the house) and less likely to wonder off as the urge to mark will be decreased.

A spayed female also does not hormonally based swings and will be more focused on you as well.

A female with a litter can become very aggressive, even to family members. Spaying also makes your female a better companion.

Unwanted dog litters:

Do you know that a single male and female and their offspring can produce thousands of offspring in six years? Think, a female can have a litter as young as six months and then have one every six months after that. Each litter can have an average of six offspring and each female offspring will be able to breed at about six months of age, the maths can be mind-boggling!
A male dog can impregnate as many females as he can get to in a day.

Just because a puppy is cute, does not mean it will find a home- every year, tens of thousands of dogs and puppies, purebred and crosses are euthanised in shelters and council pounds. More die on the streets or live shortened lives of neglect, abuse and horrors.

Risks associated with breeding your dog:

But wait..there's more! We need to have a look at some risks associated with breeding. What you see on Lassie and Disney with a loving mother dog (or cat) and her fat, healthy brood is just television!

What really happens is that you take on some very serious risks involved with breeding. The mother may develop complications and require immediate medical intervention.

Mothers can abandon puppies leaving you to hand rear. This include feeding a special formula every two hours, round the clock, stimulating the puppies to eliminate, checking weights daily, maintaining proper temperatures and humidity, etc. Even puppies whose mother cares for them oftenrequire supplemental feedings.

Puppies can be stillborn or born horribly deformed. Are your prepared to deal with things such as cleft palate, hydrocephaly or other problems some breeds may be prone to? Are you willing to face the fact you could have to euthanise puppies or the equally devasting- dreaded fading Puppy Syndrome, for which their is no cure?

Are you willing to make certain the mother is up to date on all vaccinations and have the puppies get their’s as well before going to homes? Diseases such as Parvovirus can kill puppies fast. Are you willing to risk your wonderful female becoming a biting terror as she protects puppies? Are you willing to risk the life of your pet?

Cost of spaying or neutering your dog:

The cost of spaying and neutering is far less than you would spend getting a litter of puppies all their shots. It is less than paying for surgery for testicular tumours or treating a uterine infection. The cost of neutering is far less than having to patch up your male who tried to cross a busy street to get at an unspeyed female. The cost of spaying or neutering is less than having you carpets cleaned because your dog is marking his territory or your female spotted on your beige rug.

Responsible breeders are lucky if they break even when they sell puppies. Responsible breeders breed to improve a breed of dog, not to make money. The costs of tests alone to see if a dog is healthy to breed can cost more than what is recouped when puppies are sold.

A responsible breeder breeds to improve the breed in looks, temperament, working ability and other areas. They do not breed to make puppies for retail sale.

Puppies who they do not think fit their needs or is an improvement on their blood lines or is a solid representative of the breed may be sold with an agreement the puppy will be spayed or neutered to prevent undesirable traits from passing on.

Myths about desexing your dog:

My pet will get fat and lazy.Spay and neutering may diminish your pet’s want to roam. Inactivity and poor feeding habits are generally the culprits in your pet’s weight gain. Feed a good quality food, give your pet exercise and adjust the food level to your pet’s activity level.

My pet’s personality will change.

The change will be for the better as explained above.

My children should witness the miracle of birth of a dog.

As a behavioural dog trainer I suggest you get a videotape. It is less expensive. Plus, as illustrated above, your children can witness far more than you wish... Avoid this excuse.

We can make money selling the puppies.

The cost of raising a litter properly will consume the majority of your "profit." There are too many puppies and kittens that need homes. Why contribute to this? Finding good homes can be difficult. What will you do with "surplus" offspring? Can you afford to keep multiple animals? Are you zoned to keep multiple animals?

I am concerned about anaesthesia.

This is probably the most valid of the reasons but still not good enough! There is always a risk with any procedure that requiring anaesthesia. Many vets use monitors to kept track of heart rate and respiration during surgery. Talk to you vet about your concerns. The medical benefits far outweigh the slight risk involved with spaying or neutering. The risks of NOT de-sexing them is far greater.

I hope I have given you something to think about and you will make the right choice. Just because a pet is purebred or cute does not mean it should be bred.

So if you are failing to desex your dog for any of the above reasons please speak to your vet or behavioural dog trainer about what I have discussed here today. I am sure he/she can enlighten you even further!

Sandra Mullaly
K9 Behavioural Therapist and Trainer

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