Can you think of any alternatives to spaying and neutering?

Question

Here bullymommy, I'll post the question for you. I'll even let you choose Best Answer.

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Please keep all answers respectful and rational. Thank you !

Cleoppa -- I'm being totally neutral in this, but I have a Q for you.

What can an owner of an unneutered male do to be absolutely 100% no-doubt-about it positive that their dog has never bred and will never breed?

Answer 1

YES.

It's called being responsible. Your dog CANNOT be bred unless YOU allow it. I maintain a household of 4 intact males, 3 spayed females and 4 intact females. We DO NOT have "accidents", either among my own dogs or with other dogs. When I have puppies, it is because I PLANNED it.

Unfortunately, there are far to many people who are too irresponsible or ignorant to safely maintain an intact animal.

And as for those who say that spaying/neutering is healthier or makes them better behaved, believe me there is LOTS of debate on that subject. I am believing it less and less.

Answer 2

Personally, I would never not spay/neuter unless there was a health concern involved. I have had many of my own dogs as well as fosters and quite frankly, I don't want the responsiblity of watching them every moment. I am very responsible with my dogs and I don't leave them outside, but I like that I can let them out into my fenced yard for a bit while I clean my house and I don't have to worry about my male getting out becuase a b itch down the street is in heat or that some other male will get into my yard and get to my female.
I think it is possible for some people to have intact animals and not have accidental litters, but the people capable of that are few and far between. The average pet owner can't figure out which end bites, let alone how to prevent unwanted litters in a fertile animal hell bent on breeding.
People who say that altering an animal is cruel and painful is totally wrong. Whenever I have spayed a female they seem much less uncomfortable than when in heat. A heat cycle is a b itch, pun intended. They get moody, uncomfortable, clingy, their appetite changes and their all around demeanor is miserable. When spayed, they feel better mere days after surgery, and some males display almost no discomfort at all after surgery.
There may be alternatives, but for me, fixing my animals will always be a priority and I will always encourage others to do so.

Answer 3

you know, I wouldn't have a problem with people not spaying and netuering if they could control their animals. But given the pet over population in this country, it's obvious that people can't. People take their unspayed/un netuered animals to dog parks. And what do the people do, they congragate and socialize and don't pay attention to their animals. I have been at the dog park and people have NO idea where their animal went - for all they know it's on the other side of the park mating or starting a fight!

Too many people tie their animals up out in the yard - unfenced and leave them there. Too many people have fenced yards that aren't secure and their animals can jump the fence or dig out or otherwise don't stay in the yard. Or they let them outside unsupervised. There are too many strays. I walked past a house today with 10 cats sitting out front - 7 of them were kittens. Here's a bunch of cats, probably not spayed or neutered and they are roaming around - what do people think happens? More kittens. Same with dogs.

Since people can't and aren't responsible with their pets, I feel like spaying and neutering needs to be required for any animal that is "just a pet". As the owner of 3 mutts, I know where they came from. Either people not watching their animals, or people intentionally cross-breeding dogs because they want puppies - who cares about quality and breed.

If people were responsible, it wouldn't be even be a thought in states like CA to institute mandatory spaying and neutering, but people aren't. And too many accidents are happening. Too many people are intentionally breeding animals that shouldn't be bred. So, I really, unfortunately, dont see another option . . .

Answer 4

The Dog Whisperer said that unless dogs are spayed and neutered they have a level of frustration because the instinct to mate is always there.

Hmm, does neutering work on husbands? Maybe a chastity belt should be tried first.

What can an owner of an unneutered male do to be absolutely 100% no-doubt-about it positive that their dog has never bred and will never breed?

Since dogs can't wear chastity belts there isn't an absolute 100% chance they will never breed. Even the most well trained and behaved dog can get it in his or her head to escape and mate. You could combat it with proper exercise and fences. But it only takes a second or two for a dog to break free through an opening door or fence.

Answer 5

You know what there is only one way to prevent pregnancy if you choose not to spay/neuter your dogs and that is being responsible with your dogs. You do not let them run free and you do not ever leave a b itch in heat unsupervised.

I have always had intact dogs because it is better to keep dogs intact for Schutzhund but I never had an accidental or Oops liter. I knew what to look for when my female was going into heat and I kept her completely away from my males. It is more work and it can be aggravating, males get obnoxious when a female is in heat, but it is completely possible.
Being responsible is the only answer as an alternative to S/N.
The problem is too many people can not be trusted to be responsible enough to prevent unwanted liters so for those people the only answer is spay and neuter. We would not be having this debate if people were responsible with their pets.

Answer 6

You can keep animals seperated to prevent breeding. Don't leave them in a yard that they can escape from, or others can enter, and don't leave them unsupervised. It is possible, but most people are not willing to put in the effort necessary.

Personally, I waited until my female was 15 months old and had had her first heat to spay her. I am interested in agility and performance sports for her, and there has been some research that it is better to let a dog reach maturity before spay/neutering, especially if it will be an athlete. http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html

If you remove hormones before a dog has finished growing, you may get some structural weaknesses. Zink says, "For example, if the femur has achieved its genetically determined normal length at 8 months when a dog gets spayed or neutered, but the tibia, which normally stops growing at 12 to 14 months of age continues to grow, then an abnormal angle may develop at the stifle. In addition, with the extra growth, the lower leg below the stifle likely becomes heavier (because it is longer), and may cause increased stresses on the cranial cruciate ligament. In addition, sex hormones are critical for achieving peak bone density.(4)"

Such an interesting article, if you get a chance to read it. Not too long either.

Answer 7

There are some Vets that perform Vasectomies on dogs, as well as Tubal ligation or tying the tubes on females, but it is very expensive, and risky. The only 100% effective way is to neuter. If they do not like the way a neutered dog looks there are silicon replacements that makes the dog look like it is intact. They are called Neuticals. The only birth control pills are for females. Health wise it is healthier to neuter your dog since it eliminates testicular cancer and reduces prostate cancer. They will still protect their family. I hope this is of help.

Answer 8

There really isn't an alternative. Dogs do not think like people. When a ***** in heat, he thinks "I MUST PASS ON MY SEED!" It's instinct, and there really is no way to get past it. If your unneutered dog ran away, he would mount every unspayed female he could find, creating dozens of homeless puppies, only to be euthanized. The statistics are something like 70,000 puppies are born every day and 10,000 babies are born every day. I'm sure it's an exaggeration, but I have statistics from the pound where I live:

Maricopa County Animal Control and Care (on average) receives 150 animals a day. Between 6 and 40 are adopted a day.

There is no alternative.

Answer 9

there's a large article (particularly long) which lists each and all the long-term outcomes of spaying or neutering, of which there are much greater adverse than advantageous (link related). It incorporates each and all the guidance in no way observed jointly as the large push is going directly to have ALL pets submit to surgery, even those in all comparable-intercourse families or those given no possibility to reproduce. Many puppy proprietors are commencing to ask your self how such invasive surgery, that is finished for no medically mandatory reason, ought to probable be reliable for his or her puppy's well-being, which that isn't any longer, and if there are any determination. the item talks approximately some determination too. i think that non-surgical sterilization, called "chemical castration", is attainable now for canines, or purely about attainable. i understand that the single-time injection, which replaced into authorized and attainable for a pair of years some years in the past, is approximately to return (furnish/shipper issues took it ff the industry... greed could have had something to do with that). One common injection and a cat or canines is made sterile, completely. may be a project to regulate the finished feral inhabitants yet could easily be much less complicated than the surgical answer now. There are another approaches too. you will ought to examine the item. in my opinion I even have had vasectomies completed on 2 cats, so because it particularly is a possibility. finding a vet to do one contained in the U.S. isn't that straightforward yet appearing a vasectomy is unquestionably much less complicated than appearing a neuter. I in no way ought to be sure why neutering grew to alter into the popular determination. you're under no circumstances on my own on your thought approaches. no longer each physique sees the advantages of surgical sterilization. Many are coming to realize that in spite of each and all the pleas to spay or neuter and the "info" strewn approximately that is is powerful for the puppy, changing their puppy will no longer do a factor to help the overpopulation problem.

Answer 10

Difficult question this one and controversial!

From what I see at work (vets) and read on here there is no decent foolproof alternative.

For every one decent breeder, who does everything by the book there is (rough guess) at least 100 complete idiots!

I read Bullymommys Q, but it sounded very heated so chose not to answer that one :-)

I have nothing against decent breeders who do it for the love and continued well being of their particular breed, BUT can't abide ignorant people, not stupid people but ignorant people, who can not and will not take advise, or even face the fact that they are wrong or mislead.

So for me personally, No there is no alternative from a safe breeding aspect anyway.

Answer 11

OK, I suspect everyone's going to hate me...

But it is possible to have a dog, not breed it and not spay/neuter it. It will be more difficult (keep your dogs away from other breedable dogs) and more messy (when ***** is in heat). It takes a serious commitment, but I see nothing wrong with this.

The animal rights people want everyone to think that the only good owner is one whose animals are spayed or neutered. This is not true and I don't think educated animal people should fall for it.

A good dog owner only breeds his dog in an effort to improve the breed. Whether "not breeding" means neutering your dog or just keeping him apart from other dogs is up to the individual owner.

This option is not practical or possible for many pet owners, so neutering is of course encouraged.

ADD: Laura, in response to your question, I'm really not the best person to answer. I've known many responsible owners who don't let their dogs breed indiscriminately. For myself, I'm an "adult" but I'm young. My current dogs my parents got me from rescue when I was a teen. All my dogs have been neutered. Hopefully in a year or so I'll be in a position to get some show dogs and maybe even foundation stock. To address your question, I asked a question of my own, addressed to the responsible breeders who of course have intact males that they don't want spreading their genes around the neighborhood: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070906180507AAcxE78&pa=FYd1D2bwHTHwLLNnFu06QUeaIKWK0iN1OtLkoIvX._Q4fw--&paid=asked&msgr_status=