Yesterday I watched one of my favorite shows, "It's Me Or The Dog", and was appalled to see a 20-year-old guy with an un-neutered male Presa Canario in his home. He got the dog at 8 weeks old from a breeder (who I would assume is not licensed, since he sold the puppy to a teenager) and was positive he would someday be breeding his dog, so he didn't want to take him for the "big snip". Unfortunately, this powerful member of the bully breed family had become an unstable, territorial oaf who marked every inch of his home and couldn't go for a walk without causing the entire neighborhood to panic. Right away, Victoria Stilwell said that a huge help with training would be to have the dog neutered. I could see the guy's face harden as she gave him this news. He responded that he didn't want to put his dog through that. Plus, he was considering breeding the dog at some point...there would be no neutering on his watch.
Victoria took him to an animal shelter and showed him all of the bully breed dogs who were on death row because their owners couldn't handle them. She let him know that most of these were backyard bred dogs who weren't adoptable due to aggression and fear issues. Somehow, even with all of this heartbreaking information, the guy still wouldn't budge. He said he would find homes before the puppies were even born and his friends were "responsible dog owners".
Finally, Victoria took him to a training center specifically for bully breeds. The main requirement to join the program was that the dog must be neutered so that the excess testosterone would not be coursing through his veins and causing him to possibly lose focus at the wrong moment. At first, the young guy was not on board. Eventually he realized that he really wanted to show how great the Presa Canario breed can be, so he would be getting his dog neutered in order to join the training program.
Throughout the entire episode I was reminded of many men I've encountered who just wouldn't get their dogs fixed. These men were just like this 20-year-old guy, thinking they could handle their dog, so there was no reason to have his testicles removed. As a woman, I have no way of understanding these feelings. To me, this is such a simple solution to so many behavioral problems that I can't understand why men let their personal feelings get in the way.
Neutering a male dog is not going to traumatize him. What I find interesting is how it seems to traumatize male owners - as though they've just lost a piece of their manhood by doing a favor to their dog. I wonder if they realize the behaviors they are (in most cases) preventing by taking this step. When a male dog has testosterone buzzing around in his body, he is going to go wherever that testosterone leads him. This is especially true if there is a female dog anywhere in his vicinity. Male dogs who haven't been neutered are at much higher risk of wandering off and being hit by a car or being picked up by a local animal services officer. There is also a higher risk of cancer, which means shorter lifespan for many un-neutered males.
I think one of the BIGGEST behavioral issues a person can prevent by having a dog neutered is aggression. There's a reason why in-tact dogs are not allowed in the dog park. Both male and female dogs who haven't been fixed are much more likely to act aggressively towards other dogs (especially of the same sex). Again, with males this can mainly be attributed to testosterone. I'm not saying ALL aggression is caused by testosterone, but it's a big trigger. Think of all the pitbull attacks you hear about on the news. Now think of how many were attributed to un-neutered males or un-spayed females. I bet you'll come up with a large percentage. Pitbull lovers defend the breed, but can they defend the fact that many people don't fix their dogs due to status or fighting ability? I don't think so. That's why these dogs wander around neighborhoods and attack other animals (and people) who get in their way. Whenever I hear these stories I automatically blame the owner who didn't have the balls to cut their dog's off.
TO ANY MEN WHO READ THIS BLOG: Please consider neutering your dog in an effort to make his life more enjoyable. Just because he doesn't have testicles dangling around down there doesn't mean he's any less of a male. He will still play tug-of-war with you. He will still have the look of whatever breed he is (especially those muscular bully breeds). He will still attract women who like dogs (probably more so, since we don't really enjoy seeing those things hanging off of him or having him hump our legs). He will still be your best friend, nothing can change that.
If you're keeping your dog in-tact for breeding purposes please re-think that idea. Go to your local shelter and check out all of the dogs who are begging for homes. Many of these dogs were bred by unlicensed breeders, like yourself, and will either be traumatized by the shelter experience or not make it out of there alive. Is that really the life you want for your best friend's offspring? Smart people who value whatever breed your dog is will not be purchasing your puppies. You will most likely have a hard time finding homes (especially in this economy) for all of them and then you'll be forced to make a tough decision. Also, the people who buy from backyard breeders are not the ones who have done their research and really know what they're bringing home. Many times these are the people who discover after a few months that they cannot handle the breed and will drop the puppy off at a shelter or dump it on the side of the road.
Finally, think about your dog's life. Imagine a day when you are not home and he leaps the fence because he smells a female a mile or so away. Do you want to get the call that your dog has been killed because he tried to cross a busy road? How will you feel then? There are so many ways to prevent this from happening; neutering is a big one. Please be responsible and take the steps to be sure your dog is safe.
Don't think about your own manhood when you look at your dog, think about your dog's well being.
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