Please explain why my argument is illogical.

I've basically made two points throughout this whole thread:

• Castration comes with numerous long-term (as well as short term) risks.
  
• There are safer ways to 'neuter' your dog. (So why not use those instead?)

(Above backed up by numerous studies - 50 if you go by that report!)

My vet advised us not to rush into neutering Theo and to see how he developed before making that decision. My vet's preference would be to neuter if a) the dog becomes unmanageable, frustrated or significantly distressed at not being able to satiate his urges or B) there's a medical reason for doing it. He wasn't keen on castration because Theo is a breed renowned for its placidity but he did caution me about being responsible and not letting Theo run free and meet the ladies in case they weren't spayed.

Oh there was a 3rd reason for neutering - if I owned an intact female & wasn't planning a litter.

Theo's interest in that end of things seems to be limited to his stuffed frog. For now.

That is a very unfair comparison to make Azz and going totally off topic

I don't think it should be banned either, its a choice the owner makes on the advice/recommendation with their vet. I do think the animal should be at least six months of age.

Fortunately I have never had a vet hassle me to have a dog/bitch neutered, its always been a personal choice of mine.

I have owned dogs and over my life time they have reach all reached 18+ (all neutered) and Meg reached 23yrs and 1 month

perhaps I have been just lucky.......but I must say my dogs have never suffered any ill/side effects and have been active right up to old age and have only really visited vets for routine things other than Reah but she had suffered a RTA/cruelty case when I had her so that was to be expected.

I will always chose to neuter TBH and would like to feel I can always choose too so I wouldn't like it to be banned

No, I would not like to see it banned.

Whilst I dont necessarily agree with early neutering (I had both my males neutered around 7 months old and wont make that mistake again), like Steph, I will always choose to neuter.

I feel far safer in the knowledge that my dogs could never reproduce and that some behaviours which can be problematic for both dogs and humans are, at least, minimised, if not eradicated.

Wouldn't you prefer a safer, less-risky option tho? (As detailed in post 1 and subsequent posts)

(That's the point I was making)

No I wouldnt like to see it outlawed, there are far too many owners that are not responsible enough to enure that their entire dog does not reproduce.
Also it is personal choice when to get their dog (or bitch) neutered, I have an entire adult male and will not be getting him neutered, my vet pushed for it once, I told them that it is my [well informed] choice, a different dog may have led to a different choice. I also advised my puppy buyers to wait until 12 month- 2years before making a decision on neutering, but at the end of the day it is their choice and that should not be taken away.

With bitches in pet homes I am all for spaying after the first season, again because there are too many irresponsible owners out there, again I have two entire bitches here, It will be my choice no one elses when I get them spayed.

But I have never had a problem in that respect when it came to neutering my dogs, so at the end of the day, it would come down to cost. Or, for my mind to be changed due to a negative experience I had resulting from neutering the conventional way.

Even the author of the second study says they feel it wouldn't be appropiate for the majority of the dog population---I quoted that in a post but that was ignored.

Re the other study---the one by the organisation which lost my respect as soon as I looked into it.

I have now read it and it has a lot of holes in it. The obvious one is the one pointed out by several people and again ignored---it didn't take into account behavioural issues.

Also the age of neutering was frequently mentioned and it would appear that if you neuter later a lot of the problems are negated.

A possibility of 4/1 that an unspayed bitch will get pyrometra is unacceptably high IMO.

Obesity being caused by neutering is ridiculous as an arguement against it---it is easy enough to make sure any dog doesn't get overweight. So the problems attached to obesity can be disregarded.

As a part of the conclusion the study says that

<<The balance of long-term health risks and benefits of spay/neuter will vary from one dog to the next. Breed,
age, and gender are variables that must be taken into consideration in conjunction with non-medical factors
for each individual dog. Across-the-board recommendations for all dogs do not appear to be supportable
from findings in the veterinary medical literature.>>

I see no reason given in either study to suggest that routine castration should be banned.

rune

Excellent post Rune