Im not responsible for everyone elses Dog, and why should I have unessesary surgery on mine, just so they can do as they please?
Dawn.

I agree Dawn, but in some places it just doesn't work like that. There are some people who will just do as they please and sometimes one feels the need to safeguard against these people. Sometimes there's no other solution sadly.

Especially when it ruins the coat,

Just wondered about this? Of all the neutered dogs I know (and I know a lot!) they all have nice coats - including my own dog, but he's on a raw diet so that helps.

Can it ruin the coat to a point where it is damaging to the dog or is it from a showing point of view?

It always surprises me when I read some posts re the neutering v non-neutering camps, how some people can reckon that to leave ones animals as nature intended is paramount to doing them some kind of disservice. Why all the warning of what can happen to an animal left as nature intended, why is it considered that modifying your animals is better than leaving them with all parts working as part of a whole, why do those who consider neutering and neutering as early as possible such an advantage, advantage to who or what?

There are only 2 things certain if you neuter your animals, the first is that it can’t reproduce and the second, it can’t get a disease in the part that has been removed.

Considering the above what could possible cause you to take such a irreversible step, if you have an intact dog of the opposite sex and can’t separate them when needed then you may consider that the first is the practical way to go, if you don’t have another intact animal why would you need to neuter.

When considering point two, the chance of getting a disease that may effect the organs to be removed by neutering, well this is just not logical, the dog is far more likely to fall victim to a disease in another area of the body but you will not consider removing them. At the same time removing a large proportion of the animals hormone & natural steroid producing systems may well lead to health problems that would not have occurred in the first place had the animals system, balanced by nature, not been interfered with.

Think it sad that dogs being considered possessions we are allowed to do to them what ever we choose apart that is from removing the tail and cropping the ears and yet those who are whole heartedly behind the ban on docking and cropping are in a lot of cases fully in favour of neutering. To me it seems a strange set of morals, an undocked tail may become damaged but that possibility is dismissed as not relevant but because a un-neutered animal may get a disease in the organs that has not been removed it is considered a matter of urgency that an intrusive operation is undertaken at the first possible moment.

Because dogs are possessions each and every owner can may up there own mind as to if there is a need to neuter and if that reason is morally valid, they will if they speak to others be told all sorts of stories but the fact remains there are hundreds of intact elderly dogs who have never reproduced themselves without there caring owners willing it nor been killed by one of the threatened illnesses. There are also hundreds of owners who will tell you that they have had all their dogs neutered as soon as possible and they are fine, no problems at all, well no problems they are aware of as if they have always neutered as soon as possible they have no idea what a dog left in it’s natural state is like.

Can you point me to some figures to prove this?

Is what happened to the puppy who was killed on the road acceptable? It could have been prevented by neutering.

I'm flabbergasted that people think it's ok to not neuter their dogs when they don't intend to breed from them. I will always, always have any dog of mine neutered. That way I can know for sure, 100% that no dog of mine will ever sire a litter.

Fabulous post.... tried to reppie you but it wont let me

I see, thanks for the info Dawn. I haven't seen any difference in my wiry coated terrier. In fact his coat is the best now it's ever been. He's nver liked the rain though, so he has a waterproof coat anyway

I liken why I am for neutering my own dogs to why I would get car insurance. If I don't get insurance and I crash into your car, you would be mighty p'd off.I get my dog neutered, then if he does try to hump a bitch there's no chance of puppies resulting

I'm with you both, it's other owners that are the problem and they need to be educated. But I don't think it'll ever happen so I'll keep neutering

Ah, this thread just sucked me back in