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The Dreaded Question "Why have you not neutered or spayed"?

Tropicalbri's

Tropicalbri's

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I get asked this question at least once a week. I am growing weary of trying to answer this question without getting the full on assault of every "I know what's best for animals" type person.
I have been looked at like I am an irresponsible pet owner. I get lectures on how Bogie is going to become aggressive because he has 'balls'.
Neutering will calm him down. I especially liked that one. :eek:
I explain he is a working breed and naturally has drive and energy. To that I get; well my lab calmed down a lot when we fixed him. He is much more laid back, to which I respond; he lost his nuts and gained 20lbs. He isn't laid back from neutering, he is slow because he is fat!
You cannot win with these people. I try to explain health benefits to keeping him intact and how neutering does not prevent or cure aggression, in fact it can increase it. They look at me like I just bought a beach condo on Mars.
I need help on how to respond to these know everything about dog people, short of just slapping the stupid out of them and telling them to do something anatomically impossible to themselves.:help::anonymous :
 
Having a female dog certainly makes it easier to avoid these types of conversations, I'm sure!

I dunno... I would ask people WHY they got THEIR dogs fixed? Because vets said so? Because they can't watch their dog all the time to ensure they don't knock another dog up? Because they thought it would take place of training for behavioral issues? When it did come up, I mostly stuck to the "there's evidence to prove that cancer rates go down when you wait to spay and that they mature more naturally" and that typically shuts people up or directs the conversation to something more productive. When I get the crop and dock questions, I explain that Dobermans are guard dogs and by cropping and docking, there's nothing to grab onto if they're attacking (and demonstrate by giving an ear a gentle tug) and then people look impressed and take a step back :D more fun than the "it's breed standard" answer!

I will say I get judgey when I see low-brow folks with unaltered dogs. I automatically assume it's for bragging rights ( "Whoa, man, look at the balls on that dog!" "Chyeah, BRO!" *CHEST BUMP*) or sketchy breeding scenarios. How sad is that?

I didn't notice any attitude changes in my male, Tobie, or Rubie after their surgeries so I'm always curious as to where that myth came from?
 
Sadly, there is huge stigma attached to having an intact dog. Other owners have no issue with telling you the fact that you're irresponsible and that he'll be 'calmer' if you get him fixed. You can almost taste the judgement when people ask "when are you going to neuter your dog?"

At the end of the day, we should be proud of the fact that our dogs are intact, healthy, well trained and happy.

I always say, "Some of the world’s best trained dogs, such as show dogs and police dogs, are intact."

And my fave joke....


Why does my dog lick his balls?
Because he can :D
 
Viemarangelrock said:
Sadly, there is huge stigma attached to having an intact dog. Other owners have no issue with telling you the fact that you're irresponsible and that he'll be 'calmer' if you get him fixed. You can almost taste the judgement when people ask "when are you going to neuter your dog?"

At the end of the day, we should be proud of the fact that our dogs are intact, healthy, well trained and happy.

I always say, "Some of the world’s best trained dogs, such as show dogs and police dogs, are intact."

And my fave joke....


Why does my dog lick his balls?
Because he can :D
Click to expand...
I wanted to hit both agree and funny. Lol
 
LifeofRubie said:
Having a female dog certainly makes it easier to avoid these types of conversations, I'm sure!

I dunno... I would ask people WHY they got THEIR dogs fixed? Because vets said so? Because they can't watch their dog all the time to ensure they don't knock another dog up? Because they thought it would take place of training for behavioral issues? When it did come up, I mostly stuck to the "there's evidence to prove that cancer rates go down when you wait to spay and that they mature more naturally" and that typically shuts people up or directs the conversation to something more productive. When I get the crop and dock questions, I explain that Dobermans are guard dogs and by cropping and docking, there's nothing to grab onto if they're attacking (and demonstrate by giving an ear a gentle tug) and then people look impressed and take a step back :D more fun than the "it's breed standard" answer!

I will say I get judgey when I see low-brow folks with unaltered dogs. I automatically assume it's for bragging rights ( "Whoa, man, look at the balls on that dog!" "Chyeah, BRO!" *CHEST BUMP*) or sketchy breeding scenarios. How sad is that?

I didn't notice any attitude changes in my male, Tobie, or Rubie after their surgeries so I'm always curious as to where that myth came from?
Click to expand...
Good stuff. I agree.

Also, thank you for citing the key reason for cropping and docking in the Doberman Pinscher. THANK YOU for not saying it's just the breed standard, or it's tradition or worst of all, it's just cosmetic.
 
As for neutering/spaying:

I've been asked that, but it's been a while. Once I was in California on a trip with my dog and I got the question, and the woman followed up fairly aggressively when I shut her down.

I don't get the question much though. Even when I lived in super-liberal Seattle I didn't get it often, if at all. I suppose it's that most folks don't want to approach a strange lone man and ask such things. I don't think I'd mess with you though, Bri, so I'm surprised people give you flack.

Now, here in Cincinnati, I just think it's such a permissive society. Seems folks can do just about anything they want, so I think not much is questioned. It's also a pretty traditional, old-fashioned city/region. I take Oji to a lot of public places like brewery taprooms and I have not gotten any comments even when I've gotten into conversations with people regarding dogs.

But yeah, it makes me mad in a hurry when folks pass judgement on the issue. Always has – even before I knew there were harmful health effects of altering.
 
That's one thing I disagree on with our trainer. She calls it getting them "tutored" because it makes them so much better behaved. I told her I disagree and that Albert will not be neutered until he's at least two. We never had any behavior problems with him whether he was neutered or not but the biggest reason we did it after he was two was because he wanted to mark in the house. :nono:
The odd thing is that she worked for our vet before he moved to this town and he's the first to tell people that they need to wait with breeds like this so they can mature or it can mess up their growth pattern, along with other things.
 
JanS said:
That's one thing I disagree on with our trainer.
Click to expand...
My trainer asked me yesterday when I planned to neuter Bogie. I gave him a blank stare and said I'm not sure I will. Then he just assumed I was going to breed him.:facepalm::censored:
 
JanS said:
Gosh I get that all the time when they see we have a male and female, even though they're altered. They think if you have a male and female you must breed them...
Click to expand...
I wonder if some people think the only reason you have a male and female dog is so they can breed. I guess training, fun, eventing with them never occurs to these people.
 
I have to say Buddy is almost 6 and I have never had one comment about him having his nuts , where I live people seem far more acceptable of intact dogs even my vet has never mentioned it but if anyone were to mention to me about his balls I would just embarrass them, tell them "opinions are like arsholes everbody has one" and just keep walking.
 
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