Janet and I picked up Rhuby and Shep at the vet’s in Westport this morning where they’d been overnight after having been spayed and neutered respectively. Rhuby had a large uterus, apparently, and her sutured incision is quite long. Shep’s nad removal required only about a 3/4 of an inch slice which he already seems to have forgotten all about. Rhubarb’s stitches run three layers deep and are a bit more serious, so we have to keep them separated and aptly monitored for a good 10 days or so. No jumping, no horse play, no swimming, no baths, no offleash outside frolicking – no fun. This is not going to be an easy set of rules to try and enforce.
Now that the deed is done, a little bit of guilt has crept in. I find myself wondering exactly what the benefits of a fixed pet are over and above people telling me that it’s a “good idea”. Here’s what I’ve learned tonight…
What fixing a dog does:
- Simply put, it eliminates hormone-driven behaviors.
- Eliminates a dogs need to fight with other dogs over potential mates.
- Helps curb the need to mark territory or to advertise ‘availability”.
- Helps dogs remain focused during training instead of looking around for a female in heat, etc.
- Makes it less likely for the animal to develop many types of cancer and other diseases.
What fixing a dog does not:
- Neutering does not affect physical or mental development.
- It does not automatically make dogs fat and lazy.
- It does not make dogs less protective of you or your property.
I think I feel better now, to be honest. Here’s a question to all you dog owners: Have I missed any thing on my list? Are you for or against the fixing of man’s best friends? I think i’m leaning towards the “unless you’re planning to breed them, snip the little fuckers” camp. 10/10 mail carriers agree.
“I LOVE chocolate. But I can’t eat it, ’cause then I’ll get fat. But it’s SOOOOOOO good!”
Sorry, I had to:)
My late dog humped occasionally after we got her fixed. Usually during play-fighting with a puppet (my parents came up with this using our old animal puppets … the dog LOVED it though). I think it was a dominance thing in that case. But I remember Dad saying, “NO HUMPY! NO HUMPY” the first time it happened, which was pretty funny. Because, you know, Dad sounding like the hooker from Full Metal Jacket was something I never thought I’d hear.
You missed one. Canine ejaculation. It happens and if there is no penetration, it can and will be messy. Also, dogs can ejaculate several times in a row, especially in their “teenage” years (1-2). I can give you more information if you want it, but I am sure you don’t….well, maybe you do. Do you?
I’ll tell you, in one day I discovered that my dog can blow his load and achieve significant distance while doing it.
So, one for fixing.