Summerwood Farm NC, LLC

von BachHaus Kennel German shepherds

To Spay/Neuter or to Keep your Puppy/Dog Intact

Many dog owners are confused about the question of whether or not to Spay/Neuter or keep their pet intact. In this Post, we at von BachHaus Kennel will give our opinion on this important question.

Most Veterinarians will tell new puppy owners that, to be responsible, you should Neuter or Spay your puppy. They will also state that Spaying and Neutering will decrease the chance of a variety of medical issues.
Please do your own research and be an informed dog owner.
You have committed a large sum of money and ten years to have your German Shepherd live as part of your Family
Neutering your dog will not make behavioral issues disappear. You will still have to train your dog. Neutering will not make the “red rocket” disappear, the humping go away, the constant barking stop, the food-aggression end or the toy-possessiveness vanish. If your dog had problems with recall, neutering won’t make it magically come when you call. It won’t make your dog easier to walk, or make it stop smelling every fence post, bush, gopher hole, and strange stick it sees.
Your dog won’t suddenly become friendlier to strangers, humans or animals. It definitely won’t make it stop chewing up your stuff. Neither will it make your dog less afraid of loud noises. It won’t make your dog “better with children.” It won’t teach them that the carpet is not okay to pee or barf on.

That’s not to say that neutering is pointless—it has a very concrete and valuable purpose. But there’s a lot of misconception involved, and many people seem to think that neutering is required to make dogs behave, or to clear up behavioral problems their dogs have. If you decide to neuter your dog, do it for all the right reasons, from a place of knowledge.
Remember, the biggest single factor in the behavior of your dog is not its ovaries or testicles; it’s the training and structure you provide. There seems to be a cultural perception that “fixing” dogs is the only way to get good behavior from them; the only thing that “fixes” a dog’s issues is training and love. It’s very tempting to buy into this idea that “fixing” makes for better, easier dogs, but at the end of the day, all dogs take plenty of work, love, and training, and neutering is just a surgical procedure to prevent unwanted puppies.
Another thing to keep in mind is that, for dogs, humping is just as much a dominance display as it is a sexual one — that’s why female dogs mount other dogs. Many neutered animals hump each other to try to assert dominance, and plenty of neutered animals get into fights.
There’s also research indicating that neutering dogs can increase nervous or neurotic behavior like barking, noise sensitivity, and fearful behavior — so be prepared that those behaviors may increase post-surgery, and have a plan to help your dog overcome them.
Choosing not to neuter your dog means you’ve chosen to keep his testicles intact. This will allow his testosterone to full develop in an adult male. It will be necessary to train your dog not to hump away whenever it wants, as well as teach your dog not to display aggression toward other dogs or humans.
But guess what? If your dog is neutered, you will be doing all of that anyway (except for the puppy care). You’ll also have the added burden of public judgment, so make sure to hit the training extra hard, just to show people that intact puppies/ dogs can still be amazing pets!
We hope that this post will give you a little more insight into the real reasons you should choose to neuter your dog, and if you decide that your dog should have a chance to pass on its lineage, we just hope you do it in the most responsible manner possible.
The other issue we have found is that puppies/dogs that are neutered or spayed have a greater tendency to gain weight which places more weight on their hips and elbows. to take responsibility for all future puppies. You will have to prevent escape attempts (especially when neighboring dogs or your dog is in heat.

We would appreciate your comments or questions regarding this Post.

Revised 1/7/2020