Intact dogs

Yesterday (July 29th) we took Magnum down to the Beaches Jazz Festival in Toronto. We walked up and down the Boardwalk, took Magnum for a swim to cool off and then went for an ice-cream cone along Queen Street. We had a good walk. Magnum drew quite a bit of attention as usual. This first thing most people notice is his size. Then they notice his testicles. It seems many people in Toronto have not seen a dog with testicles? Testicles are a natural part of a male dogs body. I have kept intact dogs in the past without issue but Magnum is my first intact “city” dog. When we got Magnum, I again did much research to see what the benefits were of castrating male dogs. I found that the health benefits of keeping male dogs intact far out-way any benefits of castrating dogs.I am always amazed at the reasons people give for saying all male dogs should be castrated.

1. All intact dogs contribute to pet overpopulation.  How can that be? Just because a dog is intact does not mean it will ever be bred. I have no plans to breed Magnum. Over 90% of the dogs we meet in Toronto are neutered but we still have pet overpopulation. People who choose to breed dogs will do so no matter what the laws are.
2. They indicate the neutered dogs are healthier. How is that possible? Removing the testicles from a dog is not like cropping the ears or docking the tail. Castrating is removing an important organ from the body that does much more than make sperm. Testosterone is extremely important for proper growth and muscle development of dogs. I cringe  when I hear of puppies neutered under one year of age. Testosterone is important. Athletes know this. Why do you think some athletes cheat by adding extra testosterone into their system? So taking away testosterone will have the opposite affect, removing muscle mass and making bones weaker. I think it’s common sense.
3. Intact dogs are more aggressive… Really? I have seen aggressive female dogs, both intact and spayed. I have seen aggressive male dogs, both intact and castrated. The only difference is an intact male dog has another possible trigger for aggressive behavior. A behavior that can be corrected with training just as any other unwanted behavior. I see quite a few aggressive dogs out there and the vast majority of them are neutered.
4. Women often tell me they don’t like the “look” of testicles on a dog… So I guess they are castrating dogs for the same reason people crop dog’s ears and dock dog’s tails? Again testicles are a natural part of male dogs and are necessary for proper development of dogs. At the very least, I don’t think castration should not be done until the dog has fully matured. I will not compromise a dog’s health just for a certain look.

The bottom line is that I choose to not castrate Magnum. I made this decision after weighing all the pros and cons. We went this route so that Magnum can lead as healthy and natural a lifestyle as possible in the city. So the next time you see an intact dog, don’t assume that the owner is an irresponsible backyard breeder (I have been accursed of this). The owner may actually be a very responsible pet owner who has done their research and is doing what they feel is best for their dog.

I found the following document helpful when doing my research:

http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf

Magnum at three and a half years old