To neuter or not to neuter?
This is a tricky topic for a lot of people; most will feel strongly one way or the other rather than ambivalent, and what I’ve found through discussions with owners over the past several years is that the majority of people determined to keep their dogs intact haven’t heard all the benefits of neutering.
Obviously, if you’re planning on using your dog for breeding then keeping them intact is completely necessary, and there clearly do need to be intact dogs in the world! However, if your dog is a pet and not going to be used in breeding, then neutering is generally a good choice for you and your dog. There may be some instances in which this is not possible, for example dogs who cannot have surgery due to medical issues, and in this case an alternative such as chemical castration could be considered in males.
I’m very much part of the ‘please have your dogs neutered’ camp, and as a Walker, I actually won’t walk intact dogs over a certain age (essentially past the point where they can safely have the procedure done, usually just over a year or so old) if it’s clear that they’re not going to be neutered. But why? Let’s get into the reasons why neutering is done.
There are a few major reasons for having your dog neutered. For male dogs, these include:
Safety - Intact male dogs will do ANYTHING to get to a bitch in heat. This can often mean travelling for miles to follow a scent, which could involve crossing major roads, train lines, construction sites, rivers, reservoirs, or any number of other hazards, all of which they will attempt to traverse to get to the female dog. There are some instinctive urges that even the strongest training can’t override!
Behaviour - not only will neutering a male dog reduce their aggression towards other dogs, it will also prevent them from being the target of aggression from other male dogs in turn. Intact males (once they fully enter adolescence) essentially have a target on their back, and neutered and intact males alike will behave aggressively towards them - not in every case, certainly, but enough that this can lead to otherwise lovely, friendly dogs who are left intact developing their own aggressive behaviour which takes a lot of training and time to ‘undo’. You may think that you’re not seeing any aggressive tendencies in your young male dog so aren’t considering neutering, however once they begin to enter adolescence you will almost certainly begin to notice a change in the interactions they have with other male dogs.
Scent marking - intact dogs are much more likely to scent mark their territory (this involves weeing, unfortunately), which includes indoor environments - not exactly desirable! Scent marking also essentially generates more of the same behaviour - i.e, other males will in turn mark that area, and if this is an area inside your home that’s generally something we’d like to avoid happening.
Reduced risk of cancers - neutering can reduce the risk of certain cancers developing in the reproductive organs.
For female dogs, the benefits of spaying include:
Elimination of ‘seasons’ or ‘heat’ - female dogs come into heat usually a couple times a year for at least a few weeks. During this time, they will have a period, which means they will produce a bloody discharge, and for a few weeks either side of this they will be putting out a scent that will have ALL male dogs extremely interested, even neutered ones (although neutered males will be much less bothered and likely will just want to investigate the scent). Intact males will do anything to get to them and will try to mate, and during the heat, there is a time where the female dog will be especially receptive and will also go out of her way to find a male dog.
Safety - as with male dogs and as mentioned above, female dogs in heat will go a long way to find a mate, which can similarly lead to loss or harm to your dog.
No risk of pregnancy or phantom pregnancy - pregnancy and birth can both be risky for your dog, and could lead to complications, particularly in the case of lack of control over cross-breeding with consideration to size (e.g. a much larger breed male successfully mating with a smaller breed female, resulting in a litter that she is not physically able to handle). Furthermore, intact female dogs can suffer from phantom pregnancies!
Reduced risk of cancers - as with males, spaying female dogs can greatly reduce the risk of developing various cancers, eliminating the potential for some completely and reducing others like mammary cancer by a significant amount.
So there are clearly a lot of benefits to having your dog neutered! For me personally, it’s a must. I choose not to walk intact dogs over a certain age because this helps to keep myself and the other dogs I’m walking comfortable and safe at all times. Unfortunately, especially in the case of intact males, having intact dogs in the group can cause a big issues and imbalances. Intact males will often be targeted by other male dogs, both intact and neutered, and be subjected to a lot of unnecessary aggression because of this. In turn, this can lead to them developing their own behavioural problems, which will only be exacerbated by the excess hormones they will have as a result of being intact.
That being said, neutering isn’t the only factor in behaviour, and should not be considered an ‘easy fix’ for dogs with behavioural issues. If your dog is already exhibiting behavioural issues prior to being neutered, it’s best to seek help from a qualified behaviourist in order to get to the root of the problem. Neutering is just one of many ways to try to keep your dog safe, healthy, and continually having positive experiences and interactions!
Further articles on spaying and neutering: Battersea, Dog’s Trust, The Blue Cross, Vets4Pets, PDSA