males, half are females. All six of the
females are spayed.
One of the five "housedogs", an Irish Terrier is a
male. The two mutts, the Springer Spaniel and Golden Retriever
are females. The five kenneled dogs of masculine gender are a
Labrador Retriever, an Airedale terrier, a Pointer, a German
Wirehaired pointer and an English Setter. Twist and Rose are
the two Pointer bitches referred to at the start of this article.
They were spayed when they were six and seven years old.
Convenience and practicality were major reasons for taking them
into the vet. Why put up with the disruption females in heat
engender in kennel full of dogs when there is no reason for it?
I had concluded sometime before that neither Twist nor Rose would
be a fit mother, Rose for physical reasons, Twist for a temperamental
fault.
Before being spayed, they were dogs anyone would enjoy hunting
behind. That hasn't changed in the season following the operation.
They did not get fat or lazy. They are no different then they
were intact except for the fact that they cannot have puppies
and the kennel is much easier to manage.
However, plenty of reasons for not sterilizing a bitch are put
forward by dog owners who have no intention of producing valued
and useful canines, despite being forced to put up with and dispose
of unwanted pups from accidental matings or being inconvenienced,
irritated and embarrassed by the natural behavior of dogs during
heat periods. This in the face of abandoned dogs roaming the
countryside to form feral packs that harass and destroy wildlife
and domestic stock and city dog |
pounds overflowing with unwanted dogs that in street
packs would be hazardous to both humans and properly cared for
dogs. Let's examine some of this hokum.
SPAYED FEMALES GET FAT AND LAZY. Obesity and lack of ambition
are affected by diet, exercise and training. Barring some metabolic
disorder, properly fed and worked, there's no reason for a spayed
bitch to get fat. Regardless of its sexual status, a dog will
stay trim or get fat. Regardless of its sexual status, a dog
will stay trim or get fat depending upon the humans
Spayed females are not poor hunters,
watchdogs or unpleasant dogs to be around
who care for it. Many spayed females are kept as pets because
de-sexed dogs are convenient and easy to manage.
The U.S. populace is notorious for over-feeding, over-indulging
and under-exercising both ourselves and our pets. They physical
condition and ambition of dogs frequently reflects the human-example
environment.
SPAYED FEMALES ARE POOR HUNTERS. Again, this is governed by circumstance.
Hunting efficiency stems from instincts dogs were born with,
plus the experience and training acquired; not the presence or
lack of procreative organs. There are no more good or bad hunters
among intact bitches than among those with their ovaries removed.
When you encounter a
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spayed female that is no great shakes at hunting rest assured
she'd have been no better or worse sans the operation.
SPAYED FEMALES ARE MEAN, SNAPPY, UNTRUSTWORTHY A nasty bitch
is just that, spayed or natural. Retention of her ovaries won't
make a bitch sweet, docile and dependable if she was born with
a temperamental fault or is soured through mishandling and abuse.
Nor is spaying a remedy for behavior problems. Don't expect neutering
to change inborn or acquired traits.
SPAYED FEMALES ARE POOR WATCH DOGS The contrary may be true.
Spayed females are equally alert to strange things going on about
them, in my experience, more inclined to being possessive and
protective about their property and, if any, are a touch bolder
than natural bitches.
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