Soooooo on the the "overseas neuter or not to neuter" I am as most of you know from Sweden, have lived 2 years in England and have travelled most of the european countries. The dog situations is as many as there are countries. So I dont think you can bunch Europe together and say the same situation is everywhere.
The south and east of europe has a very different situations in many ways, including pets from northern and western europe.
To say that europe dont alter their dogs is not true, the countries I find that do not alter are the ones with giant problems, dogs on the beaches, dogs on the streest dogs everywhere. The countries that have done good in educating about altering, unplanned breeding, responsible breeding, responsible dog ownership and why you sould breed a dog, are the countries that dont have problems. So since I am swedish, I will use that for an example. We do not have shelters, not because we dont care for dogs, but because there simply is no need for them, most people own pure bred dogs, not because we think badly about mixed breeds but because most people who breed are breeding for the love of that particular breed and there are not nearly as many mixed breed dogs there as it is here. Most people alter their dogs if they are not going to be bred or shown, very few people breed "just for the fun of it" and extremely few dogs are put to sleep because they are too many or unwanted.
Altering in general. Yes I think a dog that is not meant to be bred or shown is best off being altered. Both the health risk with cancer and yes they have redone the figures about other types of cancer today, but that is not the only risks. Red mentioned birth problems, which is a not too small risk. Also males seem to have the most extreme urge and most clever heads when it comes to escape to meet and greet with a female in heat, that has more than once resulted in a run over dog. Females can have very much problems with the "imagined pregnancies" so to the point that it is inhumane to let them go through it twice a year. Also the uterus infections are a big risk.
A dog that is altered will very rarely have the need or urge to breed, the hormones that stimulate that urge is gone with the castration. That is one reason why some people think sex offenders should be castrated, so to not have that hormon production. They are also almost always easier to deal with, males have their issues and females theirs. No not all males lift their leg and mark, I have had several males that wouldnt dream of doing it, I have also had a male who would as soon as he could mark on my dining room table (no training seemed to solve that problem) females have mood swings just like we do
and they are messy. Males go crazy when they smell a female in heat and as all males they are totally horrible to deal with when ho..y hehe
As a proud mama of a female in heat I recomend everyone who is not going to breed or show to alter, my girl is having to be supervised basically 24/7, and those of you who read about last heat, where a dog dug his way into our back yard, a yard with privacy fence about 8' tall knows that even with as good as no time unsupervised you can be out of luck and voila an oops litter. Thankfully I cought it in time BUT if not...........
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After all there are over 5 million dogs and cats being put to sleep in shelters every year in this countrie, not because they are bad puppies or kittens, just too many and too unwanted
Marit
