Nevermind the Bollocks
Since last week's episode of It’s Me or the Dog aired in the US featuring Eric and his Presa Canario Caspar, I have been inundated with people asking if Eric listened to my advice and finally had Caspar neutered. For those of you in other parts of the world who haven’t seen the episode yet, here is a bit of background on the story. Caspar came from a breeder of Presa Canarios in California and was shipped to Eric in New York State when the pup was eight weeks old. Eric wanted to own a big powerful dog and was even more excited at the prospect of training that dog for protection, as encouraged by the breeder. He also wanted to use Caspar as a stud dog – a good way, he had been told, of bringing in some extra cash. Now I don’t know about you, but I think it’s highly irresponsible for a breeder to sell a jobless eighteen year old boy such a powerful dog for thousands of dollars and encourage him to train it for protection. But what do they care what I or anyone else thinks for that matter. Certain breeders are in the business of making money from their pups by selling them to boys like Eric, so that when the pups reach adulthood they can be used as powerful status symbols to compliment the macho image. Unfortunately for Eric, as Caspar grew, he began exhibiting behavior that was troublesome, including marking in the house, destructive chewing, lunging and barking at other dogs on walks and showing fear aggression to people when they came into his home. In order to control the behavior and on the advice of some ‘people,’ Eric knew, he put a shock collar on Caspar in order to control his behavior. Trouble was the shock collar made Caspar even more reactive, especially towards strangers and Eric was worried that his dog was becoming dangerous.
This was about the time I met and worked with Caspar on the show. I could see that he was on the edge of something very bad and I could also see that it was going to be very hard convincing Eric that using Caspar as a stud dog would just be contributing to the pet overpopulation problem. Neutering would solve that issue and it might help reduce Caspar’s marking behavior as well. Eric worked hard on the training, but was worried that Caspar would lose his ‘drive’ if he was castrated.
This blog isn’t about how I helped Eric train Caspar, but is written to illustrate a real problem that people have (and I’m sorry to be sexist here, but statistically the problem is mostly with men) about neutering their pets. I have a hard time respecting people’s ignorance and denial when evidence is presented by so many studies on the medical and behavioral benefits of neutering. I am also well aware of the behavioral and medical complications that could arise from neutering too, but feel the pros far outweigh the cons. The bottom line is that some people are worried that neutering will somehow change their dogs and make them less ‘manly.’ I seriously think that Eric and people like him don’t want to neuter their dogs because not only are they worried how this will look to other people, they themselves will think differently about their dogs if they are castrated. In their eyes a dog without testicles is no longer the status symbol of macho power that they want.
And what about training a big powerful dog for protection work? What this breeder didn’t seem to care about is that his line of pups happens to have some fear reactivity (and believe me it’s not just how they were raised because genetics plays a part) and that teaching an unconfident dog bite work is like giving a toddler a loaded weapon and encouraging him to play with it with the safety off. It is only a matter of time before that weapon will go off and the consequences will be dire. People who get dogs for protection don’t realize how much time and effort it takes to train a dog to do bite work and how much time you have to spend reinforcing the training as well as giving your ‘time bomb’ large amounts of physical exercise and mental stimulation (which of course Caspar wasn’t getting). It is a recipe for disaster because it’s literally playing with fire and one day you or a member of the public will get burned.
So to all the macho men (and women too sometimes), I just want to say one thing. Your dog will still be driven, trainable, workable and lovable without his dangly bits. It’s not you that is getting castrated. In fact a responsible person who recognizes the importance of neutering both for health, behavioral and over population problems, is a lot more powerful in my book than a boy or a man that needs a big powerful dog to compliment and extend that part of their anatomy that is so obviously lacking.
43 thoughts on “Nevermind the Bollocks”
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I agree with you 100 percent - I've had several dogs in my life, they were all "fixed", and none of them were worse off because of it. It's amazing to me how many people (more females than you would think) still fight this - even with all of the facts in front of them. They seem to go out of their way sometimes just to make their "opinion" valid. It's a tender subject with them, and they will literally get angry when they fall short of good reasoning. Often thinking there's something wrong with the people that suggest spaying/neutering.
If you are not a responsible breeder - and I believe there should be some kind of a licensing system for people that want to breed - then get your dog fixed. Many, MANY, pros above the cons for this. Not just behavioural issues, but health issues as well.
Thank you so much for posting this blog - I fear that the adamant non-neuterers will disagree vehemenantly, however, there might be one or two that will open their minds, and take care of their dogs responsibly.
Bravo! Personally, I think certain breeders should be neutered.
BRAVO!!!!! So well said!! Just finished saying the same things to a client last week, practically begging him to have his poor suffering dog neutered. Thank you was a great read!
I think you did a great job trying to enlighten Eric to the need to neuter. If he doesn't make a sensible decision, then at least you've simultaneously educated millions more through the show.
Very well said, Victoria. I have always had male dogs and all of them have been neutered. They do make better pets and their risk of developing testicular or prostate cancer is greatly diminished. Female dogs are at less risk for breast cancer if they are spayed as well. I hope that Eric has learned his lesson from your encounter with him. Hopefully he will discourage any of his friends who might be inclined to do as he was doing before you taught him differently. I love the saying from Maya Angelou "You did at the time what you thought was best...but when you know better, you do better." thanks for all the great work you do!!!!
Thank you for saying what needs to be said.
Did he end up getting his dog neutered? My husband and I were so angry after watching this episode. I felt so bad for Casper and could not believe that Eric left him in that one room for well over twelve hours. I was even more angered to see that when he arrived home that he AND his girlfriend took Casper for a walk!! I don't know if it was editing or what but if she was in that house the entire time the dog was locked up that is just appalling. I hope to Casper's sake Eric is doing the right thing.
Preach it, Victoria! Power to you! I hope more men will read this message.
I saw this episode and wondered the same. You didn't answer the question, however. But i assume that your silence speaks that Eric didn't castrate the dog.
I completely agree with you that this dog is going to harm his owner, or someone else. Being locked in that room all day long, and having the shock collar go off for control, is only going to make that dog snap one day! I was impressed with how Eric held his own when you were grilling him, and how he came off somewhat respectful, even though we all knew he was just saying what you wanted to hear. You did everything you could, from lecturing him and his girlfriend, to showing him the consequences of dog over-population, and if you couldn't get through his thick skull with THAT enlightenment, it's a lost cause.
I have followed your program for as long as I can remember and have implemented many of your training philosophies on my two dogs. I respect you so much more than the other fellow with a dog training tv show, although I think he's got some good ideas, I think he's borderline abusive. (I think it's a man thing... power/dominance). I appreciate your gentle methods.
Keep up the good work!
Your loyal fan,
Lisa
Well said! This episode got my blood boiling a bit. Eric reminds me of my own little brother, Erich, and how stubborn and indignant he can be. I'm glad he seemed to start to realize how he was not doing Caspar any favors. Also, I cried when you filmed at the shelter....b/c I know for a fact how many of those babies gets KILLED because of SPACE issues (using poorly administered behavior evals and kennel cough) as an excuse. Good job, Victoria. I love you and all your work!!!!
I just had to speak up for the responsible male owners of dogs. My last dog was neutered about 2 months after I got him. One of our current dogs was neutered at the shelter before we adopted him, and our other current dog, we insisted on him being neutered before he was adopted from his rescue (which they had already done as standard procedure).
My masculinity is defined by my masculinity, not my dogs'. If you need to compensate for something, try a sock in your trousers and get your dog neutered (or spayed).
Aside from the macho image, I think there's empathy at play. I've seen men cross their legs when neutering is mentioned.
The Kentucky Humane Society has teamed up with Hooters to target men like Eric. It's great to have sexy women saying it's cool to neuter your dog. http://kentuckianapets.com/events/kentucky-humane-society-snip
I have a few mixed feelings on the tone of this blog but not the message. All for neutering.
We are pro dog walkers and doggy day care providers in the UK with a variety of clients. When we started we allowed unneutered males but it did become apparent, as we grew, that more male dogs than we had anticipated are intact and our roster of full males grew. So as it began to provide unnecessary challenges for us on an every day basis we decided to implement a no unneutered males policy. While that has cost us business since it was a wise move when you have groups of dogs together.
What was interesting though, and particularly pertinent to this article, was going through the client roster with male puppies and evangelising on having their dogs neutered at the appropriate time as they matured. To a large extent we got a neutral to negative response from the owners (and of course mostly the males). But these aren't owners of 'status' dogs or guard dogs, we're talking pugs, labradors, spaniels and the owners are middle class professionals. So I guess what I take issue with is that while you can take an 18 yo with a big powerful dog to task over being 'macho' and covering up for other 'inadequacies', that doesn't quite fit the bill for all situations and probably comes across to some guys in quite the wrong way.
Apart from the idea of castration being intrinsically off-putting for a man (I'm a male, i know) a lot of these owners were actually apathetic in some ways about doing it or had some vague notion that because they had spent a lot of money on a pedigree dog that they could stud it sometime, somewhere, somehow (hadn't actually been thought through).
We set about putting the rational case together for neutering and gently persisted with all those clients and eventually every one of them agreed except one, with whom we terminated service (but now a few months later has booked him in). Some of them saw the case for doing it, others noticed the behavioural changes at maturity. Actually that made all the difference in some cases.
So all well and good. Well no. We had the final hurdle to cross that we have two dogs, both Northern Inuits, one rescued and one boy from a breeder. It isn't a hugely known breed and the sire of our boy is multiple show winning and holds great status as a stud dog. Ours is currently being evaluated as a stud.
If he's not suitable then he will be neutered. And if he had shown any negative behaviours to now as he matured then we would probably have taken the decision to neuter then. But his temperament is awesome with people and dogs and he showed no negative behaviours as he matured. He is intelligent, gentle and just a class dog.
So with the Northern Inuits developing as a breed, rather than being commonplace, we want to be able to contribute to that development and had to add those arguments to our case for our clients as they all know our dogs too. We use our boy at consultations as he tells us what a prospective client dog is really like.
So sorry, for the long post. We advocate neutering in general and we educated our own clients about the benefits of it. And if our boy isn't able to contribute to the breed then we will neuter him too.
For anyone who doesn't know what a Northern Inuit is then look at http://www.nisociety.com or if you watch Game of Thrones on HBO (US) or Sky Atlantic (UK) then they are what is being used as direwolves (as they are a wolf look-a-like dog (no wolf in them aside from what every dog has).
As a veterinary tech, we deal with this problem all the time! Men have an emotional attachmetn to their dog's testicles. They are afraid that taking the dog's testicles will somehow take away some of the dog's happiness and natural instincts.
What I tell the owners is that when the dog wakes up, he will be a happier dog and not even know why. After a few weeks, all the hormones will metabolized out of his system and he will be so much happier without that biological urge to mate. What usually gets the owners is when I tell them that no matter how well mannered the dog usually is, if there is a female in heat in the area, their dog will ignore the owner and do ANYTHING to get to that female. Even if that means jumping or breaking through fences, running across busy streets, etc... To preserve the relationship that they have, it is a much better idea to neuter the dog and have a loving companion for many years rather than a possible accident just waiting to happen.
I actually married a man who felt this same way. He had a Blue tick hound lab cross that had never been neutered. it took a lot of convincing, and the fact that I would not marry a man who would not neuter his dog. I also ended up getting a rare breed of Dog Called the Alaskan klee kai a miniature husky. I wanted to show him but to do so I would have to keep his dangle bits. So I left them, after putting him threw two training classes my boy was very smart but always seemed timid around people. I determined yeah he has wonderful form he is healthy BUT his personality is not right to pass down. SO I neutered my $2000 Alaskan Klee Kai,, and you know what I love him just as much and we are still training to this day.
Way to go Victoria you inspire me to keep working and help Educating the public
Victoria, I think you have bigger (and smarter) balls that any of these Neanderthal "he-men"! You go girl! Tell it like it truly is!
Your TV show is the reason we got a dog! Your training methods make so much sense, and the way you describe your methods to the watcher is easy to understand and implement. That "other' dog training show is good as well but the trainer cannot show the watcher how to do what he does in a way that is easy to implement.
Thank you so much for your book as well! It is so easy to read and go back to when issues arise!
Our family loves you and we thank you for our sweet dog at home!
One dog that we brought into our rescue had been given "neuticles." It took his previous female owner years to convince her husband to neuter this dog, and when it was done he insisted on fake testicle implants because he was so concerned about the potential damage to his dogs' psyche from realizing he had been neutered...
I have to say that the episode with Eric and Caspar was one of the most exasperating shows that I have watched. Unfortunately, you did not answer the question and so I have to assume that Eric balked at neutering his dog. It is quite the shame as his Presa Canario with his insecurity issues has the potential to cause a lot of harm without proper training and having those bad boys lopped off would certainly help. He is such a lovely dog, but not breeding material- nor is Eric much of a breeder. I am left saddened by the thought.
ummm i agree with neutering Casper to but unless most of the people of the world haven't noticed were so focused in controlling others population when we have been over populating for decades and are still destroying more and more species now it seems like other breeds overpopulating isn't a problem its actually more us. and its just a thought i don't want any negative comments.
The easy - though not cheapest- solution for potential studs is to have their semen collected and stored frozen, then neuter. Not only does this solve the immediate problem but also allows for remote breeding and breeding after the dog has passed. That said, the necessity of any individual dog passing on his genes is debatable and health testing should also be done to ensure the health of the next generation. Some males do lose a bit of drive for some activities after neutering - but the other 99.5 percent of their lives improves even more!
On what planet is big droopy jeans, a T shirt, gold chains and a baseball cap worn backwards considered a macho image? Living in NJ, I see a lot of young men like Eric who think that this image is cool. Adding a large animal to enhance that image (while having no idea of how to train it) is the epitome of "un-cool". Where were his parents? He is living in their home and the dog is destroying their property.
I agree that spay/neutering is the best for any animal that is a pet.
Hi Victoria. I like the science behind your article, the opinion not so much. Removing a dog's testicles to prevent potential cancer or other health problems, and /or to lower the probability of some sort of sexually driven social interaction, is like removing a woman's breasts to prevent breast cancer and /or to prevent unwanted advances of a sexual nature. Yes, it may help in both cases, or it may not. But, the fact remains that it is serious. Not something to be taken as lightly as the "just chop them off" crowd likes to yell at every opportunity.
I agree completely that in the majority of cases, the decision to remove an animal from the breeding population is the correct decision to make. However, vilifying those owners who have made an informed, intelligent decision about their dog's reproductive potential isn't helpful for anyone. Besides, its insulting.
i hope this boy listens to you Victoria. i was appalled at what i saw just in the preview of the show. how ANYONE could call themselves a "breeder" and sell an animal of this poor psychological quality to an unemplyed young man who wants to breed and "train" it to do bite work is beyond me. "irresponsible puppy mill owner" comes to mind instead.
i have ALWAYS been a fan of spay/neuter. there are just way too many unwanted animals anymore for this not to be done.
So, has Eric gotten Casper neutered?
Unfortunately many owners think like Eric. I had an argument with my brother on the same issue. I still don't know if he had his dog neutered. I am relatively new to dog ownership, but I did a lot of homework beforehand, and neutering and spaying is a no-brainer, in my opinion. Victoria, you are an inspiration, and your teaching has made my job as a dog owner much easier. Many times you have come to the rescue without knowing it. There are many viewers out there who are earning froml the show, and hopefully many people are now convinced that spaying and neutering are the way to go.
You're right to say most people don't understand the work that goes into training a dog for bite work. I am a member of the schutzhund club in my town and before you can even go take part in the protection phase of a trial you and your dog have to pass an obedience and temperment phase first. Obedience can take years to complete and people that think a dog has to be mean to do bite work are very wrong. A fear biter will never make it as a protection dog. I spayed my $1500 doberman because she is not right for the sport or breeding. I still love her all the same. Happy training Victoria!
I have a very assertive/ aggressive 4 yr. old dog named Klondike... who was neutered a year and a half ago...He still is very aggressive and hard to manage. I have heard of these products called a "Thundershirt"(brand name). which can help to calm dogs that overreact or are scared of people, loud noises etc I am going to try one of these soon.They cost about $35.00....worth a try maybe!!??.Another product is a natural supplement called L-Thianine.wihich is a "stress supplement" for people..found in Health Food stores.My daughter gave me some 100 mg. capsules to try on my dog who weighs about 69 lbs.I sprinkled one capsule on his dogfood before a repairman came in to fix the plumbing,.. and he was very calm!! The other dogs weren't though! I thought they would behave....so it didn't give them any of the L-Theanine....so I know it worked well for him at least!!! *Smaller dogs should NOT take this natural relaxant...>they don't have enough body weight!!!
Victoria, I understand what you are saying, respect your work tremendously, recommend you to everyone and can see by all the comments that you've hit a nerve. But...there are other sides. I will never neuter a male dog again altho' all my females are and will be spayed. I've done it twice and both times the dog changed and both died young. I know most people believe me irrational, including our vet but I can't do it. The lil pom boy I have now is about to turn 2 years old. He excels in obedience and agility and will be a great therapy dog, and I will do whatever I can to keep this boy to old age. I am responsible enough to keep him away from girls in heat and have no intention of ever breeding him but he is going to stay intact. I love the feisty, cocky confidence of a male pomeranian which basically evaporated after neutering the first two. This boy lives with two borzoi and he knows his limits with the big girls. I do not oppose neutering shelter dogs, dogs with irresponsible owners, dogs with problems like Casper but every dog does not have to be neutered. There are responsible owners and there are reasons not to do so that have nothing to do with machismo.
As a volunteer dog trainer and board member for an open admission shelter in rural South Carolina, I was quite moved and very proud of the segment on euthanasia, especially of bully breeds, in public shelters. Mandatory spay/neutering is the only way to solve pet overpopulation evidenced by the fact that we transport adoptable animals to those areas that have space in their shelters because of spay neuter laws. As I watched through the tears I felt it to be a strong piece with a great message that all should watch who are considering breeding their dogs. The Monday following the episode a woman came into the shelter defending her choice not to neuter her male dog because he was such a great boy she wanted to share him with the world. True story. Yes, these people are out there.
You go Victoria! I am surprised you had as much patience as you did with Eric. What was missing from the conversation were his parents. He was 18 when he got the pup, he's still living in his parents house (and with his girlfriend), the dog has destroyed much of it, yet they don't figure in the equation. Has Eric always gotten his way? It seems they have not set any rules for raising pets, nor have they set any boundaries with their son. I rescued my dog from a backyard breeder via a shelter and a rescue organization. He had been born there and when he was one years old he was used for breeding as well. His mate died, the puppies were sold, and he was an abandoned, unneutered male dog who had become a bore to the "breeder" and dropped off at a shelter. How many times have you heard tht story?
Perhaps it might help Eric to do a bit of research on the Diane Whipple murder triial,
and insert his name as one of the defendants. It could easily happen, especially
with your expert assistance and advice being beamed around the world, and his
blowing it off. He has been warned. It is so sad to see dogs like that in the hands
of those who have little understanding of breeding ANYTHING, much less something
that powerful. I hope the angels watch over those who encounter Casper and Eric.
Yes, guys like those bits. I have more than once watched guys turn green and get
physically squirmy while talking about gelding their magnificent (not!) stallions. They
do identify so strongly that it's hard for them to make that step, young men full of
machismo, especially.
We will hope for the best for those two, and pray that other owners are wise
enough to keep their females away. I wouldn't want to think of some poor family
finding out that was in their cross-bred pound puppy's genetics! And we will
keep listening for good news, as I know you would be happy to share it, should
he change his mind. Still, even if Eric didn't listen, you will never know how many
others you DID reach and educate on this issue. Good job, Victoria!
Hi Victoria, My husband and I both watch your show and enjoy it very much, as a matter of fact we took in two 3 year old yorkies that had been abused, not house trained at all and was left in a small crate for 12 hours at a time so they came with a lot of problems. First thing we did was took them in to be fixed. My husband and I both started using your training methods and we were so excited to watch these two cute dogs become loving, house broken, playful and walked on a leash without going in circles. To me Erik did not look like he was interested in anything you had to say. Your method of training dogs are amazing. Our son just got a mini Australian Sheppard from a breeder. He was 8 weeks old when our son picked him up, the dog is AKC reg. one of the conditions of buying this puppy was to have this puppy fixed and our son had to sign a agreement to do so. Also on that agreement is that the breeder will be able to check on the puppy from time to time to be sure the home is a safe and healthy one. She wants poof that the puppy has all his shots. If only these breeders would all do this.
Thank you so much for a wonderful program you put on. Sure hope Erik followed your training or better yet give that dog to someone that will work with it and give it the love and care it needs to be a HAPPY dog.....
My boyfriend was very against neutering our austrailian shepherd/boarder collie (definitely not a status dog here). He got Jax for companionship and fun which all has been accomplished as well as the new hobby of Dog as he calls it. When Jax got to be around 4 months old i started talking about needing to make the appt. and the usual response was yea yea ill get to it. It had nothing to do with wanting to breed dogs or any inadequacies on my boyfriends part, it was just, well, uncomfortable for him to deal with. I decided it was better for the both of them for me to take care of the issue and made the appointment. I withdrew the funds from his bank account, took Jax to his appointment, picked him up and brought him home that evening. When my boyfriend came home from work of course he asked was was wrong with Jax and so i told him what I did. He looked at me, crossed his legs uncomfortably and gave Jax a sad look. For the five days after that he made sure Jax got his pain meds on time, gave him cuddles, way too many treats and gave him our comforter (more funds withdrawn by me and i went and got a new one lol) Jax is a year old now and has never marked in our home and is not interested in marking any territory out doors. He is goofy and dorky and has even more drive to work for us than before since his attention is on us and not his breeding/territory instincts. I dont think all men are trying to have an unneutered dog because they need to be macho, sometimes i think it is just an uncomfortable subject that reasonably intelligent men take a little too much to heart. 🙂
DID ERIC GET CASPAR NEUTERED?
Also, I have a 4 year year old Shi Tzu (Susie-suffers severe panic/anxiety attacks from lightning/thunder) that IS BENEFITING FROM THE THUNDERSHIRT as discussed above by one of the respondants. It is NOT 100%, but cuts her fear and her anxiety just about 50%. It also cuts her recovery time in half as well. We have only been through 2 or 3 storms but I see a little bit less reactivity each time. I do recommend it.
Only those so insecure in their own ability to "be a man" would resort to reliance upon an animal's testicles to do it for them! I don't deal with "stupid" or "deliberate ignorance" very well. But you stated this so much more tactfully, Victoria! Thank you!
I so agree about neutering. I think that if a person is going to buy a purebred dog that they should do some research on the breed at the library, bookstore, or on line, speaking from experience it will only add to the pleasure of ownership. Also, make sure that the breeder is responsible, and if you are buying a "pet quality" dog , that you won't receive the papers until the dog is neutered. I have purchased three pet quality purebreds and the breeders have always stipulated this, plus they have asked for the return of the dog, if you ever not want him anymore. Maybe I have been lucky, but the breeders tat I have dealt with, have had a real love for and knowledge of the breed, and real concern for the pup that they have sold you. I personally, would never have a puppy shipped to me, but would want to meet with the breeder locally.
I LOVED this episode- it was so amazing to see the message about overpopulation/neutering/and back-yard-breeding reach so many people. We rescued both of our pit mixes from shelters- and one from the euthanasia list at the very shelter you visited (Animal Care and Control- Manhattan) there are sooo many pit mixes there ready to find homes-and people to love unconditionally, but sadly many don't make it out. Find more info on my blog. THANKS VICTORIA!!!!
Hi, I'm a bit late but never mind.
Just watched this episode and I agree that a dog like that should be neutered, as it was so obviously having difficulties. As a behaviourist myself i advocate the neutering and spaying of dogs when it is required.
However, I will never neuter or spay a dog again as long as I live. Not because I want to be macho, or because I have sensitivities about keeping dogs entire. I have done research myself into spaying and neutering dogs and found their to be benifits to the procedue. As I stated before I encourage my clients to spay and neuter their dogs when nessecary.
However...
I have a Pyrenean Mountain Dog bitch. When we brought our Pyrenean Mountain Dog dog, they were related and we didn't particually want to have puppies from our bitch anyway so we took her in to be spayed.
Big mistake.
First of all they handed my bitch back to me, still very sleepy. They brought her out of the kennel and she left a trail of blood behind. We were like ok, why. Turns out they didn't put the stitches in correctly but they gave her back anyway. I had to sit with her in the boot of the landrover and apply pressure to the wound all the way home. She couldn't walk (and this isn't a small dog, she weighs 10st) and four people had to carry her into the house. My father slept with her on the sofa for a few days while she came round from the anesthetic (which is normal for a Pyr). We noticed that she was falling down alot but wrote it off as being groggy. Months later she was still falling down and she was running strangly. We took her to another vets and found that, while she was being spayed, the surgeon had cut through some nerves that led to her back legs. Its irreversable. She walks and runs strangely and trips over alot, sometimes hurting herself. She is massively incontinant and her fur matts so badly that it has to be routinely shaved off.
To me, I would rather the slight inconvenience of the bi-annual season and the slight possibility that she may get cancer, over the daily struggle she and I have now although she still has quality of life
I also have a border collie, who was calm and loveable, and who loved people, but, alas, no herding instinct, so he was neutered. After he was neutered, turned into a raging, aggressive monster.
However, I have a male Pyr, who is entire, who is lovely, calm, and loveable. He goes with me to do talks with the blue cross, and has passed his PAT dog test and helps children get over dog phobias.
I do urge you to neuter and spay your dogs. There are many other factors affecting my dogs than just spaying and neutering. I have seen the effect spaying and neutering has on hormonal problems in dogs.
Just, be careful what you say, because we don't all want to be macho.
Hi all. Slight change in focus, but same show. What type of collar did Victoria use on this dog? It seemed like a Halti, but it also appears to loop around Casper's body behind his front legs. Thanks in advance for your help!
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I own a 3 year old male Presa Canario, he is 60kg and well muscled, he is also calm, friendly and obedient (although not as eager to please as my lab) he was already 16 weeks old when we got him, a lot of people like to get a pup at 8 weeks or less but I feel like he benefitted from the extra time with the bitch and siblings. We neutered him at 9 months and have worked hard with him, training, socialising, and exercising. He is a lovely dog, who is lovely company and loves people (and sleep and food!) I just want to put a positive word in for the breed and for neutering, I don't regret it for a moment. he is still very fit, keen to play and train and has not got fat or lazy since neutering. One thing though- a Presa is a serious commitment requiring serious amount of work, some professional training is a necessity. Not suitable as a 'first time' dog and probably not a 'first large breed' dog either. It's a great breed- are you a great owner?
I would like to see breeders of all breeds licensed. As a dangerous dogs officer all the dangerous dogs I have euthanised had one thing in common- unfit owners.
SPAY AND NEUTER. Please people. I feel like 90% of the comments arguing this point are people wishfully thinking that there is some really good excuse to breeding a dog and adding to the population issues. And for those of you who happen to be more responsible than people like Eric- fine, but do keep in mind, it IS a matter of LIFE and DEATH for many dogs. If your dog gets out, causes a litter, that's a litter of puppies likely to not have a home in the future. It CAN happen, and HAS. Don't gamble with it!
Just an FYI, Casper was not neutered, and is now in serious hot water. He bit a man, and a NY judge has just ruled that he is a dangerous dog. There are articles online about Casper now.