Behaviour & Learning Centre
082-890-0905 louthomp@mweb.co.za
pawsabilitiesbehaviourandlearning.blogspot.com
NEUTERING YOUR DOG
By Louise Thompson
Accredited Animal Behavioiur Consultant (ABC of SA©®™)
Not enough male dogs are neutered today! There seems to be a big “hang up” about this simple medical procedure, myths and “old wives” stories abound, and usually given as reasons by owners, as why they don’t want to have their dogs “fixed”. I am also not ashamed to admit that I am actively trying to discourage people from adding to the unwanted dog over population! This simple procedure is performed under general anaesthetic by your veterinarian, from an early age (check with your veterinarian)
The most suitable family pet is either a neutered (castrated) male dog or a spayed (sterilised) bitch of the Gundog group / breeds. In dogs, it has been scientifically proved that there is a direct link between the production of testosterone and dominant aggressive behaviour, both inter-canine (dog to dog) and human-canine (dog to human).
The male dog’s level of testosterone “peaks” at about 30 months. Did you know that the profile of a typical dog who has attacked, and either mauled or killed a child is: -
PROFILE OF A DANGEROUS DOG:
“A male dog between the ages of 24 and 30 months,
which has not been neutered/castrated of various working and fighting breeds.”
What is even more disturbing is that a good many of these attacks are by the family pet dog! In their own home! Most of these incidents could have been avoided and prevented and it could be said that most, was the owner’s fault!
The kind of relationship, or lack thereof, can also be added to the profile.
A profile of a dangerous dog!
· Dogs that have had no learning or education. A dog’s education should begin at a reputable puppy learning and socialising group from about seven weeks of age and all learning should be reward based/positive reinforcement methods of learning. Abuse and punishment have no place in animal learning.
Education for a young pup and dog is vital to increase his levels of tolerance to all things, and people, as well as him learning basic manners and obedience to develop into a socially acceptable companion animal.
· Owners who keep dogs living behind solid walls with no appropriate stimulation, (visual, mental or physical).
· Yard dogs, kept as mobile security systems or defence mechanism.
· Dogs that have little or no contact with their owners and who are kept just as “Yard Dogs”.
· Dogs that have never been socialised and are kept in solitary confinement!
· Abused dogs.
· Dogs that are kept chained up for long periods of time.
· Dogs that have been extensively physically punished, and develop “defensive” fear aggression.
· Dogs who have been teased and tormented by children and develop a negative association with children.
· Untrained/partly untrained dogs that are taught “aggression” by ignorant trainers, and are triggered by an inappropriate situation. This would be considered as a “misread signal” by the dog.
· Overtly indulged dogs that are given all the privileges of leadership in the human canine pack. These “spoiled brat” dogs often take it upon themselves to make a misguided critical decision in the home. No dog can cope with the responsibility of being the leader in the human – dog pack or group. Humans should be clear decision-makers and the dog should earn all privileges.
· Dogs that are over protective, either of their environment (territory) or their owners.
· Injured or sick dogs – defensive aggression or fear/pain biters.
All these kinds of dogs are all potential “attack” dogs.
NOTE: Unless the dog is a show animal, registered and a tip top breed champion dog with registered with the Kennel Union of Southern Africa or Federation papers, and is winning at breed and/or obedience dog shows: - NEUTER HIM!
NOTE: In this country even a pure bred dog, (without Kennel Union registration papers) is worthless. Even a pure bred registered dog that has not proved himself in the ring (either breed or obedience) is worth dramatically less than a winner! NEUTER HIM!
NOTE: One male dog can father hundreds of unwanted mongrel “randomly bred” puppies a year – of which a great number will be humanly killed by welfare agencies, as there are just too many dogs to place in homes! Many of these unwanted pups end up being abused and used for many horrendous purposes from dog fighting bait (for big money) to animal experimentation or just unloved and unwanted. NEUTER HIM!
NOTE: If your dog is of a fighting breed and you are expecting a baby in the near future Neuter him It makes for a better house pet – as explained above
NOTE: If you have any hint of aggressive or dominant behaviour – Neuter him
NOTE: If you have more than one male dog of different ages and want to avoid future aggression/fighting when the lower dog reaches maturity. Neuter the lower ranking (victim) dog at an early age to avoid status aggression.
NEUTERING YOUR MALE DOG IS THE ETHICAL THING TO DO!
In South Africa SPCA humanely kills thousands of dogs each year due to careless breeding. You do not need to add to the statistics!
ADVANTAGES OF NEUTERING A MALE DOG
- Neutered dogs live longer – risks of prostate cancer are eliminated.
- Neutering lowers dominant aggressive behaviour towards owners by 65%.
- Neutering lowers inter-dog aggressive behaviour by some 65%
- There is a reduction of straying and wandering by some 80%
- There is a reduction of inappropriate urination/marking behaviour by 70%
- Neutering also lowers the male dog’s urge to mount, and simulate inappropriate copulation movements by some 70%
- Neutering focus’s attention and concentration.
IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE ADVANTAGES OF NEUTERING/CASTRATION
GREATLY OUTWEIGH THE DISADVANTAGES.
DISPELLING THE MYTHS:
The most common negative stories heard about neutering the male dog are;-
- Neutered dogs put on weight!
So will you if you eat too much and don’t exercise enough!
- Neutered dogs make poor watchdogs!
How can that be? as neutering focuses attention and improves concentration, therefore a neutered male dog is less easily distracted by things that a robber would be likely to use as a distraction - like a bitch in season..
- Neutering my dog will make him a wimp.
Only if he was already a wimp to start with!
Neutering does not change, and can not change your dog’s basic character!
- Besides that – how sexually frustrated do you think a dog becomes? Dogs live in an artificial world of confinement – usually behind walls or fences. A dogs sense of smell is so enhanced that he can scent a bitch in season many kilometres away. This obviously creates the urge to procreate – however – as he is confined there is nothing he can do about it – how cruel is that! Without humanising this – the only way one could compare it to the human equivalent would be for a wife to dress up in her sexiest clothing, tease her husband to a state of high arousal and then tell him he cant touch – only look! Would that be fair!
As an afterthought - in closing I might add, that unlike their human counterparts, the only time that a male dog thinks of sex, is when there is a bitch in season within range without a headache! The rest of the time, the male dog is more interested in his supper! Dogs do not have recreational sex; dogs only have sex for procreation!
SPAYING YOUR BITCH PUPPY
By Louise Thompson Accredited ABC
There are numerous advantages to spaying a bitch puppy.
· The procedure is done under general anaesthetic by your veterinarian, generally at about six months of age. Bitches adopted from the SPCA have to be sterilised prior to being homed out of the society’s area. Therefore, the spaying of female puppies adopted from an SPCA society is sometimes performed at an earlier age.
· Spayed bitches and neutered dogs make the best family pets.
· Unless you have a really good registered breed specimen, and are prepared to go to the length of attending and winning breed shows which takes tons of time energy, preparation and training it is definitely worth having your bitch puppy spayed:
Advantages of spaying a bitch
· The bitch will not come into season and not be able to conceive puppies.
· You will not have to worry about hormonal changes before, during, and after a season (heat). Hormonal changes in bitches often alter normal/usual behaviour.
· You will save on kennel fees, for if a bitch is in season she should be kennelled to avoid any mating accidents. In some municipal areas – kennelling a bitch in season is compulsory!
· You will not have to worry about the mess, time and effort it takes to clean up after a bitch is in season, (mess in the form of discharge, bleeding, etc.)
· The bitch not being able to have a season makes your life a whole lot easier, you will not have the whole neighbourhood dogs camping on your doorstep, trying to mate her. It must be noted that one bitch can conceive several puppies from different males during the same season (heat).
· Sterilised bitches live longer and have fewer health risks.
· If your bitch is sterilised you will not have to worry about one of the neighbourhood dogs mating your bitch and creating more unwanted puppies in a world that is already over-populated with randomly bred strays, thus saving dogs lives!
Unless you have a really good registered breed specimen, and are prepared to go to the length of attending and winning breed shows, (which takes total dedication, tons of time energy, preparation and training) spay your bitch puppy. IT IS THE ETHICAL THING TO DO!
OFTEN PARENTS OF CHILDREN ASK
Why not let her have a litter of puppies for the children to experience the miracle of life?
In a world of canine over population, to use the excuse that you want your own children to see the “miracle of birth” forget it –
YOU HAVE LOST THE PLOT!
Thousands of dogs and puppies are killed each year at various welfare organisations due to there being more supply than demand. Do not kid yourself that they are all street mongrels – they are not. Take a drive to your local animal welfare centre – look into the eyes of the dogs in kennels on death row, and then perhaps you might re-think your ideas and values.
Rather leave the breeding of dogs to the professionals who breed genetically sound animals and who breed expressly for the betterment of the breed. If you want the kids to experience the “miracle of birth” then rather buy them a good book or a video
Do you have any idea of the time money and effort it can take to bring a “Good” litter of puppies to the age where they can be homed!
CONSIDER the following:
Cost of a suitable stud (male) dog to cover the bitch (can be thousands of rands!)
Feed costs – pregnant and lactating bitches need to be on a special diet: Special feed is very expensive!
Construction and expense of a suitable whelping area and the time involved in supervising and being on call waiting to deliver pups
Birth costs – whelping can go horribly wrong and the bitch could need medical intervention – this really costs! She could need a caesarean section and intensive care for some time afterwards –very costly indeed, and not counting the time effort and energy spent nursing the bitch back to health when she gets back home!
The bitch could die during the birth, which could leave you with lots of hungry little mouths to bottle feed, clean and stimulate toilet functions every two hours for the next six weeks or so! It should be noted that some (larger) breeds can produce up to sixteen pups in one litter!!!
Cleaning up (continually) after a group of energetic little souls! When weaned they will toilet after each meal and a couple of times in-between. With large breeds (who can have a litter of up to and over a dozen - giant breeds into the teens) that means 4 meals a day x the amount of pups (average litter in medium breeds is 6) x another two bowel movements at the least! A quick sum gets me to 48 stools to be cleared up a day! AND the area washed and disinfected after each toileting! Puppy’s are VERY labour intensive!!!! AND that is not counting the destructive behaviour that will occur as soon as they are able to start exploring!!!!!
If the dam dies during labour it must be pointed out that behaviourally orphan pups never develop normally, due to a lack of canine maternal imprinting. These orphaned pups often end up with severe behavioural problems later on.
The pups could be sickly and need costly medication and veterinary fees
The cost of the inoculation of the litter of puppies – expensive!
The cost of regular de-worming of the litter of puppies – expensive!
The cost of special feed for puppies – expensive!
If the pups are “purebred” they will need to be registered with the registration authority such as the Kennel Union of SA or the various Federations of certain breeds. A fee is applicable for each pup that is registered. Certain breeds also required tattooing before being homed – also expensive! Litters born to bitches under the age of 24 months are NOT eligible for registration with the Kennel Union of SA.
Time energy and effort involved in feeding, cleaning and training puppies. Puppies cry a lot, eat and drink and lot and they pee and pooh a lot – tons of time, effort, energy and money involved cleaning up after them – expensive!
MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL!
For medium and large breeds, at the end of the seventh week is the best time to place the puppies in their new homes.
THAT IS IF THERE ARE ANY HOMES AVAILABLE!
Whom would you be able to find whom you can trust, to take on one of these puppies, bearing in mind that taking on a puppy
is a twelve to fifteen year commitment?
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHEN YOUR REALISE:
That you are not going to be able to get rid of all the puppies and that you might be saddled with the lot! And now the puppies are suddenly not so cute any more, and are fast becoming a nuisance, destructive and messy and costing you a lot of money, time, effort and energy.
ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP THE ENTIRE LITTER?
Bear in mind some breeds can produce up to A DOZEN or more puppies! Or are you just going to dump them at the local SPCA when you realise that you are unable to get rid of them? ………..
Breeding should be left to the ethical reputable professionals who breed solely for the improvement and betterment of the breed In fact my personal belief is that people should have to be licensed, in order to be permitted the privilege of breeding a litter of puppies.
A breeder should have to prove himself “Worthy” before being allowed to add to the canine population.
The breeder should be considered the “Genetic Factory” of the end product – which should be a socially acceptable dog!
WHAT IS A REPUTABLE DOG BREEDER?
By Louise Thompson Accredited Animal Behaviour Consultant:
How would you find an ethical breeder? This is a very tough question, and the most logical answer is to find a “reputable breeder”. On paper, this seems easy enough – a quick phone call to the Kennel Union of Southern Africa, in Cape Town, will provide you a list of individuals who breed pure bred, registered dogs – but, as “breeders” are they all likely to be “reputable”?
THE “REPUTABLE” DOG BREEDER:
· A reputable dog breeder, breeds dogs for the betterment of the breed, not to make a fast buck! He does NOT, breed a litter, and then look for homes for his puppies.
· After high stud, pregnancy care, whelping and medical costs and then the costs involved in premium feed, labour and love ethical breeders USUALLY DON’T EVEN MAKE A PROFIT – in fact they are lucky if they break even!
· A reputable breeder will have a waiting list of prospective (screened) owners BEFORE he even considers breeding a litter.
· Most reputable breeders concentrate on one breed of dog only.
· A reputable breeder will not rush you into making a choice nor will he pressure you to buy a puppy, nor would he ever permit you to take two puppies at the same time! It is a virtually impossible task to bring up two puppies from the same litter (or two pups of the same age from different litters) in one household. When you have two puppies of similar ages in the same household, the future inter-canine relationship always ends up with one puppy being a “bully” and the other puppy being a “victim”!
· A reputable breeder would take responsibility for the puppy FOR THE REST OF THE PUPPY’S ENTIRE LIFE which simply means that if for some reason the new owner – even years down the line – could not keep the pup/dog, the BREEDER WOULD TAKE IT BACK – UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, which also means that the breeder must be in a financial and time management position to be able to do this!
· When choosing a puppy a reputable breeder will let you view and interact with both the dam (mother) and sire (father) of the puppies, at their own establishment. He does not meet you at the garage on the highway and tell you that the parents are just lovely!
· If the breeder says you can’t have contact with either the dam or the sire. BEWARE! If he says that either the sire, or the dam, is vicious, shy, or nervous – leave!
· At least 65% of a puppy’s character and general nature is inherited from his parents!!! This means that if the “Cute” puppy that you are viewing has a “Nasty”, “Vicious”, or “Nervous” Mom or Dad, you could well end up with a whole heap of trouble as the “Cute” puppy grows to fill his parent’s shoes!
· A reputable breeder does not advertise in “Junk Mail” type publications, nor does he have any need to advertise in the local newspaper.
· He will already have a good reputation and people like your local vet, dog trainer, or dog-grooming parlour, will be able to refer you to him.
· A reputable breeder should be able to give you valuable insight and information regarding his breed’s history and actual genetics/breeding. In other words he should be knowledgeable about his breed, its background, characteristics and specific behaviour traits. He should also have knowledge about his breeds specific genetic faults and needs.
· A reputable breeder will give you contact addresses of pups that he has bred in the past and encourage you to interact with their owners. A reputable breeder will also have lifetime contact with the animals that he has bred in the past.
· When looking for an ideal family dog, you should preferably look for a breeder who has the litter born and brought up, at least partly inside the house. This is so that you know that from an early age, the puppies are used to the various sounds and “goings on” in the home. This will produce a more confident, well-adjusted, socialised puppy. If you have young children, then look for a breeder who also has youngish children. Look at the behaviour of the breeder’s children! If they are obnoxious brats – leave and do not purchase a puppy!
· If the breeders can’t control their kids, the odds are that the kids will have teased the puppies and the dogs, and they could well end up highly-strung or nervous individuals due to these early poor interactions. Due to negative experiences these pups could also end up hating all children!
· A good breeder keeps the dog’s environment, garden and whelping area, clean and free from any flies or other health hazards. All the dogs on the premises should be in good physical condition, with clean coats, and free of parasites both visual, such as fleas and ticks, and internal parasites such as worms. Often dogs with worms have rough coats in poor condition. When looking for a puppy, if the premises of the breeder do not meet with your standards – leave!
WHERE NOT TO PURCHASE A PUPPY
· From any kind of Junk Mail type publication – no reputable breeder would ever consider letting their precious babies go through such a publication – reputable breeders have an approved list of prospective owners BEFORE they undertake a mating – breeding is expensive and not profit motivated
· From a flea market or pet shop. Many of these puppies are bred by unscrupulous “Puppy Farmers” who sell them to dealers who, in turn, unload onto the unsuspecting, gullible public!
· From the side of the road. These dealers often buy from “Mills” or puppy farms. Unscrupulous “Puppy Farmers” often keep random bred dogs and purebred dogs. They often allow the dogs to inter-breed producing “mongrels”.
· The Puppy Farmers’ breeding stock is often kept in appalling conditions. Filthy cages with little or no shelter, and little food. Many deny even basic veterinary care and most of these pups are sickly, small and unhealthy.
· Most of the bitches kept by “Puppy Farmers” are bred with every time they come into “season”, thus producing as many puppies as possible in order for the puppy farmer to make the most amount of money with the least input!
· Many pet shops and flea markets are getting bad reputations as many of the puppies sold by them come from dubious sources.
WHY NOT GIVE THE “POOR” PUPPY A HOME?
It is natural to want to give a puppy a home because you feel sorry for it, especially if you know it has had a “bad” beginning. Our human maternal and paternal instincts want to nurture and protect.
However, by purchasing a puppy that has originated from a puppy farmer, you as an individual would be actively encouraging and supporting these unscrupulous parasites of society and helping them to make money.
I personally consider it “DIRTY MONEY” and believe that stricter regulations should be implemented to protect both the animals and the public. Until then, it is the public who, through education and common sense, should actively be encouraged to put them out of business!
THERE IS ONLY ONE SURE WAY TO DO THIS, DO NOT buy puppies from dubious sources!
When purchasing a puppy from dubious sources, there is no way of knowing the puppy’s’ background or early influences. Therefore, behaviourally, they might not be “sound”. You could be looking at serious future behavioural problems, from fear and anxiety to aggression.
As most of the puppies are not inoculated, they often spread disease. Some of these pups are reported to be sold drugged! Many of them are sickly and there have been numerous reports of puppies dying after being with a new family for only a few days. This is heartbreaking for both the children and Mom and Dad. Some dealers will actually give you another puppy (rarely cash) if the one dies within a certain period of time - and this is stated in a purchase agreement!
How confident are they of their stock??????
Many of these puppies are bred from behaviourally “unsound” parents. As the pup will inherit at least 65% of his parents’ character, what you see is not necessarily what you get!
A large percentage of pups from these dealers end up as unsuitable pets suffering from various behavioural problems.
Most are breed rejects - dogs that would not be accepted by the respectable dog breeding fraternity and do not conform to registered breed standards. They are at risk of having inherited genetic health problems such as hip displacia, eye and ear problems and various other genetic based diseases.
Most of these pups are unregistered with the Kennel Union of SA, so that the genetics, both positive and negative, are completely unknown.
Now I am not advocating that everyone should rush out and only get purebred registered puppies. Many mixed-breed pups make wonderful companion animals and working dogs. But you must realise that it is a “pot luck” purchase. You will not even be able to judge what the pup will look like when it is a “grown-up” or accurately judge its future size! The advantages of buying a registered pup, from registered stock, from a registered “ethical” breeder, is that you, as the consumer, will know exactly what you are getting in size, shape conformation and character.
If you do not necessarily want a purebred dog with papers, then support your local SPCA or Rescue Organisation, and give one of their “Poor Stray’s” A Good Home!
In this way, you would be doing Dogdom a service, and saving a life!
Louise Thompson
Accredited Animal Behaviour Consultant & Professional Dog Trainer: Accredited with the Animal Behaviour Consultants of SA (©®™).
Certificate of Companion Animal Behaviour (Faculty of Veterinary Science, Department of Ethology, University of Pretoria)
Certificate of Advanced Companion Animal Behaviour (Pretoria Technikon)
Member of (SAADOI) the SA Association of Dog Obedience Instructors
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