POLL: About fixing your animals

[lauralala]

Growing up our pets were not fixed. I don't think it ever even occurred to my parents. It was the 70's to mid-80's, and I don't remember any sort of awareness campaigns from back then or anything like that.

We have 4 cats. Two were adopted from rescues, so they were already fixed; two were strays that showed up and never left, and we had them fixed. The feral cat population is a huge issue, and we don't want to add to the problem.

[MixedBerryJam]

Dec 3, 2014 17:48:54 GMT -5 Jermys said:

Dec 3, 2014 17:39:52 GMT -5 mp said:

...

... baby basket ...

"Baby basket" is my new favorite phrase! 

I've always had shelter animals (most) or strays (a few). The shelter animals either came fixed or I agreed to fix them as part of the adoption contract, but I can't imagine not fixing. Heck, ddh and I have caught a few of the ferals around here and fixed them, too.

I take it back, I did have a roommate once who had an intact female cat and she was horrible to live with (the cat, not the roommate), and got out once (exactly once) and came home pregnant. Those kittens went to homes that agreed to fix, and momma was fixed immediately thereafter.

[MixedBerryJam]

Dec 3, 2014 17:57:27 GMT -5 Kristinmo said:

Our dog is fixed. Because Bob Barker told me to.

Do you do everything Bob Barker tells you to? How many times a day do you "Come on down!?"

[zoidberg]

Dec 3, 2014 20:47:34 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

We had a hamster who had babies, and THAT was a nature lesson (she ate them).

Us, too. Horrifying.

[audienceofone]

Our lab mix is fixed. It was part of the contract from the rescue. I wanted her done anyway but I would have waited just a bit longer before having it done if it wasn't part of the contract. We had it done at 5 months, for free and got money back from our deposit to the rescue.

Our boxer is not. He is a show dog from my MIL. She pushed us to show him when he was a puppy but we just didn't have the time/money. I get shot down every single time I bring up getting him done. I think she wants to breed him. I can't stand that he has his balls. If there is a bitch in heat around he becomes a total asshole and likes to test his place in the pack with me. He won't push H but will try to pull alpha on me. I keep pushing to have it done though. He's 3 now so it's way past time for it in my mind.

I grew up with all dogs being spayed/neutered. My parents always had it done with every dog that came home. My mom pushes H to get Jax done also. It's just how it has always been in their house and she stands behind it fully. They also watch my dogs a bit so they deal with his attitude.

My MIL does breed her show dogs that have titles. There is a whole intricate system to it that I haven't figured out. Their male passed earlier this year and their females of age/quality are done. She refuses to breed them too many times and has to have just the right lineage to do it. She just got a new bitch from Cali that is on fire in the ring. She just turned a year old and is in top 75 boxers (last I was told a few weeks ago). I'm excited because she plans on her going to westminister in February and I get to go! It just sucks because I have that gut feeling she is going to want to breed Jax to her when she hits the age. So that continues to put off getting him chopped.

Sorry that got long. ?

[mich1]

All f my pets have been spayed or neutered, either by the humane society or by me.

The only one I considered not neutering was my purebred Chartreux. I briefly considered showing him, so I waited until he was over a year old so he could grow in the secondary sex characteristics of the breed that are associated with males. I later decided not to show him, so had him fixed.

[rosiedozie]

Both of my dogs started off in county shelters and made their way through rescue organizations before coming to me, so they were both already fixed. If they hadn't already been, I would have spayed/neutered them for pet population, safety, for their health and behavior.

I grew up with dogs and they were always spayed/neutered as soon as the vet advised. One of our dogs had a heart murmur so we had to wait until she was 1-2 and it was awful. 

[lpcats]

All of them are fixed because I volunteer at an animal shelter and see how many kittens don't have homes. We have way too many stray cats in this country as it is.

[audienceofone]

Dec 3, 2014 20:53:21 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Dec 3, 2014 20:49:07 GMT -5 audienceofone said:

Our lab mix is fixed. It was part of the contract from the rescue. I wanted her done anyway but I would have waited just a bit longer before having it done if it wasn't part of the contract. We had it done at 5 months, for free and got money back from our deposit to the rescue.

Our boxer is not. He is a show dog from my MIL. She pushed us to show him when he was a puppy but we just didn't have the time/money. I get shot down every single time I bring up getting him done. I think she wants to breed him. I can't stand that he has his balls. If there is a bitch in heat around he becomes a total asshole and likes to test his place in the pack with me. He won't push H but will try to pull alpha on me. I keep pushing to have it done though. He's 3 now so it's way past time for it in my mind.

I grew up with all dogs being spayed/neutered. My parents always had it done with every dog that came home. My mom pushes H to get Jax done also. It's just how it has always been in their house and she stands behind it fully. They also watch my dogs a bit so they deal with his attitude.

My MIL does breed her show dogs that have titles. There is a whole intricate system to it that I haven't figured out. Their male passed earlier this year and their females of age/quality are done. She refuses to breed them too many times and has to have just the right lineage to do it. She just got a new bitch from Cali that is on fire in the ring. She just turned a year old and is in top 75 boxers (last I was told a few weeks ago). I'm excited because she plans on her going to westminister in February and I get to go! It just sucks because I have that gut feeling she is going to want to breed Jax to her when she hits the age. So that continues to put off getting him chopped.

Sorry that got long. ?

If the boxer is yours, and you're not showing him, why does she have any say??

I'm also fighting H on it. The one thing he agrees on with his mom is the one thing I wish he didn't. If he had his way, Jax wouldn't get chopped at all. Ever. He has the mindset that he will be bred at some point since his dad has passed. I can thank MIL for that idea in his head. As long as I've known him, no males have been neutered in that house. When the females are done their showing and breeding, they get fixed. Males can continue being bred. Or they just continue their lives peacefully with their balls.

This is the one thing that we can not come to a middle ground or agreement on so far.

[CajunShrimp]

I have always had boy cats and they get fixed because I don't want them pissing on my walls. Easy decision.

[So_Fetch]

Yes. They are all spayed or neutered. My dogs growing up were all spayed. There was never a question...we just do it. Too many unwanted animals.

[gottadobe]

Dec 3, 2014 20:49:07 GMT -5 audienceofone said:

Our boxer is not. He is a show dog from my MIL. She pushed us to show him when he was a puppy but we just didn't have the time/money. I get shot down every single time I bring up getting him done. I think she wants to breed him. I can't stand that he has his balls. If there is a bitch in heat around he becomes a total asshole and likes to test his place in the pack with me. He won't push H but will try to pull alpha on me. I keep pushing to have it done though. He's 3 now so it's way past time for it in my mind.

My MIL does breed her show dogs that have titles. There is a whole intricate system to it that I haven't figured out. Their male passed earlier this year and their females of age/quality are done. She refuses to breed them too many times and has to have just the right lineage to do it. She just got a new bitch from Cali that is on fire in the ring. She just turned a year old and is in top 75 boxers (last I was told a few weeks ago). I'm excited because she plans on her going to westminister in February and I get to go! It just sucks because I have that gut feeling she is going to want to breed Jax to her when she hits the age. So that continues to put off getting him chopped.

She shouldn't breed him if he isn't titled.  I think I'd give her (and your DH) a year to finish him and, if after that time, he doesn't finish then he gets snipped.  MIL can help pay for the handler.

[TC]

Dec 3, 2014 18:54:45 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

Does she backyard breed Goldens? I legitimately think I would have to stop associating with my sister. I intend on owning primarily pure bred dogs, and backyard breeding is my BIG hot button. I salute you for not strangling her. 

[Deleted]

Honestly - I got my golden spayed when she went into heat, had her period, and probably got knocked up by my XH's dog (we had been dating only a few months at that point). But I think I had intended to get her spayed anyway, just hadn't gotten around to it yet. I was 22, what can I say.

In the future, I'd get my pets fixed because I don't want to deal with things like that. Especially the blood part. My dogs are NEVER loose so I'm not as worried about them breeding with other dogs, they don't even play with other dogs, ever. But maybe the potential to get loose would be greater if they were horny? lol.

Growing up my cats were spayed/neutered so I guess it may be partly "that's what you do", too.

[pooh8402]

Dec 3, 2014 21:28:25 GMT -5 TC said:

Dec 3, 2014 18:54:45 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

Does she backyard breed Goldens? I legitimately think I would have to stop associating with my sister. I intend on owning primarily pure bred dogs, and backyard breeding is my BIG hot button. I salute you for not strangling her. 

No, Corgis. Even worse, she'll breed a corgi with an Australian Shepherd and sell the mutt pups for between $350-500. Grrrrrr..... She thinks she is creating a designer breed or something.

[TC]

Dec 3, 2014 21:33:12 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

Dec 3, 2014 21:28:25 GMT -5 TC said:

Does she backyard breed Goldens? I legitimately think I would have to stop associating with my sister. I intend on owning primarily pure bred dogs, and backyard breeding is my BIG hot button. I salute you for not strangling her. 

OMG. You are a god damn saint. My face feels hot. 

[audienceofone]

Dec 3, 2014 21:27:04 GMT -5 gottadobe said:

Dec 3, 2014 20:49:07 GMT -5 audienceofone said:

Our boxer is not. He is a show dog from my MIL. She pushed us to show him when he was a puppy but we just didn't have the time/money. I get shot down every single time I bring up getting him done. I think she wants to breed him. I can't stand that he has his balls. If there is a bitch in heat around he becomes a total asshole and likes to test his place in the pack with me. He won't push H but will try to pull alpha on me. I keep pushing to have it done though. He's 3 now so it's way past time for it in my mind.

My MIL does breed her show dogs that have titles. There is a whole intricate system to it that I haven't figured out. Their male passed earlier this year and their females of age/quality are done. She refuses to breed them too many times and has to have just the right lineage to do it. She just got a new bitch from Cali that is on fire in the ring. She just turned a year old and is in top 75 boxers (last I was told a few weeks ago). I'm excited because she plans on her going to westminister in February and I get to go! It just sucks because I have that gut feeling she is going to want to breed Jax to her when she hits the age. So that continues to put off getting him chopped.

She shouldn't breed him if he isn't titled.  I think I'd give her (and your DH) a year to finish him and, if after that time, he doesn't finish then he gets snipped.  MIL can help pay for the handler.

I hope I can convince H before a year is up. He wasn't shown young so he doesn't have the calmness in the ring. He thinks it's playtime. I'm sure MIL would have gladly shown him had we lived closer when he was a pup.
As I answer this he is snorting and running in his sleep.

[pooh8402]

Dec 3, 2014 21:36:04 GMT -5 TC said:

Dec 3, 2014 21:33:12 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

OMG. You are a god damn saint. My face feels hot. 

I've tried talking her out of it. It's like talking to a brick wall. I've given up.

[Deleted]

Dec 3, 2014 21:54:12 GMT -5 audienceofone said:

Dec 3, 2014 21:27:04 GMT -5 gottadobe said:

She shouldn't breed him if he isn't titled.  I think I'd give her (and your DH) a year to finish him and, if after that time, he doesn't finish then he gets snipped.  MIL can help pay for the handler.

I hope I can convince H before a year is up. He wasn't shown young so he doesn't have the calmness in the ring. He thinks it's playtime. I'm sure MIL would have gladly shown him had we lived closer when he was a pup.
As I answer this he is snorting and running in his sleep.

Your MIL should have paid for his handler if she wanted him shown, and especially if she wanted him shown to be a stud for her kennel. At this point you should just have him neutered, because a 3 y/old who hasn't been shown and is poorly behaved won't get the same leeway a puppy will. I also don't think being in the top 70 is necessarily that special, and does not guarantee a trip to Westminster. I think a dog who is in the top 10 in breed is sort of hot shit but beyond that I know a bunch of dogs who show casually and are in the top 25 in breed.

Also, you probably know this, but showing is EXPENSIVE. We pay $100/husky/event (so one dog is $400 for a 4 day show), plus travel expenses. It also is a huge time drain. So if you don't want to show its not something to do lightly.

[audienceofone]

Dec 3, 2014 22:03:03 GMT -5 elle said:

Dec 3, 2014 21:54:12 GMT -5 audienceofone said:

I hope I can convince H before a year is up. He wasn't shown young so he doesn't have the calmness in the ring. He thinks it's playtime. I'm sure MIL would have gladly shown him had we lived closer when he was a pup.
As I answer this he is snorting and running in his sleep.

Your MIL should have paid for his handler if she wanted him shown, and especially if she wanted him shown to be a stud for her kennel. At this point you should just have him neutered, because a 3 y/old who hasn't been shown and is poorly behaved won't get the same leeway a puppy will. I also don't think being in the top 70 is necessarily that special, and does not guarantee a trip to Westminster. I think a dog who is in the top 10 in breed is sort of hot shit but beyond that I know a bunch of dogs who show casually and are in the top 25 in breed.

Also, you probably know this, but showing is EXPENSIVE. We pay $100/husky/event (so one dog is $400 for a 4 day show), plus travel expenses. It also is a huge time drain. So if you don't want to show its not something to do lightly.

If we lived in an area where showing was big, she may have. But when he was a puppy we lived in Colorado where the ring wasn't as big as the field showing was. His father was her stud so he wasn't as high on her radar then either.
Being top 75 isn't big, but she hit it as a 10 month old. Which makes it bigger apparentlly. I only follow it so much. She explained the logistics of Westminister to me a few weeks ago but I wasn't following until she invited me to go. i just know it has to do with the points and number of shows.
I've been told the amount it involves and think it's insane. It was hard to imagine when I didn't see it up close. We happen to live next to one of the show grounds for dog shows and wow. The RV's and set ups that roll in for the big shows are crazy. They outdo the horse show set ups that come through.

Sorry for typos. I'm having a horrible fat and cold finger day.

[joshlyman]

All my pets are spayed/neutered. As a rescue volunteer I can't imagine NOT spaying and/or neutering.

Growing up all our animals were also spayed or neutered. My family is very much aware of the animal overpopulation issue, and I grew up very attuned to the issues of animal rights.

[karmasabiotch]

I've always adopted from rescues do we agreed to spay or neuter as part of our agreement if it want already done.

[Deleted]

Dec 3, 2014 22:28:10 GMT -5 audienceofone said:

Dec 3, 2014 22:03:03 GMT -5 elle said:

Your MIL should have paid for his handler if she wanted him shown, and especially if she wanted him shown to be a stud for her kennel. At this point you should just have him neutered, because a 3 y/old who hasn't been shown and is poorly behaved won't get the same leeway a puppy will. I also don't think being in the top 70 is necessarily that special, and does not guarantee a trip to Westminster. I think a dog who is in the top 10 in breed is sort of hot shit but beyond that I know a bunch of dogs who show casually and are in the top 25 in breed.

Also, you probably know this, but showing is EXPENSIVE. We pay $100/husky/event (so one dog is $400 for a 4 day show), plus travel expenses. It also is a huge time drain. So if you don't want to show its not something to do lightly.

If we lived in an area where showing was big, she may have. But when he was a puppy we lived in Colorado where the ring wasn't as big as the field showing was. His father was her stud so he wasn't as high on her radar then either.
Being top 75 isn't big, but she hit it as a 10 month old. Which makes it bigger apparentlly. I only follow it so much. She explained the logistics of Westminister to me a few weeks ago but I wasn't following until she invited me to go. i just know it has to do with the points and number of shows.
I've been told the amount it involves and think it's insane. It was hard to imagine when I didn't see it up close. We happen to live next to one of the show grounds for dog shows and wow. The RV's and set ups that roll in for the big shows are crazy. They outdo the horse show set ups that come through.

Sorry for typos. I'm having a horrible fat and cold finger day.

Yeah, I am totally not sympathetic to her. SoCal is totally not a showing hot bed either. And I don't even really want to breed Nika, but we signed a contract so we drive all over the west coast and send her off for weeks at a time with her handler. If your MIL wanted the dog as a stud dog for her kennel, she should have found a handler for you, the handler should have told you when and where the shows were, and your role should have been limited to getting your dog to the handler for the shows. That's all we really are required to do, but we also pay the handler ourselves and pay her entrance fees. In your case, since your MIL wanted to breed him she should have showed him.

It's sort of bullshit for her to think she's going to breed your boy without showing him. She sounds ethical (as a breeder,not as a MIL) but even good breeders aren't objective about their own dogs. And the best dog in the country can have a child that isn't fit to compete, so it isn't a great idea to look at the father and say the boy should be bred without even being pointed. There are so many great, finished, dogs that I would not perosnally allow my girls to be bred to a boy that wasn't in the top 10 in the country. Bitches are different, a bitch can only have so many litters so sometimes a bitch who isn't even finished might be bred and it can be ok, but I truly don't think males who are not grand champions have any business breeding unless there's a really unique circumstance.

You are really in a tough spot. This would be a big issue for me, and I can imagine your MIL a will be hard to talk around.

[mrsjuleshs]

All of ours are fixed except the crazy ass baby boy dd brought home a few months ago. Now he's about 5 months old and a complete hellion. I need to get him fixed. I am a firm believer in fixing your pets. He is the result of neighbors not fixing them and even if he's a house cat he will be fixed.

[audienceofone]

Dec 3, 2014 23:44:14 GMT -5 elle said:

Dec 3, 2014 22:28:10 GMT -5 audienceofone said:

If we lived in an area where showing was big, she may have. But when he was a puppy we lived in Colorado where the ring wasn't as big as the field showing was. His father was her stud so he wasn't as high on her radar then either.
Being top 75 isn't big, but she hit it as a 10 month old. Which makes it bigger apparentlly. I only follow it so much. She explained the logistics of Westminister to me a few weeks ago but I wasn't following until she invited me to go. i just know it has to do with the points and number of shows.
I've been told the amount it involves and think it's insane. It was hard to imagine when I didn't see it up close. We happen to live next to one of the show grounds for dog shows and wow. The RV's and set ups that roll in for the big shows are crazy. They outdo the horse show set ups that come through.

Sorry for typos. I'm having a horrible fat and cold finger day.

Yeah, I am totally not sympathetic to her. SoCal is totally not a showing hot bed either. And I don't even really want to breed Nika, but we signed a contract so we drive all over the west coast and send her off for weeks at a time with her handler. If your MIL wanted the dog as a stud dog for her kennel, she should have found a handler for you, the handler should have told you when and where the shows were, and your role should have been limited to getting your dog to the handler for the shows. That's all we really are required to do, but we also pay the handler ourselves and pay her entrance fees. In your case, since your MIL wanted to breed him she should have showed him.

It's sort of bullshit for her to think she's going to breed your boy without showing him. She sounds ethical (as a breeder,not as a MIL) but even good breeders aren't objective about their own dogs. And the best dog in the country can have a child that isn't fit to compete, so it isn't a great idea to look at the father and say the boy should be bred without even being pointed. There are so many great, finished, dogs that I would not perosnally allow my girls to be bred to a boy that wasn't in the top 10 in the country. Bitches are different, a bitch can only have so many litters so sometimes a bitch who isn't even finished might be bred and it can be ok, but I truly don't think males who are not grand champions have any business breeding unless there's a really unique circumstance.

You are really in a tough spot. This would be a big issue for me, and I can imagine your MIL a will be hard to talk around.

She drives me nuts in all aspects so this is just one of those extras on top.
You are totally right that even good breeders aren't always objective about their dogs. I think she sees him as his sire and that's where the problem is. Her and H have both called him Fox(his dad's name) instead of Jax.
I love my dog but there have been times where I wish he wasn't from her.

[mrsukyankee]

1. Yes - can you imagine having a major sex drive your entire life and not being able to fulfil it ever (or perhaps just do it once and never again)? That's the argument I've used with every guy who has said they don't want to neuter their male dog but also aren't using their dogs as stud animals.
And yes, that's the way it was done and what I've always known.

But now we're only getting rescue dogs so we get them pre-neutered/spayed.

[azurely]

I've only adopted from the humane society, so both of our pets were already neutered when we got them.

Yes, spaying and neutering is the norm to me. Even though we have two boy cats that are inside only, so there's pretty much no chance they would reproduce, I wouldn't want the behaviors that go along with not getting it done.

[CloudBee]

1) DH and I are on the same page. We don't view it as an option. There are countless reasons to spay/neuter a pet. We always will.

1a) Yes.  I was basically told it was non-negotiable for responsible pet owners who weren't professional breeders/showing their dog. I was aware of a few instances where people would delay for a year or so, until their dog had reached adult size. (Family with weimaraners, believed their male dogs would experience additional growth if they delayed.) Whatever. Who knows if that's true. But I think that's acceptable, as long as you are using caution in that year.

[prettyinpearls]

I’ve only had one dog of my own in my adult life, but yes, she’s spayed. I adopted her from a shelter as a puppy, so they offered me a $100 refund if I showed proof of her spay when she was old enough. I followed up with the shelter to let them know she was fixed, but I declined the refund as sort of a donation back to them.

Oh, and my male cat is neutered.

I will always fix whatever dog/cat I own; overpopulation is such a problem that I don’t want to contribute to that.

ETA: To answer 1a, yes.

My parents bred 2 Chesapeake Bay Retrievers for hunting/sport dogs and they had a lot of success with it; I think they had 3-4 litters? People would come from all over the country to buy these puppies because of the bloodlines and the fact they're not as common of a hunting breed as others. However, both of those dogs were tragically killed by a truck w/ a snow plow on it when they got out during an ice storm. Broke my heart (I was in 7th grade, so 1995?).

They've had two other dogs since then (another Chesapeake and a Lab), and both have been fixed.  They also unofficially adopted a stray Manx cat who had 6 kittens in my parents garage; when she was weaned from the litter they had her spayed and had the 3 kittens they kept fixed. I say "unofficially" adopted because the cat and her 3 adults kittens have never left. My dad installed a cat door to the garage and they come and go as they please (my parents live on 60 acres). Whenever I go over there the cats are always hanging out in the garage on some extra office chairs my dad brought in just for them haha. (It's more of a workshop than a garage).