Deciding even on such a simple procedure as castration of dogs, the pros and cons must be considered comprehensively, and not only from the position “It is so convenient for me, and therefore it will be so.”
Will the dog’s behavior change after castration, or will he run away, as before, throwing himself at dogs and passers-by? How to understand if castration is necessary for your dog?
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Is it necessary to castrate?
First of all, let’s talk about the psychological aspect. What are the advantages and disadvantages of castration of dogs, if we consider their emotional balance? Does the dog suffer from a “loss”?
Today, more often you can hear: “All dogs that will not be used in breeding should be neutered. Dissatisfaction torments the dog, which is cruel. The main plus of castration of dogs is that animals can enjoy life.
Is it possible to evaluate the arguments for and against castration of dogs from this point of view? Of course not. Dogs are flocks. In the group, each individual performs its function, and reproduction is the prerogative of units. Only the cleverest, cleverest and bravest couples are mated. The rest of the dogs are defenders, watchmen, hunters. Those. physiologically and psychologically any dog is ready for life without mating, the absence of partners does not affect its condition in any way. The conclusion of zoopsychologists: selective castration of males for, and against total castration of all.
What does “selective” mean? It’s about dogs that can not cope with the influx of hormones. A high level of sex hormones can be the result of a disease or an innate feature of the body. In this situation, the behavior of the dog after castration will become even. The desire to kill, to fight, will decrease. The situation is gradually straightened, even when it comes to adult dogs. But if the dog has a snooty temper, pisses at home, escapes castration will not help. In this case, you need training, not control hormones!
Cancer, prostatitis and other diseases
Castration can be a measure against many dangerous diseases. High levels of hormones are the risk of cancer, thyroid disease, kidney and adrenal gland, prostatitis, gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular system and so on.
In this case, castration of dogs, the pros and cons are very different, depending on the results of a comprehensive examination and the conclusion of a veterinarian. Perhaps the sob must be castrated. And sometimes treatment is helped without such drastic measures.
Castration and working qualities
Often, one of the drawbacks of castration is the decline in working qualities. Not only that the dog will not grow big and strong, as it could, so it will become lazy also. This statement is based only on prejudice. For example, the castration of hunting dogs has been practiced for centuries, and is practiced until now. This is convenient, because whole dog focusing on work. Scent, passion for hunting, territorial instincts, sensitivity, etc. do not suffer from the fact that the dog is deprived of the opportunity to bring offspring.
Aborigines of the North castrate all dogs that do not go at the head of the team, and the dogs do not become lazy, and they also pull the sleds joyfully.
With regard to physical characteristics, the castration of dogs can only be effected in cases where manipulation is carried out too soon. For example, if you castrate a puppy at the age of three months, it really (but not necessarily!) Can grow slightly less than its uncastrated littermate.
If the operation is carried out in a timely manner, before the onset of puberty, the dog will remain unchanged.
Whether to change the dog after castration
Considering the pros and cons of castration of dogs, many owners worry that after the procedure the character of the animal will change. Often talk about the loss of interest in life, a decrease in activity, drowsiness, a certain laziness, lack of mobility, etc.
Owners believe that the dog will be more difficult to communicate with fellow tribesmen. But in reality the behavior of the dog after castration remains the same: if the pet liked to play, he will continue to show interest in games. Only the desire to find a partner will go away, aggression towards other dogs will gradually decrease (of course, in cases when the fault was all hormones, and not lack of training).
Since castration affects the dog only from the side of various manifestations of sexual instincts, such changes are only a plus. Even if you do not talk about marks, castrated dogs are less likely to get lost, less likely to get under cars, less likely to die in fights, etc.
Drowsiness, reluctance to move, apathy and laziness is the behavior of that male after castration, which was not interested in anything before. However, this does not mean that now the dog should spend all the time on the couch: the former ladies’ man needs to be interested, stimulated with new impressions, funny games, etc.
With regard to communication with fellow tribesmen: a castrated dog for all other dogs is a puppy. And the puppies are supportive of all adequate dogs, regardless of sex. Concerning obesity: overweight leads not to castration, but overfeeding. Castrated pet, you need to consider that now he is less nervous, less worn around the yard in search of brides, spends less time fighting with rivals, and therefore – uses less energy.
Thinking about castration of dogs, the pros and cons must be taken into account on an individual basis. The decision can not be true for everyone, it is important to remember the characteristics of the pet.
There were problems – consult a dog therapist and veterinarian who can point out the cause of the trouble. Castration is not a panacea. But also not a terrible mockery. Simply in the case of dogs, everything is very individual, and the owner is not always able to see the truth – they interfere with emotions.