The thought of castrating a dog often brings to mind various images, including those created by movies and TV shows, where dogs are voiced over, begging to remain “intact.” Because our society views the areas involved in castration as personal, private, and sensitive, the idea can be enough to turn some stomachs. However, when considering castration, there are a few factors that apply to the canine family that the human family generally wouldn’t consider. After all, we are talking about the castration of dogs. As human as our pets may seem, dogs have different needs, health concerns, and behavioral factors that set them apart.
If the idea of castrating a dog sends your mind and heart into a frenzy of negative thoughts, you might want to consider why you are reacting that way. Are you personalizing it? Do you see it as unnecessary? Do you not believe there are any benefits? Or are you afraid that something “bigger” might happen? One woman I know refused to have her dog castrated because a previous dog had died on the operating table. While she admitted that it would probably be better for her dog to be “fixed,” she couldn’t disassociate from the previous loss, despite the fact that the dog she lost was undergoing a completely different procedure—removal of a tumor, which carried far greater risk.
There are many benefits to the removal of a dog’s reproductive organs that most people don’t even consider. The majority of people who castrate their pets do so simply because they do not intend to breed them. What they get in return is often a happier dog with better behavior and overall health. The myth that having a dog “fixed” makes him fat and lazy is simply not true. Dogs gain weight because their diet is too high in fats and calories, or they aren’t getting enough daily exercise—exactly the same reason people put on weight. Dogs do not become lazy; in fact, most dogs respond with more “juvenile” energy, meaning that their energy comes from a general curiosity and playful attitude toward life—not sexual frustration.
When a dog is castrated, behavioral problems like urinating to mark their territory tend to diminish. Whether or not a dog is “fixed,” they will still urinate on top of or near another dog’s marking spot to facilitate communication. However, marking inside the home becomes unnecessary for the dog. In fact, most dogs will often become less aggressive after castration. This should not be confused with becoming less protective. Being protective is a good thing. Your dog will still bark and guard your home if a stranger tries to break in. Aggression, however, is different—it involves actions like attempting to attack the mail carrier or lunging at another dog across the street. Aggressive behavior, while partly learned, can be influenced by heightened sex drives in dogs. Dogs do not recognize their own sex drive; they just know that they are “pumped up” about something, which can manifest as more aggressive tendencies.
Benefits of Dog Castration
The most obvious benefit of dog castration is the inability to reproduce. There are simply too many unwanted, homeless, and undesirable dogs in this country. There is no need to add more puppies to the already overflowing population. Each year, an estimated 6 million dogs with no owners are euthanized. Every year, more puppies are born than there are humans, and nearly 13,000 stray dogs wander the streets of any given city. These numbers represent an insane amount of wasted life. Each of these street dogs, shelter dogs, or those euthanized due to a lack of homes, started out as a cute puppy that everyone thought was easy to rehome. After all, how else will your children witness the “miracle of birth”? There are better ways to teach your children to respect life, including recognizing the consequences of dog overpopulation, especially the pets humans abandon. Castrating your dog is the only guarantee that you and your dog won’t contribute to this ever-growing problem.
Intending to keep your dog inside or confined to the backyard while he is intact may seem like a good plan, but it only takes one good escape for him to add to the population crisis. Well-meaning intentions won’t guarantee anything—only castration will.
In truth, castrating a dog is one of the most responsible actions a dog owner can take, whether your pup is just a young tyke or has been wandering around for ten years, completely intact. Being a responsible dog owner means thinking beyond just your own dog and considering the welfare of the entire dog population. The only way to ensure that your dog’s behavior doesn’t contribute to the death of more unwanted dogs is to guarantee that, no matter how clever he is, he won’t be able to procreate once he learns how to escape the backyard. Over time, you’ll notice that your dog becomes happier, more energized, and more content after castration, and you can almost hear him thank you for it.
Castrating a dog doesn’t have to be a traumatic event. It is an act of love, responsible dog ownership, and a gesture of humanitarianism toward the larger puppy community.
