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Exact figures for the UK are uncertain, but it is generally accepted that there are around seven million dogs and nine million cats, which is a 5-year upward spiral for the cats and a slight decline in the number of dogs. This reflects out changing lifestyle with the trend for smaller housing, staying single and both adults fully employed, this would tend to make a cat an easier option.
Approximately 135,000 stray dogs per annum are picked up in the UK . 400 are destroyed every week. In the USA the figures are very different, they have almost 70 million dogs almost twice as many per household as the UK. 8 million to 12 million dogs and cats are euthanised annually. It has been suggested that only 50% of all dogs born in the USA will survive to see their second birthday. This is not because they are not caring or loving owners, but simply because they have no organised program for neutering and spaying.
The USA has many more latchkey dogs than the UK , therefore creating far more unwanted pregnancies. Left to there own devices. two dogs and their offspring can produce 67,000 young over a 6-year period. Two cats and their offspring can produce 420,000 over a 7-year period.
As a practicing behaviourist and obedience trainer, I am often called to discuss whether the owners should spay or neuter. I find in general that my male clients (the human ones) get a pained expression and cross their legs in agitation when the subject of castration arises. They generally have no problem with spaying; it is the castration that causes the concern. Yet the opposite is true from my female clients. Who often tell me that their husbands will not entertain their dog being emasculated. yet the have no problem with the concept.
My pet will become fat and lazy: It is true that in many cases dogs and cats will tend to have a larger appetite after either spaying or neutering. However, we control the intake of food and the amount of exercise, if we allow them to have a sedentary lifestyle, then obesity may be a problem.
It is better to let my pet either mate or have one litter first: Where this idea comes from I do not know, reproduction is a biological event in cats and dogs and given they are not cognisant they do not yearn for a family in the way humans do. Allowing a male to cover a female does not quench his appetite for sex it actually enhances it. He can subsequently become a serial roamer and a Houdini type escape artist.
Neutering may affect my dog's emotional identity: Dogs do not cognitively possess a macho identity. Concerned owners should ask their veterinarian about a product called neuticals. It is an implant available for neutered males "they are artificial gonads". Some owners believe their pet will miss them! Not something that I would personally have done but there you go it takes all kinds to make a world. It may not surprise you to learn that these are more commonly used in the USA .
I want my dog to be protective in the home : Spaying and neutering does not affect the natural instinct to guard and protect.
I can't afford to have my pet spayed or neutered: Many veterinarians have spay or neuter programs for regular clients. Check your area for low cost spay/neuter centres. Alternatively, adopt from a Rescue Centre, as the pets are often spayed or neutered prior to adoption.
Benefits and Pitfalls of Spaying and Neutering Your Dog
Spaying and neutering can make for a better pet and a more affectionate family companion. It is a medical fact that spaying and neutering can prolong the life of a pet and reduce the number of health problems in later life.
Females can benefit from spaying by reducing the incidence of uterine or ovarian cancers; it also prevents dogs from getting uterine infections later in life. An infected uterus called Pyometria, is a serious and potentially fatal infection.
The heat or season lasts in total from beginning to end about 3 weeks, and is twice a year for dogs and six times a year for cats. Neutering a male reduces the incidences of prostate and testicular cancer. Male pets are less likely to develop unwanted behaviour's such as marking of territory, sexual aggression, and mounting.
Males are less likely to escape, roam the neighbourhood, or fight with other dogs. Vets depending on their outlook recommend that dogs are spayed or neutered anywhere between 5 to 14 months of age, before the first oestrus cycle in females and prior to males developing a testosterone related behavioural problem.
I do have some serious reservations: One of the problems that have been discussed within PAACT the Professional Association of Applied Canine Trainers, of which I am Chairman and a founder member, is the affect of spaying and neutering very early, whilst the dog is still physically and mentally immature.
It is our belief that we are seeing many more cases where the dogs are showing (paedomorphic tendencies), that is puppy like behaviours in adult dogs possibly related to the incidence of early spaying and neutering. Progesterone has a calming effect in both humans and dogs so to remove this before the bitch has had a chance to mature may create similar problems as early castrated males. We have also observed that bitches spayed too early may be far more interesting to intact males; therefore unwanted male attention may cause the dog to become aggressive and protective of her space in later life.
My personal belief is males should not be castrated until they have been cocking their leg for at least one month, and should be at least 10 to 16 months old depending on breed and size, unless their is medical or serious behavioural issues. If you castrate before this the males may continue to squat. In females, it should be after her first season you should wait approx 3 months after finishing the season whilst everything settles down before spaying.
Many vets will neuter a dog before they have cocked their leg, this means that the testosterone burst that occurs at between 10 and 16 months will not happen. At this point dogs start to seriously cock their legs and start to mark territory, in reality the marking may start earlier, but it is distinctive that they now mark by trying to reach as high as possible to spread their scent and cover the smell of other dogs.
The testosterone burst clearly turns on a dormant, hard-wired program that establishes this cocking behaviour, many hard-wired behaviours are not isolated to just one behaviour and other functions that are not so obvious may be switched on at this time. These may have social functions or psychological effects that aid in the development of the critical periods in your dogs psychological growth. If we switch these off by neutering or spaying early, we may be denying the dog the opportunity to achieve its full adult potential.
My concern with early neutering is borne out of observation, many dogs that have been neutered before the leg cocking stage appear to retain more juvenile characteristics that those neutered afterwards. In other words, they retain perpetual puppy like characteristics, whilst this may be endearing in a small dog, who wants a 4-year-old Great Dane who bounces and leaps on you and everything else in sight and who also shows a low concentration level associated with much younger dogs.
Studies have been done by vets in the States to observe dogs on a physical level, but I have found none that have been done to observe the effects on a behavioural level related to early neutering and spaying. However it has been observed that females that show aggressive behaviour to their owners before they are six months old then spaying may increase this aggression. This is from the Canine Aggression Workbook by Dr James O’Heare one of the worlds leading authorities on canine aggression
"It would appear that dogs who demonstrate control complex aggression (aka dominance aggression) toward owners prior to 6 months of age are at risk for becoming more aggressive after ovariohysterectomy. If a dog demonstrates a significant propensity to control complex aggression it may be wise to avoid spaying these dogs" James O'Heare" 2003 .
This may be related to the production of progesterone a naturally produced calming hormone which is removed through spaying. However, I must point out I am not a Vet or medically qualified, therefore you should always discuss the pro's and con's with your own Veterinarian. These observations have come from a number of trainers and behaviourists, but are not part of a study in laboratory controlled conditions.
I do believe we need to set a good example for future generations of pet owners, spay and neuter your pets, but me mindful of the pitfalls, remember, if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.
This information is from Dr James O'Heare author of the Canine Aggression Workbook one of the most important books on aggression ever written also courtesy of " http://www.kerryblues.info/
The Effects of Spaying and Neutering
on Canine Behavior
by James O'Heare, B.Sc., Dip.C.B., Dip.ACP., Dip.A.S., C.C.B.C.
Cynology College
Copyright 2003, James O'Heare
Males
Neutering the male dog removes the source of circulating testosterone.
"Ben and Hart"at the University of California carried out the most extensive surveys on the effects of castration on dogs and came up with these statistics:
Roaming
Reduced in 90% of cases
Rapid reduction in 45%
Gradual reduction in 45%
No effect in 10%
Intermale Aggression
Reduced in 60% of cases
Rapid reduction in 25%
Gradual reduction in 35%
No effect in 40%
Mounting People
Reduced in 60% of cases
Rapid reduction in 30%
Gradual reduction in 30%
Some decline in mounting bitches in heat too
Urine Marking in the House
Reduced in 50% of cases
Rapid reduction in 20%
Gradual reduction in 30%" (Fogle, 1990, p. 53)
Testosterone has the effect of modulating sexually dimorphic behaviors as well as aggressive or reactive behaviors. "Testosterone acts as a modulator that makes dogs react more intensely. When an intact dog decides to react to something, he reacts more quickly, with greater intensity, and for a longer period of time." (Overall, 1997, p.96)
There is a two fold explanation of the effects of androgens (specifically testosterone) upon behavior which bear upon the affects of castration and behavior: 1) prenatal androgenization of the testosterone sensitive neural substrate which mediate sexual and aggressive behavior and 2) reinforcement and sensitization of these substrates once they have been realized at puberty (Lindsay, 2000, p.186). This is supported by the finding that testosterone can create male sexually dimorphic behaviors when injected into females, and, that male sexually dimorphic behaviors are not eliminated upon castration, even prepubertally.
There are two significant surges of testosterone in the male canine system; one just before and just after birth, which masculinizes the brain and essentially sets up the potential for associated behaviors, and another at puberty, which further modulates these behaviors. Thereafter the behaviors take on more of a learned component. This first androgenizing effect is not affected by castration, which explains the inconclusive results of castration upon behavior. I would be remiss not to add into this discussion the high likelihood that many male sexually dimorphic behaviors may be modal action patters to some degree. Male urine marking for example is probably a modal action pattern, as is mounting. Roaming is probably instinctive also. As with most canine behaviors it always comes down to a complex amalgam of genetics and learning. Hormonal activity can be affected by neutering but genetics can only be affected in populations (as opposed to individuals). Behaviors that are highly instinctive are difficult to effect with training.
"Testosterone titers start to rise by the time the male pup reaches 4 to 5 months, where after testosterone levels reach a maximum at 10 months of age and then fall to adult male levels by 18 months of age." (Dunbar, 1999, p.68) Raising testosterone levels at 4 to 5 months of age may be important in provoking other dogs to target them so that they will learn affiliative behaviors (Dunbar, 1999, p.68). On the other hand as circulating testosterone levels increase associated behaviors become more learned and entrenched in the behavioral repertoire of the dog. This argues for neutering to be done at 6 months of age in order that affiliative behaviors may be learned through the targeting phenomenon but so that affects of circulating testosterone are not present long enough to cause significant reinforcement histories for associated behaviors. One argument is that dogs who are expected to live with or otherwise interact with other dogs throughout their lives and who are also extra sensitive should be neutered early (say at 4 months) so that they are not targeted quite so heavily by other dogs. Waiting with these dogs can provoke interactions that lead to classical conditioning complications. If a dog is provoked to engage in intermale aggression for example, he may learn from his interactions to anticipate a confrontation. This classical conditioning effect can influence the dog's behavior long after circulating testosterone is removed from the body. This beneficial effect must be weighed against the potentially negative ramifications of prepubertal neutering. Prepubertally neutered dogs show a significant increase in excitability and general activity level (Lindsay, 2000, p.186). For some breeds and some owners this may not be a problem and prepubertal neutering may prevent otherwise difficult to avoid traumatic experiences with other dogs while allowing for maximal socialization. A cost benefit assessment must be made in each case before the timing of neutering can be advised upon. It is also often suggested that puppies who show dominance or high levels of controlling behaviors be neutered early. This may not be based on any valid research. "... prepubertal castration appears to have no effect on the development of canine aggression in males (Le Boeuf, 1970)." (Overall, 1997, p.97)
Females
Spaying of the female dog removes the source of estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen and progesterone are increased or decreased in cycles. The biggest influence cycling fluctuations in estrogen and progesterones have on female dog behavior is pregnancy related problems.
"While estrogen increases in the dog's body for a short length of time, progesterone remains in circulation, influencing the brain for two months after each estrous and can have a dramatic effect on canine behavior. The most common behaviors are those associated with pregnancy, nest building, guarding possessions and milk production." (Fogle, 1990, p.54)
The most notable problem arises when the dog guards items maternally. Other problems can involve irritability, conflict with other dogs and energy reduction. "Guarding toys, dolls, rags, slippers or anything else that can be carried is another common behavioral consequence of the surge in progesterone." (Fogle, 1990, p.55) Possessive guarding in intact females that occurs in cycles is usually a hormonal guarding of the type described.
Female dogs are at increased risk of disease if they are allowed to experience their first heat. For this reason it is often suggested that a female dog be spayed prior to 6 months of age. It would appear that dogs who demonstrate control complex aggression (aka dominance aggression) toward owners prior to 6 months of age are at risk for becoming more aggressive after ovariohysterectomy. If a dog demonstrates a significant propensity to control complex aggression it may be wise to avoid spaying these dogs.
"When the female dogs neutered at or after puberty were compared to intact controls, several differences were noted. One difference was a significantly greater tendency for dominance aggression to be shown toward family members by the neutered females. What is not clear about the study is whether the surgery was performed in more of these dogs because aggression had already been identified as a problem, or whether there is a direct cause-effect relation. Ovariohysterectomized bitches also showed significantly more excitement in the car and less discriminate appetite than did the intact ones, even immediately post surgery." (Beaver, 1999, p.229)
These observations are backed by Fogle, (p. 56) and Overall (p. 97). It remains unclear exactly why some undesirable behavioral side effects occur. Inconclusive evidence exists that androgens may be implicated in dominance aggression in females (Overall, 1997, p.97). Experiments performed on hamsters (Brain & Haug, 1992; Vom Saal, 1984, 1989, as cited in Overall, 1997, p.98) suggest that females positioned in the uterus between two males will be more aggressive than other females and this conflict behavior more resembles male conflict behavior. We know that the male brain is exposed to testosterone prior to birth, which masculinizes the male brain. It is theorized that this masculinizing of bystander females results in aggression in females, again adding to the debate of how important testosterone is in the development of aggression and other behaviors. Animals experimentally injected with testosterone, including females, tend to take on male sexually dimorphic behaviors. It would seem that testosterone may turn out to be very important one way or another in the development of aggressive behavior.
In Conclusion
Neutering can remove one of the influences upon male sexually dimorphic behavior and aggression and while this cannot be considered curative it may help prevent associated behaviors or reduce the modulating effect of associated behaviors that already exist. Timing of neutering may be significant and should be advised upon with a cost benefit assessment on a case-by-case basis.
Spaying will prevent the cycling of estrogen and progesterone, which may prevent associated behaviors. Whether to spay or not should be advised on a case by case basis depending on the presence or absence of significant excessively controlling aggressive behaviors toward owners prior to six months of age.
References cited
Beaver, Bonnie, DVM, MS, Dipl ACVB. 1999. Canine Behavior: A Guide for Veterinarians, W. B. Saunders Company
Dunbar, Ian, D.V.M., Ph.D., MRCVS. 1999. Dog Behavior. Howell Book House.
Fogle, Bruce, D.V.M., M.R..C.V.S. 1990 The Dog's Mind. Howell Book House.
Overall, Karen L., M.A., V.M.D., Ph.D., 1997. Clinical Behavioral Medicine For Small Animals. Mosby.
Lindsay, Steven, M.A., 2000. Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training, Iowa State Press
James O'Heare, B.Sc., Dip.C.B., Dip.ACP., Dip.A.Sc., C.C.B.C., is the Executive Director of Cynology College (www.CynologyCollege.com), and owner of DogPsych.com (www.DogPsych.com). James holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Psychology, a Diploma of Animal Sciences, Diploma of Canine Behavior, Diploma in Advanced Canine Psychology and will soon finish his Masters degree in Psychology and begin his PhD in Animal Psychology. James is the Author of The Canine Aggression Workbook, The Canine Separation Anxiety Workbook, Dominance Theory and Dogs and Canine Neuropsychology.
More articles by James O'Heare can be found at Dog Psychology.
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