I’m not really a go with the flow kinda person. Well, actually I am in some circumstances. For instance, if you ask where I want to eat or what I want to do or any other question that involves having an opinion about something trivial, I’m pretty much gonna day, “I don’t care.” When I first moved to Fayetteville, Sarah thought this was funny. She was helping me buy stuff and asked me weird questions about tastes and preferences and things I don’t have. She quickly learned that I just don’t care that much. It feels like wasted energy to have strong feelings about stuff.
But I guess I’m a bit of a skeptic. Mostly about health stuff I guess. Today’s issue: processed dog food. Kibble. Who are we kidding that that stuff is good for dogs? It’s like how the American Dairy Association came along and all of a sudden kids “have to” have 5 million servings of milk a day. Give me a break. (I made my own dog food today.) Or vaccines. I’m not expressing a pro or anti stance in general (mostly because since I’m in the autism world it could be seen as a professional recommendation, and I’m not qualified for that; I can treat it, but I can’t tell you how to prevent it). But come on. We need 86 of them, when they haven’t been studied in combination? Give me a break. It’s the frog in the boiling water thing. Start doing crazy things slowly and no one notices how crazy they are. (I will confess if I had kids I wouldn’t vaccinate, I believe for well-researched reasons. But I’m very careful about not saying so in forums where it would be taken as a professional recommendation.)
Which brings me to…neutering. The dog, that is. When I got him I assumed I’d do it by 6 months, to prevent all the stuff it’s supposed to prevent. But then I decided he was so cute that maybe I’d want another one of him. So I decided to wait. Then I decided that was a bad idea. With my OCD tendencies I’d end up starting a doggie empire and would be devastated if it ever ended – if I got a dud or something. So no. But it got me started reading about it, and I discovered it’s not so cut (pun only partially intended) and dried…
There are behavioral reasons to neuter, yes. But it’s not a guarantee. Plus he’s been…expressing fondness for toys (and my arm)…since 3 months. And there’s nothing I’ve seen that indicates it would necessarily stop that once it’s started.
And, yes, neutering eliminates the risk of testicular cancer…but, um, removing any body part is going to remove the risk of it developing cancer. So no sale. And the more I read about neutering, the more health benefits I discover for not doing it. Other cancer risks decline, plus the risk of obesity. Obesity is by far the greatest risk factor for anything!
A couple of caveats: dogs that aren’t neutered are more likely to roam and get in fights. If our living situation was such that either of those were big options (he’s never outside unattended; accidents happen, of course, but he doesn’t have the same roaming opportunities as dogs without fences) I would consider.
My bottom line is that I think it’s propaganda designed to instill guilt. It’s the dog equivalent of, “You’re an irresponsible parent if you [don’t vaccinate; vaccinate; have more than two kids; have an only child; don’t stay at home with your kid, etc.].” Yes, it’s kind of irresponsible to let dogs mate unintentionally. Then again, some people think it’s irresponsible to let humans reproduce. The point is: make up your own mind and then mind your own business. (I’m not talking to anyone in particular.)
So I pretty much decided months ago not to neuter, but if I change my mind I definitely plan to wait till he’s over a year old. This sweet little guys needs all the testosterone he can get.
Here’s a link to a site with some interesting thoughts on neutering.
I think he’s ten whole pounds now, but he can still perch on the recliner without tipping it.
He gets a little weird on rainy days.
Next Comes Africa 