ah he's lovely

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"Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way."
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Just wanted to say this was a really good polite, informative thread with a very sensible decision made by the opening poster, well done everyone that contributed, and well done Opening poster, for asking the questions, for being open minded, and for thinking of your loved dog first and foremost. BTW he is lovely, and wanted to say if I got a £ for every time some random stranger asked me to mate my guys to their girls I would have quite a few bob now, thankfully I took their invites with a pinch of salt, and enjoy being skint, and having a clear concience lol.

mo

completely agree with this post! I get it with my dogs but just ignore the 'invites' !

Gorgeous dog Ben

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Thanks Ditsy, Mo and Acacia!

I've been on alot of other forums(unrelated to pets) and there is alot of rubbish spoken(typed?) so it's very nice to have a good, mature discussion about a topic with people that know what they're taking about and with no one lowering the tone.

Hi there i know nothing about breeding but i was asked on beach by woman with bichon if i would let my dog breed with hers as she was in season he was only 7 months at time me and oh were just gobsmacked walked away mad woman followed us along beach saying come on let him off leash with her dog your boy is gorgeous

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life is not measured by the breaths wee take in a moment but by the moments that take our breath away...........

She wanted it to happen there and then?! That's crazy! Some people don't have the brains they were born with.

Your Westie look lovely , when we thought about getting another dog we were thinking about getting one, going for the little and large. I think a baby is on the cards before another dog though ( scary stuff).

I too was approached by a "reputable" breeder to use Flynn as a stud. I never wanted my boy to experience "it" and just wanted him to be my baby for ever, which he is. He was neutered at 18 months and since doesn't even pee when out on walks, so much better than the constant sniffing and peeing he did before. It also protects against prostate cancer/prostatitis in the future, so i'd always go for neutering myself. Also I don't find any smegma (discharge) on his bed any more - another bonus!

Your boy is adorable and i'm so glad you didn't accept the offer of the other owner, your boy could have had a bad experience in inexperienced hands.

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Flynn - Kali - Britches - Bruce - T-Bo - Marty



"For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack"

I'm glad we didn't pursue it too! Thinking back she was quite forward about it, she just went straight in to asking if he was registered and what papers we had for him. She didn't ask if he had any conditions or illnesses which says to me (now at least) that she didn't really know what she was talking about!

I wouldn't want him to go through all that, before I came here I thought it was just a case of getting them together and leaving them to it!

I've now had my eyes opened

You've got that the wrong way round, it increases the risk of prostate cancer, although it's still a small risk in any case; this is from the article I posted a link to earlier in the thread ......


On balance, it appears that no compelling case can be made for neutering most male dogs, especially immature male dogs, in order to prevent future health problems. The number of health problems associated with neutering may exceed the associated health benefits in most cases.

On the positive side, neutering male dogs
• eliminates the small risk (probably <1%) of dying from testicular cancer
• reduces the risk of non-cancerous prostate disorders
• reduces the risk of perianal fistulas
• may possibly reduce the risk of diabetes (data inconclusive)
On the negative side, neutering male dogs
• if done before 1 year of age, significantly increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer); this is a
common cancer in medium/large and larger breeds with a poor prognosis.
• increases the risk of cardiac hemangiosarcoma by a factor of 1.6
• triples the risk of hypothyroidism
• increases the risk of progressive geriatric cognitive impairment
• triples the risk of obesity, a common health problem in dogs with many associated health problems
• quadruples the small risk (<0.6%) of prostate cancer
• doubles the small risk (<1%) of urinary tract cancers
• increases the risk of orthopedic disorders
• increases the risk of adverse reactions to vaccinations

If his temperament is good and he isn't chasing every bitch under the sun, then why get him neutered? There are actually more potential health problems from neutering a male than leaving him intact - these risks are higher the younger the dog is done, but nevertheless remain.

I'm glad you've decided to take on board the advice given - stud work is not for the fainthearted - we've got a lovely chocolate boy here who is shown regularly, has quite an unusual and very nice pedigree for a chocolate, very low hips, zero elbows, a clear eye cert, and is DNA clear for g-PRA and CNM - and all but two of my enquires I've turned away. The trouble is, unless you are at the top or 'know' someone who will put stud work your way - most enquiries are from unhealth-tested pet bitch owners who want a stud and want it NOW

well done you

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What you need to know before buying a Labrador puppy