The problem with not desexing your dog

Sadly, I've encountered an increasing amount of dog owners choosing not to desex their pet, yet insisting on taking their untrained dogs to off-lead dog parks and dog beaches. I have had quite heated conversations with some of these dog owners and quite often it starts as innocent as this: Owner: Yeh, I have a really cute Staffy X (you can substitute this with almost any breed/cross breed) and I'm thinking about letting her have puppies. Me: You have a Staffy X, so not a pure-breed with papers? Owner: No - but she's really cute Me: Are you a registered breeder? Owner: No - but I have a friend who has a really cute dog so I reckon they would have gorgeous puppies Me: And how would that benefit the dog world? Owner: What do you mean? They would have cute puppies! Me: You have a mixed breed dog, your friend has a mixed breed dog... so neither of you know the history of your dogs genetics, whether they have genetic issues that could pass down to the puppies, there is no benefit to the breed, and you aren't actually a registered breeder so do you know what it takes to actually responsibly breed a dog, look after newborn puppies, what could go wrong, and how you would feel if every single one of the puppies ended up in a shelter within 12 months?

Owner: It will be fine. At this point generally I am dismissed. I am not offended, as I generally feel that these owners know the validity of the questions that I ask, and at no point do I ever tell them I think they are idiots, I am purely asking questions and yet that is too much.

The fact of the matter is, unless you are a registered breeder with a pedigree dog, mating your dog with another pedigree dog - you are part of the problem, not the solution. Bodies like Dogs Victoria state that breeding should be "for the better of the breed" - and responsible breeders know the genetic histories of their dogs and thus, only breed dogs that don't have heritable diseases.

The department of agriculture even have a Code of Practice for the breeding of animals with Heritable Defects that cause disease. In the 2015-2016 Financial Year, the RSPCA alone received over 45,000 dogs into their shelters as surrenders or strays with less than 40% of these dogs being reclaimed. That's just the RSPCA. You can see all their annual report statistics by following this link: RSPCA Published Statistics These numbers are minute in comparison to a study that aimed to look at Surrendered and Stray dogs Australia wide across all councils pounds, shelters and rescue groups. " In 2012–2013, there were an estimated 9.3 dog admissions per 1000 residents (211,655 dog admissions). Of these admissions, 4.4 per 1000 residents were reclaimed (101,037 reclaimed), 2.9 per 1000 residents were rehomed (66,443 rehomed) and 1.9 per 1000 residents were euthanized (43,900 euthanized)" Full article These dog owners are also the same people who take their dog(s) whether on heat or not to off lead dog parks and beaches. This is more than just a problem because of "accidental breeding", but behaviourally can cause massive issues. Aggression, hyper-arousal, fights can all come about due to entire animals "playing" together. To be completely transparent, I have an entire male dog. BUT I would never have him at an off-lead dog area with unfamiliar dogs/bitches and I am completely in control of his interactions at all times. He is a >6 generation pedigree dog with champion lineage and the breeder knows full genetic history of both Dam and Sire (Mum & Dad). We are members of Dogs Victoria, The American Staffordshire Club of Victoria and take great pride in being responsible dog owners and representatives of the breed. I discuss the "off lead dog park" situations with these same dog owners who "want to breed" and while they recognise their dog has no recall and seems to be more aggro at off lead areas, they continue to take them there "for exercise" with little to no comprehension of the risks they are putting their (or other peoples) dogs in. Did you know there are actually health benefits for neutering your dog?

• Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast tumors, which are malignant or cancerous in about 50 percent of dogs
• Neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer and some prostate problems.
  
  In addition, it can help with behaviour issues including reducing your dog's want to "roam" and it has been noted to calm other behaviour related issues. (This can be dependant again on what age the dog is desexed, and the genetic predisposition of the dog in the first place).
  If you love your dog, LOVE your dog. You don't need to create a litter of puppies to show your love. Love is more than cuddles and treats - love is about providing a safe and stimulating environment and home for your dog.
  The dog you have right now.