Quote:
Originally Posted by damp  So are you saying I am not a responsible owner, because my 8 years old dog is intact?????
IMHO... you got it all wrong!
Responsibility is the same, no matter if your dog is intact or not! Period! |
actually, i KNOW you to be a responsible owner, damp - going to make no judgements on you based on the genetalia of your animals.
my thought is that there's millions of
more or less responsible owners out there, who really ought to get their animals altered. think about how many times on this forum you've read some variation of the sentece "my dog got out and..."
now, if the dog can get out and bite the neighbour's kid, eat your garden, walk around the block alone, surprise you at the front door (all examples from this forum) it's not unimaginable that your dog may get out and find that oh-so-tempting bitch in heat two doors down.
it's something to think of as a safety net - for when the unexpected happens.
what can i say - i worked with a breeder for years, almost 80% of the animals that went to homes went with a spay/castrate clause. if nothing else, this cuts down on BYB.
personally, i'd like to see it a mandatory thing - to alter your pet if they are not a show animal. simple logic there - no breeder worth their salt will breed an unshown animal - so making show animal's exempt covers legit breeders. however, this cripples the BYB, who barely put the time and energy into feeding their animals, nonetheless showing them.
but for the OP, i'd say if you're willing to wait, and willing to watch your dog every second he's outside, then go ahead and wait for the 1.5 year mark.... but the choice is yours, and you've had lots of advice from here, eh?
peace
stale