Should You Neuter/Spay Your Dog?

“My dog is humping everything.”

“My dog has become very aggressive.”

These are some things we often hear from the dog-parents. And what is the common solution? 

“Get them neutered.”

But is it really the solution? There is a whole book on “Why Dogs Hump and Bees Get Depressed: The Fascinating Science of Animal Intelligence, Emotions, Friendship, and Conservation” by Marc Bekoff. 

But with the Sploot app around, you don’t really have to read the book to get your answer. You can get access to exclusive content on the app itself, and get your questions answered. 

We had a discussion with Nidhi from Doggiversity. And here are a few aspects of having your dog neutered, as she explained.

It’s illegal to breed dogs

Considering the legal point of view, in India you can’t breed a dog and sell its puppies unless you have the licence to do so. 

Neutering keeps female dogs safe

Neutering a female dog prevents cancer and other diseases it might be prone to having. 

You can’t be around all the time

In the case of a female dog, you don’t want accidents of her getting pregnant; especially if you can’t be around all the time to take care of her.

Despite these arguments in favor of the motion (yeah, we’re passing a bill here!); here are a few things you should bear in mind:

Hormones are good

Just like with humans, dogs produce hormones. It is a natural process, and achieving sexual maturity is part of every dog’s growth.

Aggression is not always sexual

While some dogs can have an aggression problem because they are sexually frustrated, not all aggression problems arise from the same cause. Dogs can be aggressive when they have fear or are frustrated. Work with a trainer to figure out what the root cause is.

Final verdict:

Whether a dog needs to be neutered varies from case to case. Make sure you weigh all pros and cons with a canine trainer before you decide the right course of action for your dog.