Cost is probably a large factor as well, Castration being a simple procedure seeing that farmers often perform castrations on their livestock themselves. While even the best urologists have had to do "do overs" in their careers

 Quote: Melissa Thom

Second is a prospect called paper hanging. Basically I buy said dog from reputable breeder #1 with limited registration, I then buy dog from BYB #2 on full registration. I then switch papers on the dogs, akc is non the wiser because the BYB is likely to never produce enough litters with their boy to require a DNA verification. So I've essentially stolen a top quality bloodline at pet market prices to become a puppy mill dog.

Can you explain this further? I don't know anything about breeding or even that much about registration, so I'm sure that's why this isn't making sense to me. I think I'm just confused about why you'd buy a dog from a BYB in the first place... but, as I said, I really have no knowledge here.

Katie, I'll send a PM. This is a different topic.

 Quote: angela burrell

It is common in rescues. I had to have a litter done in order to be able to place them in homes. You just can't trust people to be true to their word.

There are also guide dog schools that neuter at 8 weeks.

If I were a breeder producing non-breeding animals, I would take a long hard look at things like vasectomies so that the dog could still mature but not reproduce.

It can cause problems, especially in females. However, for one reason or another the breeder decided the benefits outweigh the risks.

Take a look at the Kijiji classified site under pets wanted. You will be sick to see all the "boy/girlfriend wanted for my dog!" ads. Almost all the ads are for dogs 1 year of age or less who have started humping things so therefore need to be bred. Or their dog is pretty and they want it to have babies. The ads request you send photos (NOT registration, temperament info or health clearances) of your potential suitor. Most do not even know how to spell their dog's breed correctly. I guess this particular breeder did not want this to happen to their dogs.

There is absolutely no way you can really enforce a spay/neuter contract, and the breeder knows this, so I guess this breeder is determined to guarantee the pups don't reproduce. It would be awesome if some other form of sterilization were available or used.

I don't know the breeder or even what breed of dog this is, but if pups are being sold for work then I guess I agree they should be left intact.

Rescues, like animal shelters, often have as one of their top priorities the prevention of more puppies being produced. When balancing the pros and cons, they consider that goal to take precedence over other considerations. I don't fault them for that in their context. But a breeders goals are not the same. If so, why would they be breeding at all.

What guide dog schools neuter at 8 wks? Either they are ones who don't have a good reputation, or they are one of the ones who've started doing so recently because of pressure from the HSUS. I predict the latter will either go back to waiting for maturity to neuter before too long, or begin turning out many fewer fit guide dogs. There are many interactions of the endocrine system necessary for optimal health which early neutering disrupts. Large breed dogs in particular have long bone growth problems if neutered before full growth. They can be recognized at a glance as they grow tall and spindly. No guide dog which will be expected to remain fit for working for a decade or more would be neutered early by any reputable guide dog school. (I am a guide dog trainer!)

My own guide dog, and many of the male guide dogs I have trained for others; are never neutered. Males are better workers when left intact. They are also healthier and have less than one third the rate of prostate cancer of neutered males. Testicular cancer, which is often mentioned as a reason for neutering; is very rare.