Does Neutering a Dog Calm Them Down?

Growing dog populations are starting to become a problem. Not because homeless dogs are a plague, but because they’re very likely to get euthanized. Homeless dogs end up in animal shelters, and they’re eventually put on the waiting list for euthanizing. Neutering has become popular for this reason. It’s a humane way of controlling dog population. Today we’re going to talk about neutering and answer a few questions about the surgery. Questions such as “does neutering a dog calm them down” and “is it safe for my dog to be neutered” etc.

Neutering is a very straightforward surgery. This surgery renders a dog sterile, making sure that it doesn’t go around siring any unwanted pups. People sometimes use the term “neutering” to refer to sterilization surgery for male and female dogs. This is a common misbelief about this surgery.

Neutering is a sterilization surgery that is made for male dogs. Sterilizing a female dog is done through spaying. Both of these surgeries produce the same results. However, their execution is different since male and female dogs have different anatomies. Usually, spaying tends to be more complicated. A female’s dog’s reproductive organs are located deeper inside of its body. However, the recovery duration for both surgeries is the same. Spaying is considered to be equally safe as neutering.

Sterilizing a dog involves eliminating their body’s ability to breed. In male dogs, the testicles are removed to stop the production of sperm. Similarly, female dogs have their ovaries removed so that they can’t produce eggs. The process itself is very simple and completely safe for your dog. Its simplicity and its results have made this surgery quite common especially ever since people have started thinking of dog population growth as a problem.

Whether you have a male or female dog, having them undergo a sterilization surgery has some advantages. The most obvious one being population control. Many pet owners have no intention of breeding their dogs. However, their pets may go around mating from time to time. As a responsible pet owner, you’re directly responsible for the impact that your dog has on its surroundings. You have to make sure that your pet does not needlessly produce offspring. Pet owners that don’t wish to breed their dogs are encouraged to sterilize their pets. This ensures that their dog won’t contribute to the ever-growing homeless dog population.

Excessive and uncontrolled dog breeding can also result in breed pollution. Dog breeds can be mixed and altered very easily through mixed breeding. This means that preserving the purity of a dog breed is difficult. When dogs go around mating without any control, they can produce offspring with other breeds. This produces mixed breeds that may be weak or have defects such as poor health or compromised physical traits. Neutering your dog is a nice way to make sure that your dog’s mating tendencies don’t contribute to breed pollution.

In male dogs, neutering reduces the chances of testicular cancer. Also, neutering reduces the chances of your dog contracting some prostate related diseases. So, neutering safeguards your dog from many ailments and diseases.

Neutering also produces positive behavioral changes in male dogs. In fact, neutering is sometimes recommended as a remedy for dogs that are unusually stubborn or hard to control. How does neutering produce behavioral changes? It causes a change in the body’s hormones. This helps suppress certain actions and behaviors. Some people may think of this as an extreme measure. You are placing your dog under a knife just because they have bad behavior. However, neutering is quick and painless. The behavior changes that it produces are good for the dog as well. Neutering will help you calm down your dog.

We all know that pretty much what every living thing feels, thinks, and does is determined by chemical reactions within its body. These chemicals are known as hormones, and they play a major role in how living things function. Male dogs have an abundance of testosterone in them. Testosterone is also called the male hormone. It produces behaviors such as aggression and stubbornness.

Whenever male dogs go into heat, they experience an upsurge of testosterone in their bodies. This upsurge brings with it all kinds of unruly behaviors. Your dog will become restless, aggressive, and it will become more stubborn as well. These sort of behaviors make your dog ill-mannered. They also make it harder to control your dog. If you neuter a dog, you effectively eliminate these upsurges of testosterone. This means that your dog’s body will no longer have excessive amounts of male hormones flowing through it. As a result, your dog will become calmer.

There are some male hormone-driven behaviors that dogs exhibit. None of them are fun to experience since they make your dog harder to manage. When a male dog is in heat, it will do whatever it takes to find a mate. This means that as soon as your dog spots a female, it will exhibit extreme restlessness. Male dogs can start chasing female dogs just to mate with them. During these chases, they can easily wander quite far away and subject themselves to many dangers. Your dog may dig under your fence and whiz away. This can lead to your dog becoming lost, getting stolen, or being hit by a moving vehicle.

Neutering will curb any sexual behaviors that your dog exhibits. This means that you won’t have to worry about your dog darting off the moment it spots a female. Restless behaviors such as roaming around, digging up the ground, and humping objects can be reduced as well. Keep in mind that while neutering will make your dog calmer, it won’t completely eliminate restlessness. Dogs are highly energetic animals by default, and they require regular activity. If your dog still shows signs of restlessness even after neutering, then you aren’t providing it with enough physical and mental stimulation.

Male dogs have a habit of marking their territory. They do this by lifting their leg and urinating on objects as they move around. Behavior such as this makes your dog look very bad, especially in public. Also, it can be very unhygienic if your dog does this indoors. Neutering a dog helps bring this behavior under control as well. Neutered dogs are more docile. This means that they don’t feel an urge to constantly mark their territory to fend off other male dogs.

One of the biggest advantages of neutering is that dogs become less aggressive. Testosterone can make dogs very aggressive towards anyone. Some dogs with genetic traits of aggression can even become hostile toward their owners when in heat. Aggressive dogs can frequently get into fights with other dogs. They also tend to bark at anyone who gets near your house. If your dog is aggressive, then you definitely should get it neutered. In fact, canine experts recommend that all aggressive dogs should be neutered. This ensures that their aggressive genes don’t get passed down to their offspring.

Overall, neutering does more good than harm, especially to your dog. It can rid them of sexual needs that make them unruly. They also have a far lesser chance of catching certain diseases after being neutered. However, despite the obvious advantages of neutering, people still hesitate to opt for this surgery. There are many reasons why people aren’t wholly ready to have their dog neutered. Let’s go through some common reasons and counter them.

We all like have options to choose from. Many people adopt a dog thinking that they might want to have it breed later on. Some people plan on breeding their dogs to increase their family size. Others want to breed their dogs and sell their pups to make money. There’s a common misbelief that people have about breeding their pets. They think that their dog’s pup will be an exact version of their pet. While the thought may be endearing, you need to understand that every dog is wholly unique. Your pet’s pup will have its own physical and personality traits. Meaning that breeding your pet isn’t a way of cloning them.

While breeding your dog for profit may sound like a nice business idea, the reality is quite different. Breeding dogs isn’t an easy thing to do. You need breeding expertise and patience. Breeders often have to invest loads of money into supplements, medical costs, and living space. There’s often more cost involved in breeding than profit, and it’s a high-risk venture. The slightest problem during pregnancy can result in a litter being lost.

Neutering a dog will eliminate any chances of your dog breeding. However, that isn’t a problem unless you’re a professional breeder. Instead of thinking about having pups in the future, you should focus on the present with your dog. Give them the love and attention that they need and make sure they have a comfortable life. Trying to breed your dog will make things harder for you and your dog.

Neutering is similar to vasectomy, not lobotomy. Pet owners are scared that their pet may not walk out of the operation theatre as the same animal. People often go overboard with the idea of their dog’s behavior changing. Like we mentioned above, neutering only affects behaviors that are driven by male hormones. This doesn’t mean that your dog will experience any change in its personality. Neither will your dog become incredibly submissive. The only thing that will change is its heat driven behaviors. Other than that, your dog will continue being the same pooch that you raised and love.

Any surgery should be taken seriously, and you’d be wise to be doubtful. Fortunately, neutering is a very straightforward procedure. It’s common, quick, and is only mildly invasive. Spaying is a bit more complicated as the ovaries are located inside of a dog’s body. The biggest concern in a sterilizing surgery is anesthesia. For this surgery to be performed, a dog needs to be unconscious. Some dogs may be allergic to anesthesia, which can be concerning. However, as long as your vet carries out a pre-operation checkup of your dog, you shouldn’t have to worry too much.

Apart from anesthesia administration, you need to take post-surgery care seriously. You need to make sure that your dog heals without any discomfort or complications. Other than this, neutering is simple, and most of the times you won’t even feel like your dog underwent surgery.

Sterilization surgeries are quite simple for dogs. They recover from them quite quickly and become calmer. Neutering is very beneficial. It safeguards dogs from diseases, helps with population control and makes them more manageable. Despite what some people think, neutering doesn’t alter your dog’s personality. It only affects male hormone driven tendencies. This means that you’ll only see a reduction in your dog’s aggression and dominating behavior. The rest of its personality will remain unaffected.

While you may think that neutering isn’t worth going for due to several reasons, if you size up the facts then you’ll see that the advantages of this surgery outweigh the disadvantages. It will allow you to worry about your dog’s health and behavior less, which means that you can spend less time worrying about your dog and more time enjoying their company.

Lastly, keep in mind that while neutering is beneficial, it is a medical procedure. You should only decide on opting for the procedure after consulting experts. It is advised that you have your dog undergo a thorough medical checkup. This will help you identify any health conditions that may result in complications. As long as you take all the necessary precautions before having your dog neutered, your pet will breeze through this surgery.