Why We Recommend Altering (spay/neuter) of Working LGDs
By Theresa Marie Keeney Wegner
HORMONES - Intact males have been known to travel miles for bitches in heat, there's also the rare incidence, but does happen, of them breeding lone wolf & coyote bitches, putting large, dangerous hybrids out there. intact males require taller & more secure fencing. management requirements are different, same reason people keep geldings to work/ride, not stallions, etc. when bitches close to hand are in heat, the males hang with the bitches in heat, rather than keeping their minds on the job of working. some have to be locked up as well. bitches in heat also lose interest in working and are intent on reproduction. bitches tend to be unfocussed coming into and going out of heat. they draw in males from miles away, who then also have access to your stock. rarely, but has happened, wolf & coyote males have bred with LGD bitches. bitches in heat require lock up for the average 3 wks of heat cycle, generally twice a year.
SHORT TEMPERS - A bit more related to the hormones, the males are very frustrated with bitches in heat, when not breeding. it leads to more testiness, short fuses & fights. Bitches in heat also fight more, it disrupts working pack relations and in a pack, fighting can lead to piling on one and killing it.
MANAGEMENT - Males have been known to pull apart fencing, including chain link, to get to bitches in heat. jumped thru windows, chewed thru doors, climbed, jumped 6' or more fences. some bitches in heat, have gone to almost as much extremes, to get with the male.
ESTRUS CYCLES - Altered dogs do not have heat cycles, hormone disruption, frustration, less fighting. and biggest one, keep their minds on the job all the time. Neutered males are not lured off by wolves or coyote bitches in heat, nor the neighbor's, nor the bitch in the next county. altered bitches do not have heat cycles that draw in intact males, from miles away. again, working pack harmony is easier to maintain. they are not out of commission/locked up during heat cycles.
ALTERNATIVE NEUTERING METHODS - The partial spays, vasectomies, recommended by many pet owners, only eliminates the puppies. They still have all the issues of an intact animal to deal with. secure housing, hormones, drawing in, or wanting to chase bitches in heat. out of commission during heat cycles, inner pack conflicts, related to hormones.
WHEN TO ALTER -we recommend *when* you do alter, to be an individual situation. based on your needs, your ability to manage the hormones, etc. we have other links, etc. that talk about both altering earlier or later. A balanced approached. personally, I prefer to not alter young pups, preferring around 12m of age. earlier if I have a young male that takes fencing as a personal challange & if I don't want to bother with a heat cycle, so about 8-10 m in that case. \
HOW BREEDERS MAKE IT WORK - Many that run intact breeding LGDs, also run alters, that pick up the slack when the intacts are dealing with hormones. requires running more dogs.
By Theresa Marie Keeney Wegner
HORMONES - Intact males have been known to travel miles for bitches in heat, there's also the rare incidence, but does happen, of them breeding lone wolf & coyote bitches, putting large, dangerous hybrids out there. intact males require taller & more secure fencing. management requirements are different, same reason people keep geldings to work/ride, not stallions, etc. when bitches close to hand are in heat, the males hang with the bitches in heat, rather than keeping their minds on the job of working. some have to be locked up as well. bitches in heat also lose interest in working and are intent on reproduction. bitches tend to be unfocussed coming into and going out of heat. they draw in males from miles away, who then also have access to your stock. rarely, but has happened, wolf & coyote males have bred with LGD bitches. bitches in heat require lock up for the average 3 wks of heat cycle, generally twice a year.
SHORT TEMPERS - A bit more related to the hormones, the males are very frustrated with bitches in heat, when not breeding. it leads to more testiness, short fuses & fights. Bitches in heat also fight more, it disrupts working pack relations and in a pack, fighting can lead to piling on one and killing it.
MANAGEMENT - Males have been known to pull apart fencing, including chain link, to get to bitches in heat. jumped thru windows, chewed thru doors, climbed, jumped 6' or more fences. some bitches in heat, have gone to almost as much extremes, to get with the male.
ESTRUS CYCLES - Altered dogs do not have heat cycles, hormone disruption, frustration, less fighting. and biggest one, keep their minds on the job all the time. Neutered males are not lured off by wolves or coyote bitches in heat, nor the neighbor's, nor the bitch in the next county. altered bitches do not have heat cycles that draw in intact males, from miles away. again, working pack harmony is easier to maintain. they are not out of commission/locked up during heat cycles.
ALTERNATIVE NEUTERING METHODS - The partial spays, vasectomies, recommended by many pet owners, only eliminates the puppies. They still have all the issues of an intact animal to deal with. secure housing, hormones, drawing in, or wanting to chase bitches in heat. out of commission during heat cycles, inner pack conflicts, related to hormones.
WHEN TO ALTER -we recommend *when* you do alter, to be an individual situation. based on your needs, your ability to manage the hormones, etc. we have other links, etc. that talk about both altering earlier or later. A balanced approached. personally, I prefer to not alter young pups, preferring around 12m of age. earlier if I have a young male that takes fencing as a personal challange & if I don't want to bother with a heat cycle, so about 8-10 m in that case. \
HOW BREEDERS MAKE IT WORK - Many that run intact breeding LGDs, also run alters, that pick up the slack when the intacts are dealing with hormones. requires running more dogs.