Hi Mr. Wade,
I have a 1 year old male Maltese and Yorkshire Terrier mix. We neutered him in March this year, he was around 6 months old when he was neutered. I have made that decision because I thought he could be more healthy in the future and become less aggressive.
For the last month, I have been wishing I didn’t make that decision because after 10 years go by, I don’t want him to not have a kid. Basically, we want to take care of his son/daughter and convince ourselves that part of him is still with us when he passes away in the future. Since he has been neutered already, is there any way for him to produce an offspring? Is there a way to somehow get his DNA or something so he will have a kid in the future?
Y.D.
Hi Y. D.
Firstly let me start off my saying that until they find some other way to keep dogs from breeding that haven’t been carefully selected on the basis of the strength of their genes then neutering and spaying then I’m for it.
What I’m not for is the claims that it increases the likelihood of health, but I’m not a vet so I’ll leave it to them but there are varying opinions amongst their clan. What I won’t let go is first reaching for the scalpel and pill as solutions to behaviour problems, particularly those that aren’t even there yet. Sometimes it is appropriate but I asked a vet once what his thoughts would be if he received a note from his son’s teacher saying the child was an ongoing behaviour problem in the class and was simply too aggressive and would he not consider having him neutered. She would add a post script to assure him it would not only help with the aggression but would ensure good health.
I should think that one might consider that the father factor or lack thereof in the boys life might have something to do with it or the teacher’s skill set was no up to the boy’s intellect and/or energy. In short maybe there were relationship issues not testosterone ones to consider first. Same goes for dogs. Testosterone does no where near influence aggression then the silly dog trainers that tell dog owners, “Ignore bad behaviour and reward good behaviour.” If my parents had done that I would have pummelled my siblings with shovels, been hit by 12 buses and moved out of the house at 10 and developed an unhealthy attraction to things that weren’t mine. Actually all things considered I’m lucky that I wasn’t neutered.
Once pups have achieved adulthood they don’t send a lot of father’s day cards to dear old dad and he doesn’t much care so you might as well get him a nice meaty bone once a year instead harassing him what is every human’s nightmare; adult progeny that won’t move out. I understand the emotional tie you have and why you want a piece of him to be with you always but get over it. If he fathers 8 pups, you’re going to keep one you’re indirectly killing 7 others. If his offspring are lucky enough to find good long term homes which stats indicate is unlikely, 7 pups in a shelter most assuredly were put to death because the unnecessarily bred dogs took their homes. If that doesn’t sway you then I hear cloning might be an option but that’s a little too doppelgänger for me.
I say enjoy him for what he is and for as long as you can have him. When he passes on make a donation to a shelter in his name and take a stroll down the adoption aisle. Who knows what you might find?
John Wade
