Just A Small Vent...

[Simply Grand]

I was just reading the Breeders forum. I go in there to look at the baby puppy photos (soooooo cute ) but I find the threads really interesting too, and it's shown me just how much goes into (or should go into) breeding - especially for the mummy dog's owners, but for stud dog owners too. As well as the actual pregnancy, whelping and raising the babies, there are the years of work and consideration that good breeders put into determining if the dogs should be bred.

Anyway, the sister of a good friend of mine owns a Golden Retriever boy. I believe he is 6. They absolutely adore him and he is a beautiful dog, both physically and in temperament. He is purebred and I think they have his pedigree papers, but I don't know where they got him from or if he's main register.

Anyway, they never got him desexed. They seem to think this is a good thing, because it made him bigger and "better looking" than he would have been if he'd been desexed (clearly no longer an issue at 6 anyway). Recently, my friend let slip that her sister's partner quite likes the idea of the dog fathering a litter, basically so he (the dog) has left his mark on the world.

Now I don't think they're really planning to do anything about this, I did mention that it would depend on them finding someone who wanted to use him - given that they don't show or do competitions or anything with him, I wouldn't think good breeders would be particularly interested?

I also said - jokingly, but not really - that if he manages to get to a bitch on heat, it's fine for them, not so fine for the bitch's owner who has to deal with an unplanned litter. She said, "oh that won't happen, he's gay anyway, he only likes boy dogs, hahaha" . I'm pretty sure the dog has never been around a bitch on heat, because from what I've heard, that would turn him, no matter how uninterested he normally is.

Aside from all that, it is legislated in the ACT that all dogs must be desexed, unless you have a permit to keep them entire - which they don't (to get the permit, the dog has to be registered with the Greyhound Racing Club or the ACT Canine Association).

This frustrates the heck out of me, as someone new to the dog world and certainly not a breeder, so I just can't imagine the frustration those of you so much more involved get with people

Sigh...

Hmm, now that I've read back over this, it doesn't actually sound that bad I guess it's just the attitude that the rules (both legal and ethical breeding-wise) don't apply to them that annoys me. And that they just think they have a great dog so he should be bred.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

My advice is to put them in touch with Golden Retriever REscue - Wendy will put them right on just how many GRs (including young ones from puppy to elderly) are gotten rid of. ALways a good idea to check out the marketplace before you create the "goods" so to speak.

[tdierikx]

So their entire male dog "likes" humping other male dogs... funnily enuff, that don't make him "gay" - but something else entirely - and it's not a good thing...

I agree with giving them Wendy's contact number - she'll definitely set them straight... *grin*

T.

[Lowenhart]

I don't see a problem with someone having an entire dog, as long as they have control of the dog and don't let it wander.

Plenty of people would love to see their wonderpup produce more wonderpups but they don't realise that it's not entirely hereditary. It takes time to raise a litter, handle the pups and feed them good food, worm them and socialise them to help them grow into healthy, happy, gorgeous dogs.

Mostly the offspring is nothing like the wonderpup parent at all.

Keeping the male entire through his growth phases can be a good thing, and I generally recommend it. Dogs need hormones to regulate growth, muscle development and coat.

[toofarnorth]

So their entire male dog "likes" humping other male dogs... funnily enuff, that don't make him "gay" - but something else entirely - and it's not a good thing...

T.

what does the part 'but something else entirely - and its not a good thing....' mean??

maybe i am a bit slow, but I am defintely not getting that latter part.

[Luvmy4]

So their entire male dog "likes" humping other male dogs... funnily enuff, that don't make him "gay" - but something else entirely - and it's not a good thing...

T.

what does the part 'but something else entirely - and its not a good thing....' mean??

maybe i am a bit slow, but I am defintely not getting that latter part.

I was abit slow on that too but I'm guessing a pain in the bum pmsl

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Humping other dogs of the same sex is a sign of dominance - females can do it to other females for instance and can do it to males. It is unacceptable behaviour and will likely cause fights. It should be stopped immediately and if it happens in a household of two dogs, they should be separated when you are not there.

Should not take a dog that does that or attempts to hump other dogs to a dog park, definitely unsuitable, unless you can get this urge under full control.

Undesexed dogs should not go to dog parks either - not because they necessarily are going to behave badly but because other dogs will. I've seen it happen on numerous occasions.

Edited May 21, 2010 by dogmad

[tdierikx]

Thank you for explaining it so well dogmad...

T.