pit bull happy !!!!!

[ballpython2]

Ok so I hav been trying to get a pit bull for the longest time right, so most of the efforts have brought me nothing at all. so last night my friend called me. This is her situation she has to go away on vacation to jamaica to see her daughter and she has no one to watch the dog. I told her im not going to watch it because if I get attatched to it I’m going to want to keep it. So she said fine I’ll sell the dog to you for $250 (no papers) I was like uhhh no thanks lol. I told her well since the guy who sold the dog to you cant have it back in his house if you don’t want it i’ll take it. I told her this like last month some time. and she said ok john. then she called me last night and was like john ok if you want the dog you can have it call me when you get this message. So I called her this morning and waiting for a return call. I really hope I get it because if I don't i'll be back to the drawing board of getting one of these dogs. The plus this to this is he comes with a kennel. he isnt house trained 100% but routines help house train a dog so I can deal with that. He is i think 6 months - a year old. if I get him I'll take some pictures asap. Wish me luck!!!

 

[beetleman]

good luck hope ya get him.

 

[ballpython2]

good luck hope ya get him.

Woo hoo I'm getting him!!!!

I just have a few general questions:

How much does grooming usually cost and is it better to do it your self or take it to a professional like petco? (when i say professional like petco i use the term loosely)

Its a pit bull so would a monthly grooming be fine since its a short haired dog?

Also the current owner a friend of mine told me he even uses the bathroom in the kennel and will still lay on the pillow he has even if he has feces on it..so to curb that he just has to be taking out on a regular basis more often correct?

I know male dogs are most aggressive when female dogs are in heat is there a certain time for this? like say may - august most of the summer time? or something to that effect?

How much does it cost to have a dog nuetered?

Does anyone know how much it would cost to get a higher fence up arond my house like i have a picket fence up now but any agile (sp) dog could jump over that with ease. not only that any dog can squeeze in and out of the small area between the fence and the side of the steps.

 

[GailC]

grooming a short haired dog is easy, get a soft bristled brush and give him a good brushing once a week. You only need to bath him if he get smelly/oily.

Any dog will go potty in the kennel if left for too long. A pit needs alot of exercise and a yard to run in. if he isn't house broke by now then you will need to treat him like a puppy and start his train from the beginning.

females can come into heat any time of the year, spring and late summer are the more common times though. If you don't want to deal with the aggression then get him neutered. It may cost around $80-$100, check with local shelters about getting low cost neuter help.

Fencing will be pricey for the good kind but its necessary. My pit could jump a 7 foot fence when he was young. You could also make a cable run for him. Its very important you can keep him contained, a intact male can cause alot of problems if allowed to roam loose.

 

[pitbulllady]

Woo hoo I'm getting him!!!!

I just have a few general questions:

How much does grooming usually cost and is it better to do it your self or take it to a professional like petco? (when i say professional like petco i use the term loosely)

Its a pit bull so would a monthly grooming be fine since its a short haired dog?

Also the current owner a friend of mine told me he even uses the bathroom in the kennel and will still lay on the pillow he has even if he has feces on it..so to curb that he just has to be taking out on a regular basis more often correct?

I know male dogs are most aggressive when female dogs are in heat is there a certain time for this? like say may - august most of the summer time? or something to that effect?

How much does it cost to have a dog nuetered?

Does anyone know how much it would cost to get a higher fence up arond my house like i have a picket fence up now but any agile (sp) dog could jump over that with ease. not only that any dog can squeeze in and out of the small area between the fence and the side of the steps.

There isn't a grooming cost associated with Pit Bulls; they have "wash-n-wear" coats! Unless the dog gets into something nasty(and Pits aren't really bad about rolling in nasty things, unlike some breeds, so it's rather odd that this one does), a bath every couple of months is all it will need. In between baths, you can wipe down the coat with damp wash cloth once in awhile to remove surface dust that might cling to the hair in dry weather. That's one of the "selling points" to true afficianados of this breed-their ease "maintainance" when it comes to grooming. There is no need for any clipping or trimming, other than keeping his nails trimmed, so there's no need to take this dog to the groomer unless you just can't handle bathing him. Some Pit Bulls DO hate getting wet, so with those bathing can be a challenge, like bathing a 50-lb. house cat!

Male dogs, unlike male deer, ferrets, etc., are NOT seasonal breeders, but remain equally sexually active all year round, so there is no particular time of year that male dogs become "aggressive". MOST male dogs do NOT become aggressive in the presence of a female in heat, though they may exhibit other unwanted behavior, like peeing in the house or whining. Pit Bulls should NEVER exhibit aggression towards humans, period, for any reason other than to defend their owner against an attacker. Dog aggression is another issue, though, and due to the breed's heritage, this is always something to be aware of and be prepared to deal with. Neutering has no effect whatsoever on dog aggression in Pit Bulls, because dog aggression in Pit Bulls has nothing to do with sex or hormones, but selective breeding. It would be like saying that a Border Collie would no longer herd sheep or a Bloodhound would no longer be able to smell if you neutered it. Female Pits are often more aggressive towards other dogs than males are, and it certainly isn't due to testosterone in their case! I'm not saying not to neuter him; if he's your dog, that's your choice, and it probably WILL reduce the chance of him being stolen by punk kids looking for fighting dogs, but neutering has been pushed as a cure-all for every dog behavior issue, when TRAINING(or lack thereof) is usually where the problem lies. The cost of any surgery will vary greatly from one vet to another, so it would be impossible for anyone to tell you how much it would cost to have the dog neutered. My vet neuters male dogs for $75.00, but in the nearby town, there's a vet that charges $139.00 for the same surgery.

Pit Bull Terriers are notorious escape artists. They will climb six-foot fences with ease, dig under, or chew through wire. THAT is why most Pit Bull owners keep their dogs on chains, NOT because it makes them tougher and stronger, or because it's cheaper than outdoor kenneling, but because most Pit Bulls, at one time or another, will get out of a fence, no matter how well-contructed it is. Once they figure out that they can chew the fencing in two, or climb/jump over it, it's very difficult to thwart their escapes. They also seem to suffer from perpetual separation anxiety, and most escapes are going to be an attempt to follow you when you leave. I've actually had two different Pit Bulls go through windows in my house in order to follow my car as I pulled out of the driveway! Any Pit Bull or similar dog found running loose is usually as good as dead, since law enforcement in many areas will shoot one on sight, and if he gets picked up by the animal shelter, most shelters have a "kill all Pit Bulls" policy, regardless of the circumstances of how the dog got there, even if it is wearing a collar and ID tags. The hatred and bias against these dogs will be by far the biggest obstacle you will face while owning one. It would be a good idea to first check with your homeowner's insurance company and see if they have breed-descriminatory policies, since many do, and will cancel your insurance if they find out that you have a Pit Bull or one of several other breeds. It would also be a good idea to find out if your town or country has BSL, if the dog does not currently live in that same town or county. Many places enact these laws "under cover", without giving due process to dog owners, because they do not WANT dog owners to find out. In the eyes of some people, simply having a Pit Bull automatically makes YOU a suspect in criminal activity, such as drug dealing, robbery, gang violence, etc., since it's widely reported that these are the only people who would have one of these dogs, so the politicians and law enforcement people tend to believe that. You are guilty until proven innocent, profiled as a violent criminal, simply because of your choice of what breed of dog you have. YOU have to be as strong and as determined as your dog to stand up to that.

pitbulllady

 

[JLDomestics]

My friend has a gang of pitbulls all of which are used for breeding, and pitbulls sure are the coolest dogs. They are very smart and great with kids!

All those horror stories you hear of pitbulls attacking other dogs and people are just p.o.s. dogs that were raised by p.o.s. owners who shouldn't even have dogs to begin with. If I treated a yorkshire terrier like crap and neglected it all the time and beat it senseless it would be a p.o.s. dog too, a product of its environment.

I personally believe that NO dog should be aggressive or violent unless it is made that way by its owners, and that the owners should be the ones put down when something bad happens.

 

[beetleman]

My friend has a gang of pitbulls all of which are used for breeding, and pitbulls sure are the coolest dogs. They are very smart and great with kids!

All those horror stories you hear of pitbulls attacking other dogs and people are just p.o.s. dogs that were raised by p.o.s. owners who shouldn't even have dogs to begin with. If I treated a yorkshire terrier like crap and neglected it all the time and beat it senseless it would be a p.o.s. dog too, a product of its environment.

I personally believe that NO dog should be aggressive or violent unless it is made that way by its owners, and that the owners should be the ones put down when something bad happens.

AMEN TO THAT!:clap:

 

[compnerd7]

My sister has a Blue Pit( infact she is licking my feet right now:drool: lol), beautfull dog and the most friendly, well trained dog i have even known... we just had her (the dog) out yesterday with her mom and sister, they are such a joy to play with and swim with in the ocean !!! the best dogs ever, IMO... U won't be dissapointed as long as u train them right, but that is true of any breed.

 

[Bigboy]

It would be like saying that a Border Collie would no longer herd sheep or a Bloodhound would no longer be able to smell if you neutered it.
pitbulllady

Damn right. I'm tired of those stories of the breed being out of control killing machines. People encourage their aggressive tendencies and make the monsters, they are not born like that. Trained properly any working dog can do just that, work.

I hope you manage to get the dog. Just please train it up right. Make it the model dog of the neighborhood and disprove the stereotype.

 

[ballpython2]

grooming a short haired dog is easy, get a soft bristled brush and give him a good brushing once a week. You only need to bath him if he get smelly/oily.

Any dog will go potty in the kennel if left for too long. A pit needs alot of exercise and a yard to run in. if he isn't house broke by now then you will need to treat him like a puppy and start his train from the beginning.

females can come into heat any time of the year, spring and late summer are the more common times though. If you don't want to deal with the aggression then get him neutered. It may cost around $80-$100, check with local shelters about getting low cost neuter help.

Fencing will be pricey for the good kind but its necessary. My pit could jump a 7 foot fence when he was young. You could also make a cable run for him. Its very important you can keep him contained, a intact male can cause alot of problems if allowed to roam loose.

I hope you manage to get the dog. Just please train it up right. Make it the model dog of the neighborhood and disprove the stereotype.[/QUOTE]

thanks for everyone every one's help its greatly appreciated....I just have a few more questions..

the prong collar (the one you pull and it goes into their neck) is this for training only or is it for normal walkings?

when you train a dog the "trainin leash" is suppose to be about 12 - 16 feet correct?

Muzzles: I See people walk their dog with muzzles that looks like extra leash tied around its mouth...Are these better than the regular muzzles that cover the dog's whole top and bottom jaw? I think when I walk him I'll probably be using the muzzle while we are outside until i get the feel of him and he is properly trained.

Also the best place to train him would be in a place where there are no distractions correct? or should i just let petsmart do it? I dont really feel safe leaving them with a pit bull just because of the stereo types so would they let me stay there while they did it? maybe train me on how to train him? lol and probably only for a limited amount of time if i train him myself? I remember reading that i should keep sessions short and to the point but just do many sessions.....

And yes i did buy a pit bull book but that was like 2 months ago but i didnt think i was getting one then so i returned it..im going to get the same book again Even i forgot the name of it...are books cheaper online or should i just go to borders and get the book i had? i think it was between 10 - 14 dollars..i also want to order pit bulls for dummies

I also know that bones are good for dogs and it keeps tarter to a minimum so if i give him a steak bone should it be cooked? or is it ok raw as long as i fully clean the bone before giving it to him and after a whole day i should take it away for good correct?

One more thing do i need to purchase and walk around with a breaking stick? (of course this will be when the muzzle isnt on during daily walks.)

I'm doing research now
(at this site http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_cratetraining) and it says "An 8- to 16-week-old puppy should not crated for longer than an hour at a time, except for during the night. A four- to six-month-old puppy shouldn’t be crated for longer than a two- to three-hour period." I was told the dog I was recieving is 6 months to year. so based on this my dog is an adult dog but since he isnt fully trained not to go in the crate i should be trainin him as if he was 8 - 16 weeks old correct? and just take him out every two hours?

Again I really appreciate everyone's help

 

[pitbulllady]

I hope you manage to get the dog. Just please train it up right. Make it the model dog of the neighborhood and disprove the stereotype.

"thanks for everyone every one's help its greatly appreciated....I just have a few more questions..

the prong collar (the one you pull and it goes into their neck) is this for training only or is it for normal walkings?"

The prong collar simulates the bite of a dominant dog. It is used for training dogs that DO NOT respond to other training tools, and is NOT for all dogs, or even all Pits. If this dog is one of the sensitive types, you will do more harm than good by using a prong collar on him. You will need to get to know the dog first, before you decide if you need a prong collar.

"when you train a dog the "trainin leash" is suppose to be about 12 - 16 feet correct?"

ONLY if you're training the dog for tracking! A proper training leash and walking leash should be six feet long and of a material that is comfortable in your hands

"Muzzles: I See people walk their dog with muzzles that looks like extra leash tied around its mouth...Are these better than the regular muzzles that cover the dog's whole top and bottom jaw? I think when I walk him I'll probably be using the muzzle while we are outside until i get the feel of him and he is properly trained."

Those are NOT muzzles, and do not prevent the dog from biting, barking, eating, etc. What you descibed is what's called a "Gentle Leader", which is like a halter for dogs(you know the sort they use for walking horses?). If you feel the need to put a muzzle on this dog, and you are the least bit intimidated by him or insecure about having a Pit Bull, DO NOT GET THE DOG! A "mousy", insecure, inexperienced owner/trainer with ANY strong-willed, powerful dog is a problem waiting to happen! I would compare a person who is already planning on putting a muzzle on a dog that has not, according to your previous statements, shown any aggression whatsoever to someone who wants to get a rattlesnake and immediately plan to have it made a "venomoid", or someone who wants to get a tarantula and have its fangs removed. If you do not trust the dog, the dog will not trust YOU. If you're afraid of him, he'll know it.

"Also the best place to train him would be in a place where there are no distractions correct? or should i just let petsmart do it? I dont really feel safe leaving them with a pit bull just because of the stereo types so would they let me stay there while they did it? maybe train me on how to train him? lol and probably only for a limited amount of time if i train him myself? I remember reading that i should keep sessions short and to the point but just do many sessions....."

If Petsmart knows as much about dog training as they do about reptiles, keep your dog as far from them as possible! YOU need to train the dog, and while you can start out at home, you need to eventually move training to an area with more and more distractions. That's how you teach the dog how to behave when he's out in public.

"And yes i did buy a pit bull book but that was like 2 months ago but i didnt think i was getting one then so i returned it..im going to get the same book again Even i forgot the name of it...are books cheaper online or should i just go to borders and get the book i had? i think it was between 10 - 14 dollars..i also want to order pit bulls for dummies

I also know that bones are good for dogs and it keeps tarter to a minimum so if i give him a steak bone should it be cooked? or is it ok raw as long as i fully clean the bone before giving it to him and after a whole day i should take it away for good correct?"

Except for large beef bones, NEVER give your dog a bone, unless you cook it until it's soft and mushy, and what would be the point? Ask your vet(you DO have a vet, right? RIGHT?) how many problems he/she has seen with bones being swallowed by dogs, how many he/she has had to remove from parts of a dog's digestive tract where they should not have been. You can buy chew toys designed for cleaning a dog's teeth, that won't splinter into dangerous slivers that can puncture your dog's stomach lining or esophagus.

"One more thing do i need to purchase and walk around with a breaking stick? (of course this will be when the muzzle isnt on during daily walks.)"

Breaking sticks are for breaking up dog fights between two Pit Bulls that have gotten "holds" on each other and won't let go, and for prying catch dogs off of wild boars after you kill or hog-tie the boar. Are you going to use the dog to catch wild hogs? Do you anticipate him getting ahold of another dog? In the latter case, you will likely be badly bitten by the other dog, if it's not another Pit Bull. Many places have laws that consider mere possession of a breaking stick to be evidence that you are involved with dog-fighting, even if you do not have a dog! You can go to jail just for having one of these things! While they are a good thing to have if you have Pit Bulls, Catahoulas, or other gripping breeds, you'd better check your local and state laws first! There is NOWHERE you can legally purchase a breaking stick, now that the Federal ban on interstate commerce in fighting animals and animal fighting materials has passed; most people who need them make the things themselves, or have someone they know and trust make one. Again, that's a good way to wind up in prison if you get caught!

"I'm doing research now
(at this site http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_cratetraining) and it says "An 8- to 16-week-old puppy should not crated for longer than an hour at a time, except for during the night. A four- to six-month-old puppy shouldn’t be crated for longer than a two- to three-hour period." I was told the dog I was recieving is 6 months to year. so based on this my dog is an adult dog but since he isnt fully trained not to go in the crate i should be trainin him as if he was 8 - 16 weeks old correct? and just take him out every two hours?"

At this age, he should go out at least every four-five hours. Get him on a regular feeding schedule, and by the age of six months, a Pit Bull has already done most of its growing, so one meal a day will be enough. It's possible that the reason the dog was pooping in its crate, aside from being left in there too long, is due to being fed too much, or being fed high-fiber dog food, or not being fed on a regular schedule. That is VERY strange for a Pit this age not to have been crate trained, though, unless he really could not help it. In my experience, this is a clean, almost fastidious breed that is easy to housetrain, but also one that is difficult to break of bad habits once they get started.

AGAIN, let me emphasize, if you are so intimidated by the fact that this dog is a Pit Bull, that you feel the need to put a muzzle on him, DO NOT GET HIM. Dogs will sense fear, and will sense insecurity, and you cannot train or build a rapport with a dog that KNOWS you're intimidated by it! This is the situation where the dog will quickly establish itself as "pack leader", as YOUR "boss", and it's only a matter of time before you will be having all sorts of problems with this dog and wanting to blame its breed for what is a common dog problem, with ALL breeds. Pit Bulls are great dogs, for EXPERIENCED or secure dog owners, but they're also smart dogs that are very in-tune with human behavior and emotions, and if what they pick up on are "bad vibes" from you, there's going to be trouble.

pitbulllady

Again I really appreciate everyone's help[/QUOTE]

 

[Mudskipper]

Benefits of neutering:

Reduced chance of aggression

Reduced/no wandering. Intact male dogs have a strong instinct to roam (AKA run away) to find mates. They can also scent a bitch in heat from a couple miles away and many males will go NUTS trying to reach her. In my time as a vet tech (fiance is a veterinarian) we've seen males who ate through doors, climbed 9 foot walls, swam across rivers, broke through windows and tried to cross busy highways (tried being the key word here ) to reach a nearby female. One male tore through a screen door and jumped a fence, breaking a foreleg in the process..then still managed to breed the female!

Intact males can be harder to train since their attention spans are shorter than that of a neutered dog. If there's a female in estrus nearby you can forget about training altogether until she's out of heat.

There are canine STD's that can pass between dogs during mating. The carrier female may not show symptoms at all. (in some cases she's just a carrier and never shows symptoms.)

Neutered males tend to be a wee bit more protective of their family than intact males. Their mental focus is somewhat more solid and less easily distracted - they're more intent on their family than other dogs/finding a mate.

Prostate cancer is VERY common in older intact males, followed by testicle cancer at a somewhat lesser rate. Statistics show that one out of four unneutered male dogs will develop prostate problems by age 12. One out of six will get prostate cancer and one out of ten will get testicle cancer. Neutered the dog before he reaches sexual maturity reduces the risk of prostate problems/cancer to 2 percent. It reduces the risk of testicle cancer to ZERO.

Intact males will stress if a female in heat is nearby and sometimes stop eating. Expect 'some' to a LOT of howling and barking as he tries all his pick-up lines on her from a distance. ;p

Some males will stress so badly that they injure themselves. I helped treat a jack russel who (when unable to reach the in-heat shih tzu next door) that slipped a spine disc while tearing around the house trying to get out. He also ate part of a couch shortly before the injury. In the end we had to peform surgery on both sides: first the spinal disc and then we flipped him and removed wood and stuffing from his stomach. We offered to neuter him at the same time but the air-headed owners wouldn't hear of it. :?

Neutered dogs live longer lifespans on the whole. You'll hear of intact males who lived to 15 but that's the exception, not the norm. I've met a 25 year old golden retriever and a 21 year old terrier mix. Both were neutered at an early age. No intact male will ever get anywhere near those ages.

Worth a mention: one of my buddies has a malamute male who WAS intact until 2 years ago. The dog escaped the house and mated with a collie bitch 3 blocks away. The female's owner caught them in the act. The female had a disasterous labor that ended with an emergency c-section and my friend was pushed into splitting the vet bill. All for a litter of mutts that the female's owner couldn't GIVE away. Needless to say the malamute was quickly neutered.

Contrary to popular belief (especially among men) neutering is not painful nor does it result in a fat, lazy dog. Neither does it require a long recovery period. I have assisted with countless neuters and the longest I've seen one take (from the first 1 1/2-inch incision to the last stitch going in) was twelve minutes. I clocked one neuter at FOUR minutes. Most males prance out of the vet's office as if nothing was done at all! It does not change the positive aspects of their behavior (it only reduces the negative aspects) and they do not know anything is 'missing.' Unlike humans dogs do not relate to sexuality and when they mate (or search for one) they are acting on instinct, not desire or emotion.

Bleh. Anyway...if you want the lowdown on exactly how the procedure is done feel free to PM me. I'm sure I could even get my fiance (again, he's a vet who owns his own practice) to talk to you, if you want.

Funny note: neutering a cat takes about 2 minutes. Seriously! Sometimes less - I've seen a cat neutered take all of 40 seconds. It's so fast and nonevasive (doesn't even require stitches because the incisions are so tiny) that the kitty doesn't even need to be fully 'knocked out.' They're just drugged enough to not feel it or really know what's going on.

 

[ballpython2]

Benefits of neutering:

Reduced chance of aggression

Reduced/no wandering. Intact male dogs have a strong instinct to roam (AKA run away) to find mates. They can also scent a bitch in heat from a couple miles away and many males will go NUTS trying to reach her. In my time as a vet tech (fiance is a veterinarian) we've seen males who ate through doors, climbed 9 foot walls, swam across rivers, broke through windows and tried to cross busy highways (tried being the key word here ) to reach a nearby female. One male tore through a screen door and jumped a fence, breaking a foreleg in the process..then still managed to breed the female!

Intact males can be harder to train since their attention spans are shorter than that of a neutered dog. If there's a female in estrus nearby you can forget about training altogether until she's out of heat.

There are canine STD's that can pass between dogs during mating. The carrier female may not show symptoms at all. (in some cases she's just a carrier and never shows symptoms.)

Neutered males tend to be a wee bit more protective of their family than intact males. Their mental focus is somewhat more solid and less easily distracted - they're more intent on their family than other dogs/finding a mate.

Prostate cancer is VERY common in older intact males, followed by testicle cancer at a somewhat lesser rate. Statistics show that one out of four unneutered male dogs will develop prostate problems by age 12. One out of six will get prostate cancer and one out of ten will get testicle cancer. Neutered the dog before he reaches sexual maturity reduces the risk of prostate problems/cancer to 2 percent. It reduces the risk of testicle cancer to ZERO.

Intact males will stress if a female in heat is nearby and sometimes stop eating. Expect 'some' to a LOT of howling and barking as he tries all his pick-up lines on her from a distance. ;p

Some males will stress so badly that they injure themselves. I helped treat a jack russel who (when unable to reach the in-heat shih tzu next door) that slipped a spine disc while tearing around the house trying to get out. He also ate part of a couch shortly before the injury. In the end we had to peform surgery on both sides: first the spinal disc and then we flipped him and removed wood and stuffing from his stomach. We offered to neuter him at the same time but the air-headed owners wouldn't hear of it. :?

Neutered dogs live longer lifespans on the whole. You'll hear of intact males who lived to 15 but that's the exception, not the norm. I've met a 25 year old golden retriever and a 21 year old terrier mix. Both were neutered at an early age. No intact male will ever get anywhere near those ages.

Worth a mention: one of my buddies has a malamute male who WAS intact until 2 years ago. The dog escaped the house and mated with a collie bitch 3 blocks away. The female's owner caught them in the act. The female had a disasterous labor that ended with an emergency c-section and my friend was pushed into splitting the vet bill. All for a litter of mutts that the female's owner couldn't GIVE away. Needless to say the malamute was quickly neutered.

Contrary to popular belief (especially among men) neutering is not painful nor does it result in a fat, lazy dog. Neither does it require a long recovery period. I have assisted with countless neuters and the longest I've seen one take (from the first 1 1/2-inch incision to the last stitch going in) was twelve minutes. I clocked one neuter at FOUR minutes. Most males prance out of the vet's office as if nothing was done at all! It does not change the positive aspects of their behavior (it only reduces the negative aspects) and they do not know anything is 'missing.' Unlike humans dogs do not relate to sexuality and when they mate (or search for one) they are acting on instinct, not desire or emotion.

Bleh. Anyway...if you want the lowdown on exactly how the procedure is done feel free to PM me. I'm sure I could even get my fiance (again, he's a vet who owns his own practice) to talk to you, if you want.

Funny note: neutering a cat takes about 2 minutes. Seriously! Sometimes less - I've seen a cat neutered take all of 40 seconds. It's so fast and nonevasive (doesn't even require stitches because the incisions are so tiny) that the kitty doesn't even need to be fully 'knocked out.' They're just drugged enough to not feel it or really know what's going on.

Thanks to the last people who recently responded.

 

[pitbulllady]

Benefits of neutering:

Reduced chance of aggression

Reduced/no wandering. Intact male dogs have a strong instinct to roam (AKA run away) to find mates. They can also scent a bitch in heat from a couple miles away and many males will go NUTS trying to reach her. In my time as a vet tech (fiance is a veterinarian) we've seen males who ate through doors, climbed 9 foot walls, swam across rivers, broke through windows and tried to cross busy highways (tried being the key word here ) to reach a nearby female. One male tore through a screen door and jumped a fence, breaking a foreleg in the process..then still managed to breed the female!

Intact males can be harder to train since their attention spans are shorter than that of a neutered dog. If there's a female in estrus nearby you can forget about training altogether until she's out of heat.

There are canine STD's that can pass between dogs during mating. The carrier female may not show symptoms at all. (in some cases she's just a carrier and never shows symptoms.)

Neutered males tend to be a wee bit more protective of their family than intact males. Their mental focus is somewhat more solid and less easily distracted - they're more intent on their family than other dogs/finding a mate.

Prostate cancer is VERY common in older intact males, followed by testicle cancer at a somewhat lesser rate. Statistics show that one out of four unneutered male dogs will develop prostate problems by age 12. One out of six will get prostate cancer and one out of ten will get testicle cancer. Neutered the dog before he reaches sexual maturity reduces the risk of prostate problems/cancer to 2 percent. It reduces the risk of testicle cancer to ZERO.

Intact males will stress if a female in heat is nearby and sometimes stop eating. Expect 'some' to a LOT of howling and barking as he tries all his pick-up lines on her from a distance. ;p

Some males will stress so badly that they injure themselves. I helped treat a jack russel who (when unable to reach the in-heat shih tzu next door) that slipped a spine disc while tearing around the house trying to get out. He also ate part of a couch shortly before the injury. In the end we had to peform surgery on both sides: first the spinal disc and then we flipped him and removed wood and stuffing from his stomach. We offered to neuter him at the same time but the air-headed owners wouldn't hear of it. :?

Neutered dogs live longer lifespans on the whole. You'll hear of intact males who lived to 15 but that's the exception, not the norm. I've met a 25 year old golden retriever and a 21 year old terrier mix. Both were neutered at an early age. No intact male will ever get anywhere near those ages.

Worth a mention: one of my buddies has a malamute male who WAS intact until 2 years ago. The dog escaped the house and mated with a collie bitch 3 blocks away. The female's owner caught them in the act. The female had a disasterous labor that ended with an emergency c-section and my friend was pushed into splitting the vet bill. All for a litter of mutts that the female's owner couldn't GIVE away. Needless to say the malamute was quickly neutered.

Contrary to popular belief (especially among men) neutering is not painful nor does it result in a fat, lazy dog. Neither does it require a long recovery period. I have assisted with countless neuters and the longest I've seen one take (from the first 1 1/2-inch incision to the last stitch going in) was twelve minutes. I clocked one neuter at FOUR minutes. Most males prance out of the vet's office as if nothing was done at all! It does not change the positive aspects of their behavior (it only reduces the negative aspects) and they do not know anything is 'missing.' Unlike humans dogs do not relate to sexuality and when they mate (or search for one) they are acting on instinct, not desire or emotion.

Bleh. Anyway...if you want the lowdown on exactly how the procedure is done feel free to PM me. I'm sure I could even get my fiance (again, he's a vet who owns his own practice) to talk to you, if you want.

Funny note: neutering a cat takes about 2 minutes. Seriously! Sometimes less - I've seen a cat neutered take all of 40 seconds. It's so fast and nonevasive (doesn't even require stitches because the incisions are so tiny) that the kitty doesn't even need to be fully 'knocked out.' They're just drugged enough to not feel it or really know what's going on.

Actually, prostate cancer in dogs is very RARE, and nearly every single case has occured in NEUTERED, not intact, male dogs! There are also many other health considerations that come into play when neutering a cat or dog while it is still very young, and I can't help but laugh at the "reduced roaming" claim, since a RESPONSIBLE dog or cat owner does not allow their animals freedom to roam in the first place, and that is especially true of a breed like a Pit Bull, which is far more likely to be picked up and killed if it's found outside of the owner's property without the owner. FENCES, walls and other restraints stop roaming far better than removal of gonads. As long as I've had dogs and MANY dogs over the years at that, I've never had a male dog neutered, never had one develope prostate or testicular cancer, never had one I could not control, and never had an unwanted litter. Every vet I've used over the years has told me the same thing; they have seen very few cases of either cancer and do not consider them to be a risk factor in owning an intact male dog. Dog aggression in breeds that were originally bred to fight has nothing at all to do with human aggression, nor does it have to do with sex hormones, since it is a trait that has been selectively bred for by humans over many generations. Fighting breeds do not fight for dominance or for mates, and females, which of course have much less testosterone than an intact male, will often fight even more ferociously than males, and this aggression in females actually INCREASES once they are spayed.

Here's a link on the downside of early spay/neuter, though if the dog in question is aged 6 months to a year, it would not be considered "early". By this age, normal secondary sex characteristics will be established, including leg-lifting, and once they're in place, neutering will not prevent or stop them; TRAINING will. I have not found that intact male dogs are any less attentive to training than neutered ones, and apparently, the US military and police K-9 forces agree with me, since nearly all of their working dogs are intact males, as are most working livestock dogs.

http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html

What someone does with a pet dog is up to them, BUT neutering is, as I've said, been pushed as a "cure-all, end-all" to dog-related problems, especially if they are behavioral issues like barking when left alone, or digging holes in the flower bed, or whatever. Neutering does not take the place of proper training or containment of pets and will not turn a dog into a stuffed animal that is just wonderful and does everything you want at your beck and call, and in many ways, it is being promoted as just that.

pitbulllady

 

[ballpython2]

well its a no go on the dog so I'm back to square one:wall: . I met her on a public street with the dog (my friend) and he was jumping all over me and i wasnt scared at all because he wasnt making aggressive bites and growling nothing like that. and she said that the way he was acting (meaning jumping up and down on me non stop and nippin me by accident cause his mouth would hit my hand and being really hyper) not normal for his self. something else i noticed is that his penis (for the lack of the right word for a dog) kept coming out like basically all the way out. To me he was fine and i would have taking him but she wasnt so sure of the idea so she just kept him. also the dog didn't have a problem with me petting him at all or holding the leash. but whe i was holding it and she took a few steps away he started biting the leash a part of the leash closer to him as if trying to get away from me. I'm really bummed out now... oh well can yall tell me what you think may have happened as far as why he was extra hyper and his penis was out at all?..