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from the how-much^W-big-is-that-doggie-in-the-window? dept.
Big Dogs Face More Joint Problems if Neutered Early:
It's standard practice in the U.S. and much of Europe to neuter dogs by 6 months of age. This study, which analyzed 15 years of data from thousands of dogs at UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, suggests dog owners should consider their options carefully.
"Most dogs are mixed breeds," said lead author Benjamin Hart, distinguished professor emeritus at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
[...] Researchers examined common joint disorders including hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament tears, a knee injury, in five weight categories.
[...] The risk of joint disorders for heavier dogs can be up to a few times higher compared to dogs left intact. This was true for large mixed-breed dogs. For example, for female dogs over 43 pounds, the risk jumped from 4 percent for intact dogs to 10-12 percent if spayed before a year of age.
"The study raises unique challenges," noted co-author Lynette Hart, professor at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. "People like to adopt puppies from shelters, but with mixed breeds it may be difficult to determine just how big the dog will become if you don't know anything about the dog's parents."
Neutering prior to adoption is a common requirement or policy of humane societies, animal shelters and breeders. [...] Shelters, breeders and humane societies should consider adopting a standard of neutering at over a year of age for dogs that will grow into large sizes.
Journal Reference:
Hart, Benjamin L., Hart, Lynette A., Thigpen, Abigail P., et al. Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for Mixed Breed Dogs of Five Weight Categories: Associated Joint Disorders and Cancers, Frontiers in Veterinary Science (DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00472)
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Friday August 14 2020, @05:36PM (8 children)
I disagree. The problem seems to be with large dogs (per the article title), so the solution is very simple: don't own large dogs. There's no good reason for it. If you want a pet, a small dog or a cat is much easier to take care of, costs less (because of less food over its lifetime), doesn't make such a big mess in your house, I could go on and on. Large dogs are terrible pets unless you live on a farm; for urban or suburban dwellers, they just make no sense at all. This article should be proof enough: with a large dog, either you neuter it and get joint problems (meaning $$$ vet bills later) or you don't neuter it and you get a bunch of unwanted puppies or the dog peeing in your house and doing other very undesirable behaviors. The solution is simple: don't get a large dog.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Saturday August 15 2020, @03:13AM (4 children)
Depends on the dog, the bloodline, and the training. Some large dogs are much easier to deal with than the average small dog. Large dogs are also generally smarter, and have more purposeful breeding behind them toward some useful function, which tends to go along with desire to please and to work for humans. (Which can be a double-edged sword; the worst case is a smart dog and a foolish owner. Dog winds up in charge.)
Small dogs are not free of orthopedic problems; they just have different problems. In particular they're more prone to issues with the spine and stifle (knee) joint, and that's so whether neutered or not.
[Canine professional here with 50 years experience.]
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Saturday August 15 2020, @05:11PM (3 children)
What do you need "purposeful breeding" for? Sure, if you need a dog to herd sheep on a farm, that makes sense, but the vast majority of dog owners don't have sheep or farms, they live in apartments or subdivision houses. All these things that dogs used to be useful for are no longer factors for the vast majority of the population. They're just an incredibly inconvenient pet that requires too much time, trouble, and money.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Saturday August 15 2020, @07:13PM (2 children)
Being a little old lady's companion and lap warmer is a perfectly valid job, and there's a whole class of small dogs that were developed for exactly this purpose.
But more than that -- the reason the Labrador Retriever is so popular as a pet, even among people who have no clue about bird hunting, is because more than for any other breed, it was developed to please and work FOR man, and that is precisely what makes a good family companion.
Conversely the wild-type unselected temperament really could not care less what you want, is a self-hunter (hunts for itself, and fuck you), will readily bite for any or no reason, has nothing against attacking kids and other animals, cannot sit still or cope with boredom, and is entirely unsuitable for urban life, let alone any sort of useful work.
Temperament and innate (as distinguished from trained) behavior are inherited, and there's damn little you can do to change what came in the package. So either you select for (via purposeful breeding, or at least good selection practices such as with landrace breeds) an animal that is useful and fit to live with, or you just don't HAVE any animals that are either useful OR fit to live with.
Me, I'm not willing to put up with the selfish and unpredictable wild-animal temperament, when instead I can select for a pleasant, patient, safe, and useful animal.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 15 2020, @07:36PM (1 child)
Are there any notable breeds other than Labs that you would recommend for urban living, and can you suggest any good techniques to assess the temper of a dog?
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Monday August 17 2020, @12:02AM
That depends a lot on you. It sounds like you have no experience. So: visit the breeders, and see how the parents interact with you. Are they pleasant and easy, or always trying to push for an advantage? are they calm and relaxed when you handle puppies, or nervous and growly? Are the puppies relaxed and willing to lick faces, or do they go tense and try to get away?
An easy test with puppies around weaning age is to put the puppy on your lap, on its back, with its head on your knees, and put your face right down by its face and blow at it. Ideally you want to see a puppy that is completely relaxed, and reacts to your blowing at it by licking your face. A really smart puppy that is all about people might rear back and put a foot on your mouth, but those are often "too much dog" for a novice. Likewise a really enthusiastic licker might be too much dog for you, but one that quietly scrubs your face is a good choice. You do NOT want a puppy that turns its head away, or worse, that tries to bite or escape or won't tolerate being on its back at all.This test is valid even if the puppy has not been handled much and is not accustomed to it, because it triggers innate reactions and does not rely on trained responses.
Also, you do not want to see puppies that seem to have trouble getting up after 3 weeks old (indicates future unsoundness). The earlier puppies have their legs firmly under themselves, the better, and this applies generally to the litter, not just to individuals.
As to which breed -- most breeds have a considerable range of temperaments, but for novice owners, you obviously do not want a dog that is too high-powered for you. Herding breeds tend to need a job, as do some hunting breeds, but again there's such a range in most, that it's hard to point at a breed and say yes or no. In working breeds it's common to have a range from "high-powered needs a job" to "lazy couch potato" even in the same litter. So I would do the face-licking check and go with an individual rather than a breed as such, so long as its general characteristics suit you.
Also, don't be afraid of "backyard breeders" -- these are the backbone of most breeds, and ordinary people generally will not breed from problem dogs (either health or temperament), because they just want a nice normal dog and couldn't care less if it is a champion or whatever, so long as it's good with the kids. They may not be professionals, but they're generally not idiots.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Common Joe on Saturday August 15 2020, @03:55AM (2 children)
My family did have a good reason for owning big dogs when I was younger. I lived in a bad neighborhood. The kind where you heard gunshots fired many nights -- some literally right outside my front door. Robberies, burglaries, and other crime was pretty much rampant. My family was not robbed when I was younger -- mostly thanks to the multiple big dogs we owned. They are known as one of the best deterrents against crime.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Saturday August 15 2020, @11:11PM (1 child)
My family did have a good reason for owning big dogs when I was younger. I lived in a bad neighborhood. The kind where you heard gunshots fired many nights -- some literally right outside my front door. Robberies, burglaries, and other crime was pretty much rampant
This is a good point I hadn't considered. So I guess dogs like that do make sense if you live in a dangerous, violent country such as El Salvador, Brazil, or the United States.
(Score: 2) by Common Joe on Sunday August 16 2020, @04:00AM
Sadly, you are correct. For the record, it was in the United States. I don't have to mention which city as there were plenty to pick from back then and there are even more today.