Sterilize / Neuter / Spay / Vaccinate Pets?

Go volunteer at a shelter for a while. I volunteered at a shelter for a year and got to see first hand the problems with unresponsible pet owners. They have litter after litter and when they can't give them away they pass the puppies (responsibility) on to someone else (where do you think the money to run a shelter comes from). My first week at the shelter I got to watch 4 nice dogs get euthanized. I live in the country too and had 5, now have 3 hunting dogs. Trust me, neutered dogs don't roam and are much more content. And while you're at it FENCE YOUR PROPERTY! Your dogs have no business on other people's property. My husband and I busted our asses fencing 56 acres so our dogs could run free and wouldn't impose on our neighbors.
By the way, Obama did a great dis-service to this country by NOT going to a shelter for their puppy, like he said he was going to do. He could have found any type of dog in the rescue network.

To help save money! You can give your dog a 7 in 1 shot, puppy shots, parvo,distemper,are part of this shot. You can get them from a farmer's co-op. make sure to keep the shot cool until you get it home.If your not squeamish to giving shot's to your dog, you can save a lot of money this way. If you can't bare to give a shot,you can all so save money, before you take your dog to the vet, by calling them for an appointment and (specify) that you only wont first round of puppy shot's,/ Heart worm test, and Rabbies shot once they are older. when your at the vet's, pay attention to how they give the shot's,This way your not paying for a Doctors consultation. They raise the skin at the nap of the neck and at angle insurt the niddle. quick and simple

My male is chocolate ,and female is yellow. The female came from the country, and the male from someone that wasn't a breeder, but was into the pedigree thing. Both are AKC pure bred with papers.
My male is a classic case of over breeding. He has allergy problems that could have come from vaccinations, or over breeding, or both.
He is absolutely beautiful, and has a big block head you could set your drink on. But he is very puppy like ( my way of saying simple) in his adult life. I also don't know if this was from over breeding, or vaccinations.
Whenever my female went into heat, either he was too dumb to know what he was doing, or she wouldn't let him ( for whatever reason). Either way, it was probably natures way of saying, that's enough. We never got puppies.
I have not given him any more shots, and don't plan to. I do not do the heartworm thing either.

By comaprison, my female runs circles around him. She is a one in a million dog. She is called a "dudley lab" because she has pink eyelids, and nose, as opposed to black.
EVERY WAKING MOMENT is consumed with fetching and retrieving. They say that these type of dogs make the best "drug dogs" because of this incessant need to play fetch. She is the only dog I have ever been able to put key words into sentences, and have her understand exactly what I was saying.
When I used to take her to the lake as a puppy, she would lay all her toys (frisbee, stick, ball, etc) out in a semi circle, and then get behind them and look at me like which one you want to play with, just ask.
I can't even think of the day she will be gone. It breaks my heart. She is truly special.
I don't trust most vets as far as advice either. Do your own research.
There is no better dog than a lab IMHO. They have been the greatest companions anyone could ask for.
They need a lot of attention, and space to run around. They are NOT a potted plant that sits in the back yard all the time, and gets water occasionally. You will be adding a member to your family, and if you don't look at it that way, then it is probably best not to get one.
It is a big responsibility, not a novelty. Nothing more rewarding though.
Only have them fixed if you don't want to have puppies, and if you HAVE puppies, make sure that when it is time for them to go, that you are EXTRA picky about who you let have them.
I wish I could upload pictures as they are the coolest couple of dogs around.
Good luck...

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"The man who makes unheard of pronouncements that reveal themselves to be true is a proven genius. The man who scoffs at the pronouncements as folly proves himself to be a fool. Time is the true revealer of genius or foolishness." –Will Pitts

From the HSUS website:

Number of cats and dogs entering shelters each year:
6-8 million (HSUS estimate)

Number of cats and dogs euthanized by shelters each year:
3-4 million (HSUS estimate)

Number of cats and dogs adopted from shelters each year:
3-4 million (HSUS estimate)

Number of cats and dogs reclaimed by owners from shelters each year:
Between 600,000 and 750,000—30 percent of dogs and 2-5 percent of cats entering shelters (HSUS estimate)

Number of animal shelters in the United States:
Between 4,000 and 6,000 (HSUS estimate)

Percentage of dogs in shelters who are purebred:
25 percent (HSUS estimate)

Average number of litters a fertile cat can produce in one year: 3

Average number of kittens in a feline litter: 4-6

Average number of litters a fertile dog can produce in one year: 2

Average number of puppies in a canine litter: 6-10

Unless otherwise indicated, statistics provided by The National Council on Pet Population, Study and Policy.

Updated July 7, 2008.

Hi Jon. When I got my first golden retriever I felt the same as you did. It only took 1 year to see the error of my ways. My dog was an indoor dog. I was told that I should let her go through her first season so that she would develop feminine features before I decided to spay her. This was absolutely not true. After her second season, I had had enough.

She was a house dog but I had to watch her carefully whenever I took her outside. The males came out of the woodwork. They prowled the house. My windows had muddy footprints from the feet of dogs looking inside my house. I had her spayed and she lived to be 16 years old.

But the main reason that I recommend spaying and neutering is like healthnut4freedom says. The sheer number of euthanasia's that occur every day and the number of unwanted and abused dogs that sit in shelters.

Also don't be afraid to get a male. If neutered, they are just as good a pet or even better than a female...almost more affectionate from my experience. A lab is a very good choice for a home with children. And you must also ask yourself what you will do with the dog when you will be out of town.

Whatever you decide, never ever get your puppy from a pet store, over the internet, or from an unknown breeder. Puppy mills are a curse and should be put out of business. Research them. They are horror chambers.

I think we should Sterilize / Neuter / Spay / Vaccinate politicians.

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Go to an animal shelter and watch how many animals are euthanized every day. It is tragic. You might be a responsible pet owner and not plan to breed your pet; however nature is much stronger. You leave that lovely Chocolate lab in the backyard and when she is in season every male intact dog for miles will be leaping the fence to have at her. Also, female dogs are messy in season.

ANOTHER big reason to spay a female is breast cancer. Breast cancer is highly likely in dogs who were not spayed as pups. I had a little shihtzu that we got at a year old. She had not been spayed and she was in season. We spayed her but it was too late. When she was 13 she developed breast cancer when in every other way she was incredibly healthy. She hiked miles with us and loved life. It was tragic. Several vets I talked to said it was because of her exposure to estrogen and not being spayed.

Don't feel bad about it. Your pet will be healthy and a wonderful companion. I have a black lab. She is the most amazing friend. You are doing the dog population a favor by spaying.

Healthnut4freedom

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5,6