Certainly in Goldens it can create a health issue to spay and neuter too young-potential incontinence and/or recurrent bladder infections in females, really long legs, more symptomatic HD (from the lack of musculature, I believe) and ugly heads in the males. I BEG my pet people to wait, despite what the vets all tell them. As far as Terri's suggestion to mention that they are all spayed and neutered before sale-spoken like a true breeding neophyte (PLEASE don't take that the wrong way- I am an admitted neophyte in most things and am proud of it!). Boy, would that comment come back to bite you in the butt! Puppy people tend to hear only what they want to hear, and once said, never can it be changed. I can just imagine all the annoyed folks saying, upon picking up the pup, "I thought the $1500.00 included altering!" or worst still (but just as likely) the poor pup getting knocked up at 7 months because the people "remembered" that you fixed them all before going home-despite what you said when they actually came and got the pup. I have learned over the years and many litters that you NEVER say ANYTHING that you cannot back-up, no matter why and what. Of course, we breeders are stymied and pooh-poohed by the majority of vets out there as silly breeder types, or worst still, evil breeder types. I saw one of the most beautiful young Goldens I had produced in the last 20 year the other day-the owners were returning the training crate they had borrowed from me. This 71/2 month old girl was drop dead gorgeous, had a lovely and proper coat, head, light as a feather movement and a sweet, happy attitude. Visions of a "Best in Show" puppy floating across my brain as I played with her in the back alley, until the owners excitedly announced the her "baseline hip xray" (I hate that!) was good-you know, they one they took while she was being spayed...Argh! When I questioned why she had been spayed so young after my going home lecture (it's even printed in my puppy book) they said that the vet had 1.) Told them that she would most certainly get cancer if they didn't do it right away and 2.) she wasn't of show quality due to her size ( my pups grow really big really fast, then quit early-at age 1 year are in the norm, though seem large at 5 months). And these folk were originally interesting in having me show the pup if she turned out, but were terrified by their vet. The one we ran on from that litter is a boy, and looks like a coyote. Geez, that spayed pup is still driving me to the bottle-think I have a glass of wine!
Kim Johnson Allegria Cavaliers and Gold-Rush Goldens > Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 23:13:16 -0500 > From: Cavatibs <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: Selling Puppies > > The reason I do not sell puppies that have been spayed/neutered at an early age is > because I do alot of Performance training, in particular Agility. You do not want > to spay/neuter a dog that is going to be physically challenged until that dog's > growth plates are closed and that does not occur until about a year, maybe a bit > earlier for a Toy breed. Having sold puppies for approx. 20 years, I can usually > see through people. Mind you, I have to say that I understand there are people out > there who have all the right answers. It is a risk selling dogs. > Anne > > Winnie Clark wrote: > > > Anne wrote: > > <<<There's an easy solution -- tell the prospective buyer that the dog will be > > <<<sold on irrevocable restricted pedigrees and see how fast their story changes > > <<<or how fast they retreat!! > > > > Is there some reason these pups aren't spayed/neutered before being sold? > > Wouldn't that solve the problem? > > > > Winnie > > Columbus, NC > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Dogs are made of love and fur. > > ========================================================= "Magic Commands": to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL to start it up gain click here: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 1999 by its original author.
