Castration!!!

Last week, our daughter reminded us that it may be time to get Gizmo neutered. He just turned seven months. My wife scheduled the procedure mid February. Somehow I was not comfortable with that decision. So I did research (meaning Goggled) on neutering dogs. Just about every site I visited encourage castration. Even PETA highly encourages castration. Its the best thing for the dog and its the best thing for you.

The Humane Society presented the most logical argument for castration. Some sites are down right hostile to all males. Quotes include: You can no more effectively tell your male dog, "Always wear a rubber !" than you can tell your bitch or your neighbor's bitch "If you can't be good, be careful !" And my favorite: if your dog is neutered it tells the ladies that you are a man who is totally secure in his sexual identity. Funny stuff.

Basically, the argument for castration falls into three categories. First, it is good for the community. This is a none issue. Gizmo is a lap dog with no chance of escaping from the house and terrorizing the female dogs in the neighborhood. Second, it is good for the owner. Another none issue. Dont need to castrate Gizmo t make him more affectionate. He already is very loving. When we play he gives me love bites. Its male bonding. He never bites the girls in the house. Finally, its good for the dog - reduces cancer and prolongs his life. By how long? There doesnt seem to be any empirical evidence to support this. Are we talking an extension of 5 additional years? Highly unlikely.

I just dont see any real advantages for the dog to make castration worth it. I dont want Gizmo fatter and more docile. I love him the way he is right now. I grew up with a lot of dogs, none of which was castrated. They lived long and happy lives. It is unnatural to surgically change their behavior to make them easier to manage.

Teenage Angst Slightly On Hold

I noticed my daughter have been spending more time with her girlfriends lately. So asked her if she has resolved her issues with her friends by spending more time with them and less with her boyfriend. She said yes, and everything is fine now. So I asked, how does he feel about all this changes. My daughter said: "He is fine with it. He is well trained. Very obedient."

I have to admit that I found some pleasure in this knowing that she is in control of the relationship. So I asked her how he feels about being well trained. She said "Well, he feels down sometimes but he really is ok with it." Then I asked her if thats the kind of guy that she wants. She looked at me and smiled "Its fine for now."

Gizmo

Sometimes, you just don’t know what you are missing. Before September of last year, I was content with my life. My business, family, lifestyle….all was good, nothing to complain about. Then we got this guy.

My daughter asked for a maltipoo for her birthday. And wouldn’t you know it, this dog - Gizmo changed my life. Pre-Giz, I’d wake up at about 5:30am, jump into the shower, and head straight to work. Post–Giz, I’d wake up at about 5:30am, play with him, jump into the shower, play with him, take him out for a walk, play with him some more, then go to work. His impact is that he has really slowed down my pace. And I am happier for it. When I come home from a tough day at work and see this guy…the day just brightens up and all the troubles go away. I never knew what I was missing.

Teenage Angst

I have a 15 year old daughter. Does great in school, very responsible and fairly mature for her age. I noticed that she didnt look quite right over the last few days so I asked her what was bothering her. She said that she feels she is drifting away from her close friends and it is bothering her. The primary reason is that her friends and boyfriend are competing for her time.

Of course, I took this as an opportunity to encourage her to be "less serious" with the boyfriend. After all, shes only 15!!!! This is the time for her to establish the bonds with her friends that will last a lifetime. Well, she took it to mean I disapprove of her boyfriend. I said no, I like the guy but I think that she is just too young to be serious with a guy at this time.

Well, she met with her friends and it looked like she worked our her issues with them. She still has her boyfriend. Grrrrrr!