Post by Vadim on Apr 3, 2011 14:31:42 GMT -5
This will get the pet crowd into a tizzy 
An interesting study.
Behavioral and Physical Effects of Spaying and Neutering Domestic Dogs (Canis familiaris)
Summary of findings detailed in a Masters thesis submitted to and accepted by Hunter College
by Parvene Farhoody in May, 2010.
Spaying and neutering domestic dogs is generally accepted as a relatively benign procedure conducted on millions of dogs each year. The view of spaying and neutering as benign and perhaps even beneficial to dogs has been based on extremely limited scientific study of how gonadectomy affects dog behavior and physiology. To investigate this, a 101-question survey called the Canine Behavior and Research Questionnaire was used to collect information on seven behavioral characteristics for 10,839 dogs. The C-BARQ is a qualitative behavioral assessment instrument created by James Serpell and his colleagues at the Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society at the University of Pennsylvania. At this time, it is the only behavioral assessment questionnaire that has been peer-reviewed and found to be reliable and valid (Hsu & Serpell, 2003).
Behavioral characteristics of intact male and female dogs were compared with those of four groups of neutered dogs: those neutered at or before 6 months, between 7 and 12 months, between 13 and 18 months, and after 18 months. Our data showed that the behavior of neutered dogs was significantly different from that of intact dogs in ways that contradict the prevailing view. Among the findings, neutered dogs were more aggressive, fearful, excitable, and less trainable than intact dogs.
In addition, we measured eight individual bone lengths plus the height of 202 agility competition dogs to determine whether gonadectomy affected bone lengths. Preliminary analysis revealed
significant differences in bone growth between the intact and neutered groups.
These findings strongly support the need for an immediate re-evaluation of the current recommendation to spay or neuter dogs to prevent or treat behavior problems, and an equally pressing need to more fully examine the wide range of physical effects of spaying and neutering pet dogs.
An interesting study.
Behavioral and Physical Effects of Spaying and Neutering Domestic Dogs (Canis familiaris)
Summary of findings detailed in a Masters thesis submitted to and accepted by Hunter College
by Parvene Farhoody in May, 2010.
Spaying and neutering domestic dogs is generally accepted as a relatively benign procedure conducted on millions of dogs each year. The view of spaying and neutering as benign and perhaps even beneficial to dogs has been based on extremely limited scientific study of how gonadectomy affects dog behavior and physiology. To investigate this, a 101-question survey called the Canine Behavior and Research Questionnaire was used to collect information on seven behavioral characteristics for 10,839 dogs. The C-BARQ is a qualitative behavioral assessment instrument created by James Serpell and his colleagues at the Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society at the University of Pennsylvania. At this time, it is the only behavioral assessment questionnaire that has been peer-reviewed and found to be reliable and valid (Hsu & Serpell, 2003).
Behavioral characteristics of intact male and female dogs were compared with those of four groups of neutered dogs: those neutered at or before 6 months, between 7 and 12 months, between 13 and 18 months, and after 18 months. Our data showed that the behavior of neutered dogs was significantly different from that of intact dogs in ways that contradict the prevailing view. Among the findings, neutered dogs were more aggressive, fearful, excitable, and less trainable than intact dogs.
In addition, we measured eight individual bone lengths plus the height of 202 agility competition dogs to determine whether gonadectomy affected bone lengths. Preliminary analysis revealed
significant differences in bone growth between the intact and neutered groups.
These findings strongly support the need for an immediate re-evaluation of the current recommendation to spay or neuter dogs to prevent or treat behavior problems, and an equally pressing need to more fully examine the wide range of physical effects of spaying and neutering pet dogs.
