hi all,
right i have four dogs.one dog three bitches.three different breeds,my male (i promise)would only be able to mount one of my bitches it would be absolutly impossible to mount the other two.
i have two bitches in season at the moment and one not due for a long time yet.i have used my male at stud and i love what he throws,but im now considering having him castrated due to when my yorkie bitch comes into season he will whine for her more so than my others.he seems(i dont know why)to really get stressed whine cry pace and dribble bad when the yorkie is in....so i had thought about getting the yorkie bitch speyed but i worry she may not make it through the anethsetic she will not be bred from she is too small,so my first thought as said was to get her speyed then the horror that she may not make it through the op is what has stopped me so far.

so i suppose im asking what your experiences have showed you.my male has been used and knows what is what would all this drive actually go?or will the castration just stop the ability to produce?i dont want to put him through something that is not going to cure the problem for him.if i could get the bitch speyed with just the average risk as you always get id do that as its better on her AND him.

can anyone help?

My greatest fear for your Yorkie bitch would be pyometra.

yes maybe so but the only way to be certain she cannot get the disease is to have her speyed!
my yorkie bitch weighs just three lb.i worry she may not come through the anesthetic.
i do not intend on breeding from her so ordinarilly would have had her speyed at 2 anyway but she just didnt get any bigger.
im TRYING to do the right thing,one by putting my dogs first and two by asking if people on here have had any experience with a dog used and castrating.my yorkie is the reason not the problem

>my yorkie bitch weighs just three lb.i worry she may not come through the anesthetic.

My point is that she's more likely to come through it when she's healthy than if is has to be done because she's ill with pyometra.

i would have your yorkie speyed.... they can GA is a lot safer today than it has been. like JG said, better to have her done healthy than if she had pyo... becomes much riskier then. still the decision is yours, i dont envy you at all. it is a hard decision.

Hi Tammy

I can give you info on my own experience, if that helps.

First, from a health point of view.  I like entire males, and spayed bitches.  I consider it to be far more beneficial to neuter a female rather than a male.

I bought a tiny Chi bitch that was advertised for breeding :-(  I was livid that someone without knowledge would actually try to breed from her.  I bought her so that I could have her spayed.

I let her have one season, and discussed spaying with almost every vet that I know!  Which is loads.  As an adult, she weighs 3lbs.  All vets said that they would do it.  But, one honest vet told me that I would be best to use a vet that wouldn't be nervous of something so tiny!  And the vet that went in with total confidence was the one to choose. 

My vet has spayed bitches even tinier, and regularly spays ferrets.  He assured me that he wasn't worried about anaesthetic as they are so safe today.  She had a very successful operation, with the tiniest of incisions, and I actually had to crate her several times a day to cut down on her boisterous bouncing! 

I would 100% advise that you get your tiny girl done while she is fit and healthy, so making it an easy ride for her.  I had my girl done half way between seasons, to make it easier for my vet.  I don't have any regrets at all, it was the best decision for her.  And she keeps my stud boys happy by sleeping with them when the other girls are out of bounds!

I say go for it!  :-)

Vets successfully spay rabbits and guinea pigs, which are smaller and less tolerant (as species) of anaesthetic than dogs.

"so i suppose im asking what your experiences have showed you.my male has been used and knows what is what would all this drive actually go?or will the castration just stop the ability to produce?"

The ability will be gone for ever. The drive might, or might not, go away. A castrated dog can still mate a bitch, but can't produce the semen required to produce puppies.

Would removing the dog for the duration of the heat be an alternative? Maybe he could go and stay with friends? Or a boarding kennel?

[my male (i promise)would only be able to mount one of my bitches it would be absolutly impossible to mount the other two.]

Your male could mount all 3.  I am presuming you are saying this because of his size, but the saying where theres a will theres a way is true.
Many years ago near to where I lived a tiny yorkie mated a great dane bitch (I believe she laid down for him) and the results were some very strange looking puppies indeed.
I personally would have all the girlies spayed.

> a tiny yorkie mated a great dane bitch

i belive this as ive seen the result of rottweiler x cross cocker spaniel puppies(not from mine) the cocker was the male.

> Your male could mount all 3.

no way lol my yorkie is 3lb and is the size of a coke can, my male is a rottweiler its pysically impossible.
his feet are bigger than her!

> Would removing the dog for the duration of the heat be an alternative? Maybe he could go and stay with friends? Or a boarding kennel?

yes probably but parents cant have him at this moment like they did last season cos the garden is upside down,dad has just pulled all the garden up so wouldnt be anywhere for him to go a quick wee.and my sister who lives there has a tiny baby to tend to now so wouldnt be able to walk him like she did.
we've talked about it but its a no no.
im not keen on sending him to kennels to be honest.ive never done it before and wont unless i REALLY have to.for illness or hospitalisation ect.
i know its sounds stupid to some like i wont listen to nothing i do listen but im really not keen on kennels.he might feel like hes being punished :-(

> I would 100% advise that you get your tiny girl done while she is fit and healthy

thanks jeansw,will be booking her in tommorrow for a date in say mybe 4 months time so she is all clear of season.
ill worry myself sick mind lol but its best for him and her.
its crazy he goes nuts for the tiny one but will just have an average whinge for my rott bitch.

thanks to all who has advised.been really helpful made me feel clearer too.xxx

Yes, my first GSD bitch (RIP Dear Sash) lay down for a JRT to do the business - she had a mesaliance inj (spell??) then had a pyo. I would have the bitch spayed.  Also it seems unfair for a male to live with a bitch in season, talk about dangling a carrot! I know lots of people do it but I think its a little bit like mental torture especially for a dog used before who really knows whats what in the mating sense of the word. :-)