Spay and neuter surgery to sterilize dogs and cats has been hailed as an expedient method of pet population control. The idea, obviously, is that sterilized pets can't breed and produce puppies that end up in animal shelters to be adopted or euthanized. Some advocacy groups have gone so far as to demand laws that require spay and neuter of all dogs and cats unless people buy permission to keep their animals intact. Others seek to require shelters to spay and neuter all animals that leave their premises to avoid unwanted litters in the future. Many pet owners consider a spay and neuter requirement to be an infringement of their rights.
Many men have a difficult time dealing with neutering of their male pets.
And many pet owners and welfare advocates say that the cost of surgery keeps many families from having it done. There are many myths about canine reproductive needs. Chiefly among these are the suspicion that neutering turns a male into a sissy and spaying causes a female to get fat and to lament her lost capacity. The truth is that male dogs are better pets if they are neutered. They have less desire to roam, to mark territory, or to exert dominance over family members.