I admit that the current woes of the cutest and bravest of all terriers has led me to write this and it may be over the top, but okay, here it goes: Have you noted, as I did, that people are over-zealous when it comes to castrating male dogs, but never about bitches? It may be a German thing, it may have something to do with the fact that the castration of dogs is, for obvious anatomical reasons, easier (and less expensive) than the castration of a bitch, but I STILL want to bellyache about it!The little guy is sitting at the door, whining and moaning for days now because our neighbour's bitch is in heat. Now they have TWO little pooches, a dog and a bitch and guess who is castrated? Well, obviously not the bitch.
ONE bitch in heat spoils a huge entire area where people let their dogs run free. But no, they do not, as I did before MY bitch was castrated, walk her on the leash where no dogs are running loose anyway until the heat is safely over, they expect the dogs' owners to keep THEM on the leash or stay at home. I know dogs who refuse to eat and degenerate into one rackabones within days once they've caught a whiff of a bitch in heat.
I notice, too, that people pre-suppose that a dog is castrated and are actually amazed (and a little bit taken aback) if they discover that no, this one isn't. He is a stud dog, but I'd never have him castrated anyway. Have people ever observed how a castrated dog is treated by those whose peer he once was? Studying animals' behaviour can teach one a lot!
Am I now over the top if I say that this is just a symptom for the general disregard for the male sex in our society? They have no regard for the physical integrity or mental wellbeing of male dogs, but for that of bitches. The males' suffering is met with silly jokes and a few cuts of the scalpel. If one female spoils the fun of dozens of their male counterparts, it doesn't matter. They are supposed to swallow that or to go away. Does that remind you of something? No, we haven't arrived at the scalpel-solution for the human male YET, but everything else bears a frightening resemblance.
I wonder whether it gives those females (most pooch owners happen to be -- or rather ARE -- female) a kick to have an emasculated once-male creature on the leash. Yes, maybe that's over the top, but maybe it's food for thought.
Is my little bitch impaired, now she is castrated? You must be joking! She is still as bossy, mean and manipulative as she was when she still had her ovaries.
Oh yes, and did I say watching animals can teach us a lot?
