"A spayed or neutered dog is simply much easier to live with. Your Lab will be more focused on you and less on other dogs."
~Your Labrador Retriever Puppy Month by Month
Gus is scheduled for surgery today. Right now he is blissfully unaware of what is about to happen. (Although he is wondering why Gracie got breakfast and he did not.)
I've noticed an interesting thing the last few weeks. When I tell people Gus is being neutered, I tend to get this reaction from people: "Oh...poor Gus!" Or some equivalent of that sentiment. I recall when Gracie had her spay surgery so many years ago, that people didn't bat an eye or make a comment. Could there be a gender bias in the dog world? Are we humans subconsciously equating neutering with the emasculation of men? Do we see spaying a female dog as the equivalent of the woman taking responsibility for birth control?
Oh I know, this is all too much for an early morning blog post. And to paraphrase Freud, sometimes a surgery is just a surgery.
Regardless, I do feel a twinge at leaving my boy at the vet's office today. On the upside, I'm looking forward to a more low key evening tonight.
Don't count on too much difference. The gonadless Jiggs was indistinguishable from his pre-surgery self.
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