Here are my questions...so many vets are pushing spay/neuter.  And almost all the websites tell you all the bad things that happen when you *do not* spay and neuter your pet.  I will grant that there are pros and cons to both sides of the issue.  For example, S/N your dog will prevent unwanted puppies.  Selling your pups to ethical and responsible people will accomplish the same.  For example, older spayed bitches have a HUGE problem with incontinence and while it is possible to give them PPA or hormones, was it a good idea to mess with their bodies in the first place?  My Essi has horrible incontinence, and PPA only helps get some of it.  How fun is it to teach a 13 yo dog she can no longer be on the couch or bed?  She does not enjoy wearing diapers but I can deal with it since the majority of my house is linoleum.

And I wonder why in Norway, where it is odd to have a spayed or neutered pet, that the shelters are not overflowing?  I think the bottom line is responsibility.  And we do not need more legislation or responsible breeders to stop breeding...since the issue is not them...it's the people that are not conscientious with their dogs or their breeding decisions.  So I'll end the rant here and below is a rarity...it's an article that gives both sides of the spay neuter issue and not just one.  Enjoy.  

WASHINGTON (Reuters Health) - A drop in sex hormones may increase the risk of a type of bone cancer, according to results of a study conducted in purebred Rottweilers.   The highly malignant bone cancer, known as osteosarcoma, has noticeable similarities in both humans and Rottweilers, researchers at Purdue University reported at a meeting of the Gerontological Society of America.

In a study of 745 purebred Rottweilers, Dr. B. C. Beranek and colleagues from the departments of veterinary clinical science and veterinary pathology found that 15% of all the dogs developed bone cancer. However, the risk of bone cancer was 65% higher for castrated males and 34% higher for spayed females. The risk of developing bone cancer was higher both in females spayed at less than one year of age as well as males castrated when they
were less than a year old compared with animals who were not spayed or neutered.

It is not clear why spaying or neutering had an impact on cancer risk, but it may be related to their lower levels of sex hormones. More study is needed to determine if these factors play any role in human cancer.

Updated 9/02/08

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