My dog will get fat and lazy after he/she is spayed/neutered.

A dog that has been spayed/neutered does have a tendency to gain weight after the surgery because the removal of the sex hormones may slow the dog's metabolism. The weight gain can easily be treated with dietary management and exercise.

A dog should have at least one litter or one heat before being spayed.

Spaying a female prior to her first heat cycle will reduce her chances of developing mammary cancer by approximately 200 times. Spaying a dog after her first heat cycle but before her second reduces her chances of developing mammary cancer by approximately 13 times compared to an intact dog.
Breeding should only be done by someone with experience or under the supervision of an experienced breeder. There is far more involved in breeding dogs than just putting a male and female together and allowing nature to take its course. It is not uncommon for a female to have problems delivering puppies, sometimes requiring expensive medical treatment. Your dog's life and the life of her unborn puppies may also be at risk due to complications.
Male dogs may also develop undesirable behaviors after being bred, such as territorial marking, a desire to wander in search of a female in heat, and aggression towards other male dogs. Neutering afterwards will drastically improve these behaviors, but may not eliminate them entirely.

My dog is purebred, therefore I am obligated to breed him/her.

Being purebred and fertile (able to produce puppies) should not be the only criteria used to determine whether or not a dog is suitable to be bred. Just because the dog that you own is purebred does not mean that you are under any obligation whatsoever to breed him or her. Approximately 25-30% of dogs that enter shelters are also purebred.

My dog is wonderful and I'd like to have another just like him/her.

If your dog is so wonderful, why would you want to risk her health to breed her? The chances of getting another dog identical to yours either in temperament, personality, or appearance is extremely slim. Genetics is not in favour of such a thing happpening. Each dog is an individual, and it would be unfair to expect a puppy to be exactly like his or her parents.

Breeding dogs is an easy way to make some extra money.

Of course it's an easy way for you to make money - the dogs do all the work! In fact, if done properly, you cannot expect to make very much money breeding dogs (you'd be lucky to break even). The parents must come from superb bloodlines from a reputable breeder. They must be proven in conformation or other competive events to show that they have something wonderful to offer to their breed. They must also be tested for common genetic diseases and given proper certification. Just because the parents appear to be healthy doesn't mean that there isn't a serious health problem hiding in their genetic background. The costs of caring for a pregnant dog quickly add up, as do the costs for caring for a litter of puppies. The total cost involved could run into the thousands of dollars.

I want my children to witness the "miracle of birth."

If you want your children to witness the miracle of birth, there are other ways to do it that won't be at the expense of the family pet. There are several nice videos and nature documentary films that cover the topic nicely. The children need not experience it in real life to appreciate it. Besides, dogs usually give birth in the middle of the night or in quiet privacy. The mother dog may become distressed if too many people crowd her during delivery, which may cause problems.

If my dog gets pregnant, I won't have any trouble finding homes for the puppies.

In your own fantasy world, maybe not. In reality, finding good homes for puppies is extremely difficult, especially for those of mixed origin. Giving them to anyone who comes to your door and is willing to take them or hand over cash does not constitute a truly good home. In fact, only 1 in 5 "free to good home" pets actually make it into a good home. That means, statistically, that in a litter of 5 puppies only 1 may actually end up in a good home. What happens when one of the new owners of one of those puppies call you six months later to say that they no longer want the dog? Would you be willing to take him or her back? What happens when one of the new owners of one of those puppies calls you to tell you that they just found out that their puppy is showing signs of a genetic disease? Would you take the puppy back or refund the purchase price? These are all things that need to be considered. Every single puppy that you help bring into this world is your responsibility until it leaves this world.
Also keep in mind that each good home you find for one of your puppies could mean one less good home for those in shelters looking for homes. In less than a year's time, your dog's puppies will be old enough to have their own puppies unless you require that they be spayed/neutered. This means even fewer homes for those in shelters, and the greater potential spread of genetic disease in your breed.

The males aren't the ones having puppies, so I don't need to have mine neutered.

Do you think female dogs get pregnant by themselves? It takes both a male and a female dog to produce puppies. Just because the male does nothing but contribute his genes to a litter of puppies does not mean that he is not responsible for thier being.

I plan to keep my dog confined to the house or a fenced area, so there is no chance that he/she will breed.

It is not uncommon for dogs to escape the house or yard in search of a mate. You cannot always be 100% sure that your dog will not make an attempt and be successful. Dogs have been known to jump or dig under fences, and even breed through them if necessary.

If I have my dog neutered, he will be less protective.

Dogs have a natural instinct to protect their home and family upon which neutering has no affect. In fact, he may actually become more protective because he will no longer be distracted by females in heat.

My dog will be unhappy if he/she is spayed/neutered.

Dogs have no concept of sexual identity. Dogs are not like humans in the respect that they do not look forward to having children. Their motivation to reproduce is driven by hormones and is done out of necessity rather than want. Once they have been spayed/neutered, the hormones are removed and the urges to reproduce disappear.

It's unnatural to spay/neuter a dog.

What, exactly, is "natural" about domestic dogs today? We took them out of nature and bred them selectively as companions. We breed dogs today that would have been deemed unfit to survive in nature. In nature, the population of any species is always kept at a balance according to its geographic location and food and water sources. For example, if there is a decrease of prey animals in a given area, there will also be a decrease in the amount of predatory animals because there will only be enough food to supply a certain number of predators. Nature also has other ways of keeping a populatin balanced. In the domesticated environment, there is no balance to the dog population, and that population will continue to increase unchecked unless something is done to stop it.

I cannot afford to have my dog spayed/neutered.

The cost of having a dog spayed or neutered usually ranges from $50 - $150, depending on the age of your dog, whether it is a male or female, its size, and where you live. There are also many places that will perform the surgery at a reduced cost or even free for those who truly need assistance, not those who can afford it, but don't want to spend the money. Regardless, the cost of spaying and neutering is a one-time cost and compared to the cost of raising a litter of puppies and maintaining the health of the mother during pregnancy, is a bargain.

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