Any way to avoid spaying contracts for canines? Say I were to consider buying a husky or some other dog.
Sure, pick a better breeder. Seriously, that's largely a sign of someone who doesn't want competition and almost certainly isn't breeding quality dogs. Red flags like that make you wonder what else they're hiding.
Most breeders in the USA administer some form of neuter/spay contract which requires your pet be spayed and such, if I’m not mistaken. Are your dogs Unspayed/un-neutered? If so, how did the adoption process go?
That's not a common thing in most of the US, it's a sign of a puppy mill or a rescue org.
Neutering (male or female) is common for rescues, but one has to expect that; they got the animal as unwanted and are trying to prevent more unwanted animals being created.
That said, there's no reason to not consider a neutered dog. Companion first, sex if possible later. This applies more to females than males, but both *can* still have desires and be interested in sex, it depends on when they were neutered and if they had any positive experiences beforehand. In general, bitches spayed after reaching adulthood will usually be capable, though might not be receptive of sex. Males can be a bigger gamble. I have a male now who was neutered years ago, it hasn't slowed him down, but he was a fully grown adult and he'd had use of his equipment before losing his balls (was medically necessitated, we tried really, really hard to avoid it)
If you're serious, look to your local kennel club or breed specific rescues.
Breed specific rescues are, IMO a better choice than a generic rescue. They know the breed and can be good resources to help you, but they will aslo usually have higher expectations, so understand the breed and it's challenges.
Another rookie question here: spaying/neutering ensures the dog cannot orgasm, right?
You have to understand it from a development perspective. If they're neutered before puberty, their brains don't develop the proper way for sex, so it's largely going to be a "no", but if neutered later in life they typically can, but the caveat of males/females mentioned earlier applies, some males lose all desire, some don't nd not all females will be receptive either.
Please feel free to tell me some valuable insights, as I’ve never really went into the adoption process or properly researched it enough to fully understand.
Honestly, read as much as you can NOW. When you have the dog and need to know how to train or work with various issues it's easier to do when you've at least got an idea of what to do before having to do it. I would recommend reading the AKC site (you mention the US, so presume you're there), UKC, or if not in the US, whatever your local Kennel Club is. Not endorsing any particular registry, but the info is usually good and well presented. Understand the breeds you're considering, talk to breeders...more than one. Ask them what they're selecting for, how their dogs perform, health problems, ask to see the dogs they're breeding and if they say no, find someone else. Only reason to not show a dog is to hide problems, don't reward shitty people for making shitty dogs.
Get a copy of Karen Pryor's "Don't shoot the dog" (shitty title, fantastic book). It's older, but it is a very, very good book to start with. Seriously, go to ebay if money is tight and search for it, buy a copy (newer versions are better, but I read the original version), read it. Read it again when you get your dog. I've given away I can't tell you how many copies.
For a zoo, I would largely recommend avoiding neutered dogs, but it's not a hard no. Again, best friend first. Pick a dog that matches your lifestyle, don't get a big fluffy dog because you think it looks sexy if you live where it's hot and you don't have A/C. Don't get a high enrgy dog if you're going to sit on the couch and watch videos or play games. This is a companion and should be your best friend for the next 10-15 years or more, don't rush in. Take your time, pick carefully and your chances of having the best relationship will be improved. Talk to others who have the breeds your interested in (zoo or not) and ask them about problems they have had and for zoos, what zoo-specific problems you might need to be aware of with that breed. For example, "Huskies are great. Fuckable? Sure".....reality is....not all are.
Nothing to be embarassed or ashamed of for not knowing, everyone starts out ignorant. Ask questions until you think you understand.
Are you hoping to get a male or a female?
Edit: FFS, I swear I can spell. Maybe if I keep saying that it'll come true. (holy shit, I even misspelled "true")
