You may or may not know that February is National Spay/Neuter Awareness Month.
As it winds down to a close, I wanted to touch base on this important topic. If you are a legitimate dog breeder, this post isn’t for you 😉 For the rest of us dog owners, we need to make the decision whether or not to spay or neuter our dogs. Rescued animals through an adoption facility will already have been “fixed”, or that is part of your adoption fee to have them fixed soon.
When you adopt a dog, you accept that decision. If you acquire a puppy from a breeder, you accept their terms whether to keep the puppy “in tact” or to have them spayed or neutered. But are you trying to decide if you want to accept all these terms? And what about those dogs that you might find on the side of the road and decide to keep? Have you ever wondered why the adoption facilities go ahead and spay/neuter all the dogs? Fixing a dog not only helps control the population, but there are also health benefits.
Reasons Your Dog Should Be Spayed or Neutered (The Benefits)
1. Your puppy will live a longer, healthier life.
Dogs that have not been sterilized are more prone to uterine infections, not to mention the chance they can get cancer (see number 2). The average increase to their lifespan is estimated to be 1 to 3 years. And if your dog lives longer, don’t you benefit, too? 😉
2. Your puppy will not have to worry about certain cancers.
Dogs are prone to a lot of the same cancers humans are. That means they can get ovarian, testicular, uterine, and ovarian cancers. So, logic suggests if they don’t have those organs because they have been removed, they won’t get those particular types of cancer 😉
3. It will decrease the desire to mark territory.
Males are more known for this, but dominant females will also mark their territory. Having a dog spayed or neutered decreases the likelihood of them marking in your house.
Related: Problem Solving
4. Your dog will be better behaved.
When a female dog is in heat, both genders go through behavior changes.
Females can:
- howl more,
- urinate more (which also might mean in your house!),
- and let’s be honest, it’s not the “cleanest” times of year for you.
Males, if they are within range of a female in heat (which can be as far away as a mile!), will do anything to get to said female. This can lead to them hurting themselves trying to get out of your yard (digging/fence jumping or climbing) or, worst-case-scenario, they get hit by a car trying to find that female. Another point: un-neutered males can (but not always) show more aggressive behavior, which is never desirable.
5. It helps you financially in the long run.
Sure, the initial surgery can seem like a large cost at the time…but let’s think in terms of the big picture. You’re going to have your dog for MANY years. If you decide to leave a dog in-tact, you assume the risk of: cancers (mentioned above) which can be very costly, the supplies that go along with having a dog in heat (usually twice a year) for a female, the risk of your dog getting hurt while roaming and therefore a vet bill (even worse, an Emergency Vet bill!), and the cost of taking care of a litter of puppies if your dog does have them. A litter of puppies is not just a fiscal responsibility, it is also a time commitment! Are you ready to take that on?
- On a side-note, as a tax-payer, part of your taxes probably help fund the city’s animal control officers and facilities. So by helping keep the animal population down by altering your dog, you help keep the taxes down 😉
Related: 5 Things Responsible Dog Owners Do
Now, by all means, I am not trying to say anything against the legitimate dog breeders (those recognized by the AKC, for example). They love their animals and their preferred breed. Breeders are absolutely dedicated to helping a breed thrive and stay in good health. They do their part to help control the population by putting terms in adoption contracts about getting puppies spayed or neutered. I know because that was in my contract when I bought Bailey (my boxer). Since I had no desire to show her, breed her, or endure the heat cycles, I was absolutely fine with getting her spayed. It’s the puppy mills I have a problem with…but that is a topic for another time 🙂
Please, if you are the average person wondering if you should alter your dog, then yes, I highly recommend it. Men, please get over the “he won’t be a man” syndrome if you have your male dog neutered. He’ll be just fine, I promise.
If you have an unaltered dog and would like some training tips to try and help their unwanted behaviors, OR if you just need help with problem-solving/training in general, we would LOVE to help you!
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