Neutering is the removal of the male dog's testicles
Neutering is the removal of the male dog's testicles. Both are surgical procedures requiring general anesthesia. They are sometimes referred to as "fixing", "altering", or "sterilizing" the pet. Dogs who are not spayed or neutered are called "intact". For maximum health benefits, the procedure should be done by the time the dog is six months old. Puppies can safely be altered as young as eight weeks. Why should I have my pet fixed? There are many reasons! Pet overpopulation: They don't call them "litters" for nothing! According to the U.S. Humane Society, 8 to 10 million dogs and cats go into animal shelters every year in this country. At least half of these animals - that's 4 to 5 MILLION - are euthanized (killed) because there is simply nowhere for them to go. An unspayed female dog can have two litters per year, producing 6 to 12 puppies in each litter. Rottweilers in particular tend to have large litters. If the puppies are allowed to reproduce in their turn, the number of animals from just one pregnancy expands exponentially. Many of them will die prematurely.
As taxpayers, you and I spend millions of dollars every year to deal with the animal overpopulation mess, and still it gets worse all the time. Your pet's health: On average, sterilized pets live two or three years longer than unsterilized ones. Neutering a male dog by six months of age prevents testicular cancer, prostate disease and hernias. Spaying a female dog prevents uterine cancer and helps prevent pyometra (a serious infection of the uterus) and breast cancer; having this done before the first heat offers the best protection from these diseases. Behavior: Unneutered males have a constant urge to roam and also to defend their territory. They can sense a female in heat from literally miles away. A neutered dog will be less likely to run away or to get into fights with other dogs. He will be more calm and easier to train because he will not be constantly distracted by his hormones. Tidiness: If you have your female dog spayed, you will avoid having to deal with her messy heat cycles, as well as having to shoo away dozens of canine suitors. Neutered males have less tendency to mark their territory by urinating on every object in sight, or to hump your dinner guest's leg. But... It would be mean to do that to my pet! Not at all. In exchange for at most a few days of mild discomfort, your pet will lead a happier, healthier, and longer life. We tend to attribute human emotions to our pets.
In many cases, there really isn't a parallel. Many people feel that they will not be fulfilled unless they have a romantic or sexual partner, or unless they have children of their own. Dogs don't aspire to either sexual relationships or passing on their genes, any more than they feel the need to acquire wealth or write poetry. Being with their people is what makes them happiest, pure and simple. It isn't natural. So, what is? It isn't natural for dogs (or people, for that matter) to live in houses, eat food out of cans, or ride in cars. We have taken the dog out of his wild environment, and we have a responsibility to take care of him now because he is incapable of caring for himself in the world we have created. This includes managing the canine population to avoid causing suffering for those we are unable to support. Which is preferable: sterilization or euthanasia? Them's your choices, folks. I'm afraid it will make her fat and lazy. Don't worry, it won't. Too much food and not enough exercise is what makes a dog fat and lazy.
Will neutering stunt my dog's growth? There is no evidence to support this idea. In fact, at least one study showed that the bones of puppies who were neutered at a young age continued to grow for a slightly longer period of time than those who were not, so that they actually grew a little bigger. Will it change my dog's behavior? Altering will not change a dog's basic personality. It will make him or her a little bit calmer and more attentive, which are generally considered good things. I want my dog to protect me, so I want to keep him aggressive. Protective and aggressive are not the same thing. A protective but well-adjusted dog can be an asset and might bring you some peace of mind. An aggressive dog is a tragedy - not to mention a lawsuit - waiting to happen. Having your dog neutered will not diminish his ability to protect his family. I don't need to have my dog spayed because there aren't any other dogs around. If the behavioral and health benefits of sterilization aren't enough for you, keep in mind that an intact male dog can sense a female in heat from a distance of several miles, and will go to great lengths to get to her, fences or no. Also, there's always the possibility of stray dogs coming around, and a stray is unlikely to have been neutered. I want (or my kid/aunt/neighbor wants) to have a puppy to play with, and I can't afford to buy one from a breeder.
First of all, decide if you want a puppy that will turn into a dog, or if you just want a puppy. If you're not prepared to love and care for that puppy until it's old and gray, you're better off with a video or a stuffed animal. If you decide to go ahead with it, try your local shelter. They will almost certainly have puppies available. If they don't have one today, they'll probably have one next week. You'll have your puppy for much cheaper than breeding your own, it will be vaccinated and healthy, and you and your children will know the joy of having saved an innocent life. Another option is to volunteer for the shelter or for a dog rescue group. They often have litters of puppies that need foster care. I love my dogs so much, I want to have more just like them. Just as with humans, producing offspring does not result in a carbon copy of either or both of the parents, either in looks or personality. You really don't know what you're going to get, even with purebred parents.
On the other hand, it has been said that adopting a dog is the closest you can ever come to actually choosing a member of your family. By adopting a dog that needs a home, you can find out beforehand whether you will be able to form the close bond you want with that animal. I can make some extra money by selling the puppies. Not if you do it right, you won't. If you are conscientious enough to provide even the most basic medical care for the mother and the pups, you will be lucky to break even. The birthing process itself is full of complications (see next question). Experienced breeders invest lots of money and effort to make sure their puppies are top quality, healthy, and well-adjusted, and they rarely make a profit. Throwing two random dogs together will undoubtedly produce genetically inferior puppies, with who knows what behavior or health problems lurking under those cute exteriors. It's just plain irresponsible. I want my children to see the miracle of birth. This is a BAD idea for a number of reasons. To begin with, your dog will give birth in a time and place of her own choosing - middle of the night, under a bed, in the bushes, whatever - and you and/or your kids will probably miss the whole thing. If you do manage to see it, having you standing around will put undue stress on the mother. She may be so stressed out she will bite someone, or abandon the puppies. Besides being hard on the dog, it will likely be a traumatic experience for the children as well. It's bloody, painful, and exhausting.
Complications are common; what will you tell the kids if some of the pups are stillborn, or if the mother dies in labor? If they make it through witnessing the gory spectacle, what lesson will they learn when you start selling or giving away the little "miracles"? What about the ones you can't find homes for? Will you take your kids to the shelter with you and explain that the pups have to be killed now because nobody wants them? Even if you do find them all homes, don't forget about the six or seven dogs that will have to be killed because someone took a dog from you instead of adopting one out of the shelter. Please, please, please don't put either your pet or your children through this. There are many fine books and videos available today to teach them the facts of life. Sometimes zoos have educational programs where you can observe animal births. If you want to do something really revolutionary, you could even try sitting down with the kids and explaining it to them yourself. I'm worried about putting my pet under anesthesia. Of everything listed here, this one is really the only valid concern. There is always a slight risk associated with anesthesia. However, the anesthetics and monitoring procedures that modern vets use are very safe, and the health benefits that come from spaying and neutering far outweigh this minimal danger. If it saves your pet from cancer, infection, pregnancy complications, or running away later on in life, isn't it worth it? Talk to your vet and ask him or her to explain the procedure and associated risks. I can't afford it. This concern may also be understandable, but the truth is, you can't afford not to do it. The cost of medical treatment for pregnancy or reproductive-related health problems is many times greater than the cost of spaying.
There are many low-cost spay/neuter clinics; to find one, Success Stories About Aggression and Biting We occasionally get requests for help placing dogs who have bitten someone, and the owner is either ordered by a court to get rid of the dog or decides that it is no longer safe to keep it. These situations can be heartbreaking, but at that point there is little we can do to help. If you are not comfortable having your dog around your family or neighbors, passing the problem to someone else is not the answer. Note: The statements on this page are the observations and opinions of the webmaster, and are not to be taken as any kind of expert advice. If you think your dog is showing any signs of aggressive behavior whatsoever, please consult a professional animal behaviorist immediately. It will save you a lot of grief and might even save your dog's life. There are many reasons why a dog might bite. Dominance aggression and fear aggression are common ones. Some dogs will naturally offer subtle challenges to your authority when they first join your household. For example, they might try to "mount" or crawl on top of you, or they may play keep-away with their toys. This is to be expected and is not necessarily a cause for alarm, as long as you kindly but firmly insist that you are the boss and such behavior is not acceptable.
Growling at people should be taken more seriously, and you probably should consult a professional if it happens. However, a dog who challenges a person for dominance or territory - any person, child or adult, family or stranger - to the point of biting is a dangerous animal and cannot be trusted. A dog who bites out of fear is also dangerous, largely because he is unpredictable. Many bites occur because of miscommunication between human and dog. Canine body language is different from ours, and some things like hugging or putting your face close to your dog's face can make him feel very threatened. This is why children are often the victims of fear biting. A common statement is, "My dog isn't aggressive, she just got startled and nipped a little". A dog who bites when she is frightened may not be a bad dog, but the point is that she can inflict just as much damage as a dominant-aggressive one. Assuming you are given a choice about whether or not to keep your dog, you must decide how much of a liability she is likely to be and whether you are willing to accept that liability. If there are children living with you or visiting you, the risk of them being badly injured is very real.
Jump No More
Special Dog and Puppy Training Leash a {text-decoration:none} Jump No More Puppy training leash No more paw prints on your clothes! The "Jump No More" Puppy Training Leash keeps your puppyies paws off you. When Sassy starts to jump on Lindy she can slide the spring loaded rigid cylinder down the tight leash to Sassy's collar preventing her from jumping upward. The cylinder increases Lindy's reach by 18" giving her more control over Sassy's actions. The rigid cylinder in conjunction with a firm "No Jump" and before long Sassy has the right idea.When Lindy releases the cylinder the patented spring action returns the cylinder to it original position giving Sassy the same freedom as a typical nylon leash. For best results use with a snug fitting collar, not with a choke chain. The "Jump No More" is also useful when teaching your puppy to heel, without resorting to a choke chain and yanking your puppy around.
Here we see Amanda holding the "Jump No More? and aiming it behind her, with Sassy's tendency to pull forward the "Jump No More" cylinder puts her in perfect heel position. Again in conjunction with verbal praise (nice walk good heel) it won't be long before Sassy knows where to walk. The cylinder also gives you more leverage in case your puppy tries to run (18, of rigid leverage vs. 4" of webbing ). You can see that Amanda has more leverage than with a typical nylon leash. Extremely versatile the "Jump No More"™ Puppy Training Leash can be used to give you more control over your puppyies action or it gives your puppy the same freedom as a typical nylon leash. For best results use with a snug fitting collar, not as effective with a choke chain.