The nicest thing you can do for yourself and your dog is to have it spayed or neutered. Spayed females don’t have unwanted pregnancies and won’t bleed all over your carpet for a week or more twice a year. And since spaying removes the female’s reproductive organs, spayed females never suffer cancers or infections of the ovaries or uterus.
Spayed females are a lot nicer to live with, too. They won’t tantalize males into serenading them on your front lawn, and they won't develop a sudden urge to roam. Spaying helps your female’s disposition remain stable, and lets her take part in performance events, such as Obedience or Agility, without a three-week break every six months. In short, spaying your Lassie gives you fewer hassles, gives her a healthier life, and doesn’t add to the unwanted pet population.
Male hormones make a dog crave every female in season whose scent wafts by on the wind, and some dogs break windows and fences to search for that female with the provocative perfume. Male hormones also make a dog more aggressive toward other dogs and are often implicated in housebreaking problems, such as scent marking (when the male lifts his leg and urinates on objects inside the home to stake out his territory). Frustration (caused by male hormones) is what makes a dog embarrass everyone by making love to Granny’s leg during the family picnic. While neutering won’t immediately cure a frustrated, dog-aggressive, escape artist with a housebreaking problem, it eliminates the production of male hormones, which almost always starts the dog on the road to improvement.
Don't Believe It!
Did you ever hear that spaying or neutering makes a dog fat and lazy? Well, that’s just not true. Overfeeding and lack of exercise do that. In fact, spayed and neutered pets are often the best performers in Obedience, Agility, and other competitive events. Neutered males are better able to keep their mind on their work, and spayed females can perform all year, without losing six weeks due to being in season. That’s why nearly all service dogs (guide dogs for the blind, hearing dogs, and dogs that help the physically handicapped) are spayed or neutered.
It is also untrue that neutered males don’t make good watchdogs. Not only will they protect their home and family, but they concentrate on their job better than males who have the scent of a female on their mind. Spayed females are also reliable guardians.
Cartoonists and comedians often get laughs by implying that male dogs think as people do and are resentful or depressed over being “castrated.” These skits are hilarious at the comedy club, but the notion is ridiculous in real life. Dogs don’t have human feelings about romantic love and sex. Dogs simply have drives and feel frustration when they can’t fulfill them. They don’t miss the hormones that made them feel frustrated and drove them into trouble. In fact, after they are neutered, most dogs become more affectionate and closer to their family. And that’s where dogs really want to be.
