The Pros and Cons of Spaying a Puppy

Spaying, or neutering, your puppy means the surgical removal of your puppy's sexual reproductive organs. The term for a female dog is "spayed" and male dogs are "neutered." The surgery prevents the females from getting pregnant and males from contributing to a female dog's pregnancy. It is best to spay your puppy when it is around five to seven months old, which is right before it becomes sexually mature. There are many pros and cons of spaying your puppy that differ between males and females. It's a good idea to spay your female puppy because it can prevent many future health problems. It protects her from urine infections, lowers the chances of breast cancer, and diminishes the risks of pregnancy. Spaying your female dog also prevents the headache of heat periods. This is beneficial to you as the owner because heat periods are usually very messy. You will have to clean up your puppy's bloody discharge and constantly watch out for her not to make a mess on your furniture. During heat periods, females flirt with male or other female dogs or hump other objects. Female dogs cannot be left alone during their heat periods because of the risks involved. Another good reason to spay a female dog is because it will keep the dog population at a more balanced level. Due to these reasons, it is a good idea to spay your puppy.

There are many pros to neutering a male puppy as well. Males are completely protected from testicular tumors when neutered. They are also somewhat protected from any diseases which arise from testosterone. Neutering also avoids behavior problems in the future. Another pro to having a neutered dog is that unneutered dogs often show that they are sexually aroused in public by either humping other dogs, objects, people's body parts, or licking their genitals. Many owners are often embarrassed by this behavior. Unneutered males also tend to be more aggressive and get into quarrels with other unneutered dogs. They also become extremely distressed by looking for female dogs in heat. When they do smell a close female dog in heat, males may show uneasiness and possibly try to escape home. Also, unneutered males may be a challenge in obedience due to their high testosterone levels.