During any given day, most veterinarians hear many reasons why someone chooses not to spay or neuter their pet. "They make better pets if they have a litter first." It will stunt their growth if you spay them before they are sexually mature.” And another common complaint, usually offered by the male of the house, “I wouldn’t want anyone doing that to me!” Unfortunately, these rationales are usually based more on

Medical reasons to spay or neuter are numerous. In females, studies confirm that intact dogs have a much higher incidence of mammary cancer than their spayed counterparts. The chance a female dog will develop a tumor starts to increase with the first heat cycle, and steadily rises with each successive cycle until the fifth or sixth cycle, where they remain relatively high for the rest of that animal’s life. Obviously, ovarian cancer is not a concern with spayed females. Nor is a life-threatening infection of the uterus, called pyometra.

In males dogs, concerns arise over the health of the prostate gland. With age, intact males can succumb to prostatic enlargement, which can restrict normal urination and defecation. In severe cases, this can lead to the death of an animal. This enlargement can be benign, or can be due to malignant cancer. While not all prostatic problems can be prevented by neutering, many can. Testicular cancer is obviously avoided by neutering, as are other conditions caused by excessive testosterone production (skin conditions, etc.).

In both sexes, behavioral problems can be minimized or eliminated by altering. Roaming, aggression, urine marking, mounting, and territoriality are all common problems that may be minimized after spaying and neutering. And in spite of all our good intentions and precautions, chance matings are common and unwanted litters are numerous – one visit to any animal shelter or humane society will prove just how big a problem this is.

There may be situations in which you may decide against altering, such as a purebred animal of good temperament used in a breeding program. But those reasons are few and far between. If you have questions on the procedure, and if it is right for your pet, call us or your local veterinarian for more information.

One of the best ways to housebreak you dog is to use a crate.

• For a dog, a den is a safe and secure place.
• Most dogs will not soil where they stay.
• The crate is used as a den to teach your dog bowel and bladder control.
• The crate should be big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around, and lay back down comfortably.
• If the crate is too big for your puppy, put a cardboard box in the crate to decrease the available space.
• Place the crate next to the bed - your dog will feel more secure and you can hear them cry if they need to go out.
• Feed and water your puppy a few hours before bedtime, but allow nothing to eat or drink after that time.
• Before you go to bed, take your dog outside to relieve him/herself.
• Hopefully your puppy will sleep longer with an empty bladder and bowel.
• Never use the crate as punishment, for you want the crate to be your dog's safe, comfortable haven.

Housebreaking: Reinforcing The Right Behavior

• When your dog goes outside to potty, be there to supervise and reinforce the correct behavior.
• Accidents will happen during training - but it is very important to react in a manner that encourages learning.
• If you catch your dog in the act of making a mistake, let them finish before disciplining - or they may be uncomfortable going potty in front of you.
• Never call your dog to you and then discipline; otherwise your dog may not want to come to you.
• As calmly as possible, go get your dog and bring them over to where they made the mistake.
• Show it to them and tell them NO! (Never rub there nose in it!) Then let them go.
• With a paper towel, soak up the urine or pick up the poop. Take the paper towel with the urine/poop in it and bring it outside to where they should have gone.
• Bring your dog outside and let them smell it and then praise them. You are disciplining the wrong location and the right choice.
• Go back inside and neutralize the odor with a good quality pet store neutralizer. Many household cleaners have detergents and ammonia which may attract your dog back to the same area.