The benefits of neutering your pet --Too many pets, not enough homes....As many as 25% of dogs entering shelters each year are purebreds.
Altering Maggie was a considered decision stemming from the fact that I was not planning to breed to her in the future. Having her daughter, Rosie, halfway to her Canadian Championship, convinced me that should I choose to breed again, that I would be breeding to Rosie. Maggie is 6 years old and the health reasons started to out weight the fact that she would no longer be able to compete in the confirmation show ring.
If you are a responsible caring dog owner, there are many very good reasons to consider spaying and neutering your dog(s), and very few good reasons not to act.
Before taking with Maggie, what for many dog owners is a common step at puppyhood, I did some on-line research. I had many of the common questions: Would Maggie become fat and lazy after her operation? The answer: A pet's owner controls the animal's food intake and exercise program. Obesity in animals is a result of overeating; laziness, or a boring environment. This and other myths are debunked such as my concern regarding other changes to Maggie's personality after surgery
The upshot seems to be summarized in this short article: Young, healthy female dogs having routine, uncomplicated abdominal surgery, including an ovariohysterectomy (commonly referred to as being spayed), usually recover quite quickly. There has been no scientific evidence demonstrating ANY behavioral change in spayed/neutered dogs, either for the better or worse. Spaying/neutering may reduce the sort of sexual behaviors that can be problematic (like wandering, marking, humping, etc.) or keep them from developing but it will not make a dog more aggressive, more mellow, fatter, lazier, less intelligent, less driven, etc. All accounts of this happening are anecdotal and probably could be met with an equal number of observations of no reaction or reactions in the opposite direction - except those never get passed along by word of mouth. Ever have someone come up to you and say "Guess what?! My dog got spayed and her behavior didn't change at all!" Probably not but it happens all the time.
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