Four Things To Note About Neutering Your Dog
As a dog owner, you have probably been told or made aware of the importance of spay and neutering your dog. Not only does this prevent unnecessary reproduction in a world where there are many unwanted dogs, but it also prevents certain behaviors that can make your dog aggressive. Here are four things you should take careful note of, however, before neutering your dog:
- There May be Health Risks Before the Age of One: Neutering your dog before the age of one can have health risks. While it hasn't exactly been proven that these health risks are directly associated with the procedure of neutering, it's definitely something to take note of. These health risks include cancer risk and urinary inconsistency. The later can definitely make it more difficult to potty train your dog.
- Neutering Doesn't Stop Aggression Completely: It's important to be aware that dogs are naturally territorial. While neutering prevents some of these behaviors like territorial aggression, such as marking and mounting, it doesn't eliminate aggression altogether. This is why it's important to still train your dog and get them used to other people and animals.
- Neutering May Not Always be Necessary: While neutering is highly recommended to prevent overpopulation of dogs in the country, it may not always be necessary. It's your responsibility as a dog owner to determine whether or not you believe your dog truly needs it. If you know that you don't want the behaviors to develop, then you should have neutering done. You should also have it done if you know that your dog is going to have regular contact with other dogs, such as going to dog parks unleashed or staying in a dog hotel.
- Breeding Can be a rewarding Experience: Keep in mind that you still have the option to allow your dog to have puppies. However, there is a huge responsibility in this task that you must be ready for. You need to provide comfortable living for the dogs and ensure that you are okay with the puppies living in your home until they are done nursing. From here, you want to have an extensive screening process for the people who are going to potentially adopt. On top of this, you need to remember that this should probably only be a one time ordeal since it puts a huge strain on the female dog involved.
When you know these four things about neutering your dog, you can better understand your responsibility in making the decision for yourself and your pup.