Why Spay and Neuter
I HIGHLY promote and encourage spaying and neutering your canine companion. But first would like to go through a few myths/questions surrounding such an important decision to do so.
1) I cannot afford to spay and neuter my wolfdog...
Answer: There are quite a few organizations now that offer low cost sometimes even free spay neuter, here are a couple recommendations
New Hope Dog Rescue offers a program in Canada/Saskatchewan they can also recommend to you which ones might be available in your area.
2) I get compliments on my wolfdogs whenever I take them out in public, I have many people telling me they would buy a puppy if I bred them...maybe just one litter would be alright due to so many available homes.
Answer: So you have homechecked each of these people who will guaranteed buy a pup from you, to make sure via actually checking they are not puppy mills, or that they have not been previously convicted of animal abuse, or they have a suitable environment for such a high maintenance canine. They have filled out a questionnaire, and signed a spay /neuter contract so they also do not contribute to the already over whelming over population problem, and have given you a deposit on this litter yet to even be? and that YOU have committed yourself to making SURE NONE of your pups wind up in th rescue system, so you remain responsible for the life of all the pups you choose to bring into this world? and if anything ever happens you WILL take any and all pups back no matter their age? you have the financial and material resources if/when this happens? If you cannot answer yes to all these questions anyone of these supposed homes can back out. Many people say things in the moment without forthought. But that would leave YOU with fast growing unsocialized pups eating you out of house and home and desperate to find all these great homes that have now disappeared. (Which makes you desperate and desperate people place animals in the wrong homes. ) Not to mention you cannot place pups of this type too late or they will not bond to a new home the way a typical breed will such as a golden retriever. After a certain age you are stuck with them.
3) If I spay or neuter my dog they will get fat
Answer: *Some* owners may notice a little extra weight gained, (personally I have never seen this to be true) but if fed the proper diet, not fed table food and extra treats, and exercised daily there is no real cause for concern. The surgery does not cause the wolfdog to become overweight.
4) The Miracle of birth is one of the most amazing things to see and experience, I want my children to partake in this miracle of life.
Answer: I have heard many people say this to me. Will your children also be there to hold one of those pups or all of those pups if they are placed in the wrong homes, are sent to rescue and then killed because they are no longer cute cuddly pups anymore? There are many more ways to help children learn about the miracle of life and birth, facts show that due to the literal MILLIONS of canines and felines being killed every year there is a lot more death going on than celebration of life. Rent educational videos on animals and their young, get your children out into nature and help them to see the miracle of life in general, buy books on a variety of animals, teach children that the responsible thing to do is to spay and neuter the family pet , as it helps to play a part of reducing the number of deaths. Now THIS is true celebration!
5) I was told by a friend it is good for my female to have at least one litter.
Answer: I am not sure where your friend got her info. from, but facts show that it is better (not to mention cheaper surgery wise) to spay a female prior to her first heat. Wolfdogs with more wolf *tend* to come into their first heat later than wolfdogs with less wolf, so some may put this surgery off for the first year or so. Benefits include a canine less likely to want to escape to wander off to find a mate, less likely to be aggressive towards other canines and people, reduces breast cancer, less likely to mark , less likely to have an occurrence of uterine infections such as the very deadly pyometra, and not go through the potentially dangerous seasonal aggression if this animal has a fair amount of wolf in it's background.
6) I am afraid my dog will change after such a surgery.
Answer: This is untrue. What can change or be less likely to even form if the surgery is performed prior to the dogs hormones kicking in are some undesired behaviors like increased aggression towards other canines in both males and females, more likely to stop marking in the house *although if you wait too long such behavior can become a habit and habits require work to break* but a good reason to spay and neuter prior to any bad habits forming caused by the animal being intact (hormones) is that you are less likely to see various life threatening forms of cancers and infections in both males and females. I have always neutered any non breeding dogs by 6 months, I found this helped to prevent some bad behaviors like marking our walls.
7) I have heard that a dog is less likely to work if altered. I have a great herding dog will this affect his work abilities?
Answer: If a dog is already well trained either in agility, herding, sledding etc they will not suddenly lose their drive or desire to continue to do so. What you WILL lose is the higher level and degree of aggression commonly found in intact canine (male and female.) Top bite stats are against children 12 years of age, and younger. The owner will also have less of a difficult time with unruly behaviors, associated with the dog being intact like overt sexual acting out towards other animals/people, attempting more escapes to wander off in search of a mate, and dominant behaviors towards members in the household including the owner.
8) Why should I spay or neuter if I pay a huge price for the dog?
Answer: Just because you pay a lot of money does not give you *rights* to take a dog that maybe the breeder has worked hard to create in a line, and breed it to anything you desire. Shelters are full of good intentions. Even if you paid a lot of money for a shelter animal, or found one in the classifieds, there is no background/lineage heritage on such an animal , you could wind up breeding something that produces unhealthy, badly tempered canines you are placing into home environments.
Breeding any kind of animal is something one should never take lightly; I am for this section going to speak specifically about canines, there is so much to understand about genetics, both of the parents background/heritage, temperament and health to consider and take into account, to have financially what it takes to make sure the female gets everything she needs prior, during and after whelping, and in case anything goes wrong like the dam needing a c-section or something happens to the pups.
IT IS EXPENSIVE TO BREED RESPONSIBLY , it is MUCH EASIER TO NOT BREED. There are soooooo many can go wrong scenarios to think about. Just because a person has a *pretty* male and female dog does not mean they are BREEDWORTHY! there are literally tons of pretty animals dying in shelters because breeders thought they had the ultimate canines to breed, and surely everyone will want one too, surely the pups will be an easy sell? (NOT!)
Breeding for the sake of breeding only to produce is ethically wrong, breeding should be undertaken to better a line, and pass on something that is inherently of sound temperament and health, looks are of course the bonus. Listen to what is said and NOT said. Breeders need to be held accountable.
Please read below a poem I have written addressing the huge puppy mill crisis epidemic taking place in todays society. It is in honor of all those little lives that will never know the joy of chasing a ball, being hugged and kissed, given a warm bed to sleep in and good food to fill their bellies. Animal Cruelty Laws need to be harsher and stricter, abusive owners need to held up as examples.
Please go to the following site if you want to keep up to date on abuse cases and people that have been charged with animal abuse. It will come in handy for those who want to see if a potential buyer /adopter or breeder has ever been charged with such a crime. We cannot bury our heads in the sand when it comes to this topic.
Literally, millions of cats and dogs are euthanized every year due to being abandoned, abused, and used. Puppymills are one of the biggest animal issues in existance today! Report them DON'T support them! Do your homework and research before buying that cute little puppy or kitten only to later discard them out of convenience. These are living beings! This poem I wrote out of the tears I cry for those animals who do never feel the grass beneath their feet, and what it is like to truly be loved and cherished.
A Family
The bars are cold to the touch,
My bowl lays empty and dry;
I cock my head to try and understand,
I search the barren faces for why;
The sun never shines here;
I am always wet and cold;
I ready myself to look cute as can be;
For maybe today, I'm finally sold.
But noone wants me, I'm always passed by;
I guess I'm not that much to look at;
with a missing tail; and only one eye;
my pups always bring "OOH I want that!."
I'm kind of ugly truth be known,
A face only a mother could love;
She used to live here too, and I wasn't so alone;
But now she lives above;
I pray to go there, almost every day;
Especially when theres nothing to do but dream;
But then I wake and the yearning starts;
As I hear stories about walks, and streams!
And.. once more I pray, I hope and I hope;
That today will be the day I leave;
That I can finally have my forever home;
And very own family to adore;
I know I can learn how to sit and beg,
And how to not mess on the floors;
Heck, I know I'm not that young anymore,
But give me a chance to prove;
That I can be just as devoted,
As any other you may choose.
I lay back down without complaint;
Maybe tomorrow someone else will see;
I close my eyes, and drift off to sleep;
For the day comes early for me;
How long has it been, since I was young;
When the world was new and bright;
A year? Two? I never quite know;
not sure I get it right;
All I know is it hurts to eat;
And most of my teeth are gone;
I forget what it's like to feel comfy and warm;
The cages now rusty and worn;
I have seen my babies come, only to leave;
Wishing I could go too;
But I settle back down, content to wait;
I know someday, my dream will come true;
Surely my turn is coming round;
Surely theres a reason being missed;
I know I've got a purpose, and was born to be;
so much more than this;
Maybe I need to smile more;
Maybe I need to sit pretty and dance;
Maybe if I give them my paw? yes that's it!
I know I'll be spotted and be given a chance.
As day turns into night, night into day;
I never lose sight and faith;
I get beaten, and used;
But they can't keep me down;
I'm right back up to try again;
Hooray I am leaving today!!!
Maybe I can finally chase a ball, go for that swim in the stream;
I now have my very own family;
and their arms reaching out to me;
OH I can't wait to smell the grass!
I've only ever heard how sweet it is;
I can't believe what luck I have;
All dogs need to experience this;
As I'm leaving I look behind me;
At all my friends through the years;
they wish me luck, and I see tears fall;
I try to soothe their fears;
I am free, I feel no pain;
I can now jump and play;
I see my cage door being opened and closed;
and my body being carried away;
But my soul no longer has a worry or fear;
Even though I had to fight;
I told you I would get my chance;
I never gave up, and I was right;
I come to a valley, and see so many friends;
I yip with sheer delight;
I see my parents, my children, and more;
it's so sunny and bright;
How did I come to be so blessed?
I knew I would not be left behind;
I cannot remember what my life once was;
For true happiness I now find.
I look all around for outstretched arms;
And my mouth opens in awe;
I see my family, who have been lying in wait;
And now see what they saw;
They saw in me a little soul;
Not perfect but golden in heart;
They waited and waited for me to arrive;
their eyes lighting up as I start;
I run to them, they run to me;
My very own family;
S. Breton