This is a tough one for me. Most of my dogs have been rescues, and I understand the need to keep the unhomed pet population from growing. But I also understand the physiological and perhaps psychological effects of early spay and neuter.
Los Angeles recently passed a mandatory spay/neuter law, and I understand that they may want animals altered as young as four months. While this has been fairly common with shelters doing adoptions - insisting that the animal be spayed or neutered before being adopted out - it hasn't been common among dog owners who obtain their canines from other sources.
So how young is too young? Well, four months just might be too young. At a veterinary conference I attended recently, the presenter gave the pros and cons of neutering earlier and later, and concluded that six months, as common wisdom has long held, is probably the correct age for altering a dog.
Yes, spaying before the first heat does greatly reduce the risk of mammary cancer. And that's certainly a terrific benefit. But it also may make females prone to urinary incontinence later in life. And the closure of the growth plates in the long bones (in this case, the dog's legs) is regulated by the normal hormones, which aren't present in the usual quantities if the animal is spayed. The effect on bone growth may be even more pronounced in male dogs.
So this is a balancing act. Shelters certainly have a strong impetus to be sure that the animals they adopt out can't add to the population. But for others to be forced to spay or neuter earlier than the best medical knowledge may indicate, well, that's just bad legislation.
And just in case someone from the Los Angeles city council happens by to read this, I would like to say that mandatory spay/neuter has not yet solved an animal population problem. The same people who ignore leash laws, license laws, and general animal welfare will ignore the spay/neuter laws. But you're probably going to make a lot of reponsible dog owners unhappy.
Feb 25, 2008
Feb 18, 2008
Frequently Asked Doggie Questions
I did my radio show last week, which is largely call in. And there was a definite theme to the questions. Most of them had something to do with dogs chewing. . . themselves, possessions, inappropriate food objects, and on and on.
Before you start looking for an answer to why your dog is chewing up something in your house, you need to understand a basic about dogs - chewing feels good. To a dog, chewing is a stress releaser. People may bite their nails (guilty), tap their fingers, twirl their hair, or do other more harmful things. Dogs, by and large, chew.
Given that dogs don't have our handy opposable thumbs, they use their mouths not just to consume food, but to pick up and carry things, to take things apart, and to explore their world. So using their mouths is a sort of natural fallback when they need to do something in a stressful situation.
This means, if your dog is a bit anxious about being left alone, the dog may chew up the couch pillows while you are gone. Or if the dog is left in the vehicle, the dog bedding or the seat cushions may take the hit. While it may be upsetting to have things destroyed, it's better than the dog choosing to chew (or lick) him or herself to the point of raising sores.
That's why my first response, when people phone in to the show and I can't actually see what their dog is doing and what his or her temperament appears to be, is to try taking actions to relieve stress. Rescue Remedy can't hurt and might help, so I recommend that often. Giving the dog a really great and long-lasting chewie can help if the dog isn't so anxious that he or she ignores food. Desensitization to being left alone is a much longer program, but has lasting results and makes the dog a much happier animal.
So if your dog chews something up while you aren't there, please don't jump to the (false) conclusion that your dog is "punishing" you for leaving him/her home alone. That's very, very unlikely. Instead, look at how you can help your dog be more comfortable with being left. You'll both be better off in the long run.
Before you start looking for an answer to why your dog is chewing up something in your house, you need to understand a basic about dogs - chewing feels good. To a dog, chewing is a stress releaser. People may bite their nails (guilty), tap their fingers, twirl their hair, or do other more harmful things. Dogs, by and large, chew.
Given that dogs don't have our handy opposable thumbs, they use their mouths not just to consume food, but to pick up and carry things, to take things apart, and to explore their world. So using their mouths is a sort of natural fallback when they need to do something in a stressful situation.
This means, if your dog is a bit anxious about being left alone, the dog may chew up the couch pillows while you are gone. Or if the dog is left in the vehicle, the dog bedding or the seat cushions may take the hit. While it may be upsetting to have things destroyed, it's better than the dog choosing to chew (or lick) him or herself to the point of raising sores.
That's why my first response, when people phone in to the show and I can't actually see what their dog is doing and what his or her temperament appears to be, is to try taking actions to relieve stress. Rescue Remedy can't hurt and might help, so I recommend that often. Giving the dog a really great and long-lasting chewie can help if the dog isn't so anxious that he or she ignores food. Desensitization to being left alone is a much longer program, but has lasting results and makes the dog a much happier animal.
So if your dog chews something up while you aren't there, please don't jump to the (false) conclusion that your dog is "punishing" you for leaving him/her home alone. That's very, very unlikely. Instead, look at how you can help your dog be more comfortable with being left. You'll both be better off in the long run.
Feb 14, 2008
Introduction
Hello. I've been dragged kicking and screaming through every electronic advancement since the desktop computer. So I start a blog with some trepidation. But with as many books as I've published, it seemed about time. I plan to post once or twice a week, when something of doggie interest hits the news or some profound thought pops into my mind. . . or maybe in response to an interesting comment from someone out there in cyberland.
For this first post, as Westminster has just aired, I would like to congratulate the Beagle on the first win for the breed. What a charming little guy! But I would also like to remind everyone that what made Uno so charming on television -- the barking, howling, acting up, chewing on the signs -- will be somewhat less charming in your own home. Before anyone rushes out to add a Beagle to their family, please do some homework. They are delightful dogs in many ways, but there's a reason their nickname is "a nose on four legs." They often have their own agenda, and it often conflicts with that of their humans. So please get to know about more than a pretty face before bringing a Beagle into your home. They're not for everyone, but for those who can handle all that sass, they're terrific.
For this first post, as Westminster has just aired, I would like to congratulate the Beagle on the first win for the breed. What a charming little guy! But I would also like to remind everyone that what made Uno so charming on television -- the barking, howling, acting up, chewing on the signs -- will be somewhat less charming in your own home. Before anyone rushes out to add a Beagle to their family, please do some homework. They are delightful dogs in many ways, but there's a reason their nickname is "a nose on four legs." They often have their own agenda, and it often conflicts with that of their humans. So please get to know about more than a pretty face before bringing a Beagle into your home. They're not for everyone, but for those who can handle all that sass, they're terrific.
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