The Truth About Spaying and Neutering
As part of our Contract (sales agreement), all Buyers agree to wait until
at least 1 year of age before altering your MAS.
This could surprise your Veterinarian who is likely to suggest altering before 6 months old. It's also longer then what many other Breeders put in their contracts. There are many reasons to keep your MAS intact with their hormones. With that comes some extra responsibility.
A dog's sex hormones work with other hormones in the body that effect growth and development. When a dog goes through puberty, these hormones trigger the closure of growth plates. Without these hormones the growth plates continue to grow. Dogs that have been altered before reaching full maturity will grow disproportionately. They are known for having less bone density, longer limbs and to be more narrow in the skull and chest. This can lead to other structural problems like Orthopedic dysplasia and luxation.
This is why our Health warranty against Hip and Elbow dysplasia and Patella luxation will become null and void if your MAS is altered before 1 year of age.
- Cancers of the heart, spleen, bladder, prostate and of the bones
- Urinary Incontinence and urinary tract infections
-Adverse vaccine reactions
- Behavioural changes including anxiety, aggression and senility
- Thyroiditis and Hypothyroidism
-Obesity
Male dogs can have a procedure called a Vastectomy.
Female dogs can have a procedure called an Ovary Sparing Spay
A vasectomy includes a small incision in front of the testicle. The tubes called the vas deferens is clamped, cut, or sealed. This stops sperm from being able to leave the body and prevents the male from being able to impregnate a female.
An Ovary Sparing Spay is similar to an ordinary spay called an ovariohysterectomy Both procedures remove the uterus and cervix. The Ovary Sparing Spay simply keeps the female's ovaries intact allowing them to produce their sex hormones.
We have had both Intact males and females for the last 15 years without any unexpected pregnancies. It is actually not that easy to have puppies, contrary to what most Veterinarians will tell you.
There are a few things you can do to help prevent an accident
and unexpected puppies:
- Teach your dog the recall command. "Come" or "Here". Having a bomb-proof recall is essential to keeping your dog safe in many situations. If your male dogs smells a female in heat, a reliant recall will reinforce them to come back to you.
A female MAS will usually go into heat between 8-10 months of age and then
once every 6 months there after. Her vulva will swell and she will bleed for approx 7-10 days. Most MAS females keep themselves very clean. A female is not receptive to a male at this time. When the bleeding thins and the female starts to flag her tail, she is ready to breed. This stage usually only last a few days, to a week at most. In rare cases, it can last up to 3 weeks.
We recommend being cautious until all signs of heat have gone away.
We recommend at least a 5' tall chain link or a 5' tall thick wooden fence (not thin lattice). You can dig extra chain link into the ground, bury rocks or pour cement around the perimeter to prevent digging. Some MAS will still be able to scale a 5' foot fence. A roll bar fence topper is the perfect solution! In the winter time be prepared to shovel a path around the perimeter to prevent walking or jumping over the fence! At the farm, one of our fenced areas is over 8' tall. We still have to shovel after big snow storms.
Dr. Karen Becker discusses
neutering and spaying in pets
Refrences and Further Reading