Should I spay my bitch?
by Jane Johnson
It's quite a common question that gets asked, and it is important that you ask it.
It is a myth that every dog should have at least one litter. In fact, if every bitch did have one litter, when you do the maths, you'll quickly realise that this means that there would be a huge number of dogs in the world, far more than we have already. As it is now, our pounds and humane societies are over-flowing with unwanted pets. All these unwanted pets mean that it is the unfortunate job of a few people to spend each and every day putting those dogs to sleep permanently.
The reality is that unless there is a specific reason to breed your dog, it should be spayed at an early age to prevent unwanted pregnancies and to lessen the chance of some forms of cancer.
My recommendation is that the bitch gets spayed between 2 and 6 months old. In fact, when we place puppies, we will spay them before they go and include this as part of the purchase price. We strongly encourage other breeders to do the same. Yes, there is always a small risk associated with any sort of surgery, but there is far greater risk associated with allowing a bitch to breed.
There is significant evidence showing that younger pups manage through the surgery option much better than older bitches.
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http://www.geocities.com/learntobreed/spaybitch.html
Another good site:
http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/dogdise ... paying.htm
Myth #1 - I've heard that my pet should have a heat cycle first -- she will be a better pet.
Myth #2 - I've heard that my pet should have a litter first -- she will be a better pet.
These are two common misconceptions about spaying. You will do so much more for the health of your pet by
spaying before the first heat. It has been reported that by doing so, you will reduce the chance of mammary (breast) cancer in your pet by as much as 97% over their lifetime. The chance of other reproductive cancers (uterine, ovarian, mammary) and uterine infection is eliminated in spayed animals. Even after the first heat, spaying will reduce the risks of certain cancers and eliminate reproductive organ disease.
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In bitches, surgical sterilization (ovariohysterectomy, or spaying) involves an incision into the abdominal cavity to remove the ovaries and uterus. Ovaries produce eggs at each estrus or heat cycle and also produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Dogs can become capable of reproduction as early as 6 months of age, so it is important to spay and neuter dogs by that age. Not only is there no evidence to support the old wives' tale about benefits of letting dogs go through a heat cycle or have a litter, there is a preponderance of evidence that it is healthier for your dogs to be spayed or neutered before the first heat cycle (estrus) and sexual maturity. Sterilization can safely be done before then, as endorsed by the AVMA and other major animal health and welfare organizations.
Research from the AVMA and other sources indicates that younger dogs heal faster and are lower surgical risks. However, older dogs can typically be spayed and neutered safely as well.
http://www.dogcustomer.com/health/spay_neuter.htm
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All that, and it's fun to say "bitch" on the forum without getting slapped...
Anyway, I got to wondering about their policy. There's a little mixed breed bitch that shows some promise. A bit smaller than I had in mind, was hoping for something in the midsized range. This one looks like it might get as large as a beagle, perhaps. With pound puppies it's hard to tell. Anyway, they indicated that they'd spay her BEFORE I took her home, should I decide to take her home. Spaying at two-three months age seems a bit early to me, but I've never had a bitch spayed before so really am not sure. I was thinking that they did such things around six months old. Anyway, I sure don't want to do things wrong, I'd rather give a pup every chance possible. So if I DO decide to adopt I'd like to have some info prior to making the arrangements in order to make sure everything's done for the best for the pup. 
