Should I Neuter My Dog?

To Spay, Neuter or Breed
Breeding should be left only to the true professionals. A professional breeder is someone who has been breeding dogs for years. Someone who will be very careful of who their puppies go to live with. A good breeder will often make you sign a contract promising to spay & neuter your dog. A good breeder will insist that if for any reason you can't keep the dog you must return it to them. A good breeder will want to meet & interview you. Good breeders DO NOT sell to pet stores (no matter what the store will tell you.) I know many people think of breeding their own dog just because they love their dog so much they would like another dog just like him or her. But breeding your dog is not a guarantee of getting a dog just like the one you have. Dogs are all one of kind. Plus how many of you are just like your parents?

Did you know that breeding is unnatural for most dogs, and that only true alpha dogs would and should breed? All dogs should be spayed and neutered by the age of one year, especially if you live in the city. Keeping your dog intact (not spayed or neutered) is an act of denial. For most dogs being intact decreases their social life and limits their opportunities to play with other dogs. Even if your dog has "no issues," it is most often the dog that is intact that sets off the other dogs. There is no good reason to not have your dog fixed. It is reckless to breed your dog even if you have a friend or family member who wants one of the puppies. 

Did you know that 70% of ALL dogs are given up at least once in their life and that there is no difference in the surrender rate between mix breeds and pure breeds. 

BUYERS BEWARE: Many "backyard" breeders and pet stores have the habit of selling mixed breed dogs as pure breeds. Pure breed means that the parents are of the same breed and the whole linage is the same breed. A mixed breed (my personal favorite) is just that -- a dog whose parents or lineage is of different breeds. There is no value judgment in either, just know the facts.