{"id":306,"date":"2011-12-08T10:53:55","date_gmt":"2011-12-08T14:53:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/metro-detroit-dog-training\/?p=306"},"modified":"2020-08-27T19:54:02","modified_gmt":"2020-08-27T23:54:02","slug":"the-responsible-female-dog-owner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sitmeanssit.com\/dog-training-mu\/metro-detroit-dog-training\/the-responsible-female-dog-owner\/","title":{"rendered":"The Responsible Female Dog Owner"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Yeah!\u00a0 I’m so happy!” says your friend.<\/p>\n

“Hey, what’s the good news?” you ask.<\/p>\n

“My daughter is having a baby!”<\/p>\n

“Congratulations!!\u00a0 How old is your daughter?”<\/p>\n

“She’ll be thirteen in two weeks!”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Right here, you might think you’ve stepped into the Twilight Zone.\u00a0 Because who in their right mind would be happy about such a thing?<\/p>\n

Well, that is the reaction I have when told a dog who is less than two years old is having puppies.<\/p>\n

Much like a human female’s menstrual cycle, dogs come into heat when they are barely into adolescence.\u00a0 This is not a stamp of readiness to breed, just as a young teen girl having her period is not an indication that their bodies are ready to bring life into the world.\u00a0 It may be physically possible, but far from ideal.\u00a0 And in many cases, the body is not at all ready for such a grueling undertaking.<\/p>\n

And yet, people do this all the time to their young female dogs.\u00a0 Sometimes out of irresponsibility, sometimes out of greed, and sometimes out of sheer ignorance of the canine reproductive system.\u00a0 It is my hope to give people a basic understanding in this article about the responsibility that comes with having a female dog that is intact (not spayed).<\/p>\n

The Basics of the Female Dog’s Heat Cycle
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Female dogs may come into season as early as 6 months of age.\u00a0 Some may not have their first heat cycle until 18 months of age.\u00a0 Female dogs have a heat cycle typically every 6-9 months, though there is variation.\u00a0 Females in heat will bleed, though the amount varies, and there is the possibility of what is sometimes called a “silent” heat, meaning that very little to no blood is observed.\u00a0 During the heat, which can last from 2-4 weeks, a female will begin to ovulate.\u00a0 Ovulation may not happen until two weeks or later into the cycle, though others will ovulate around one week.\u00a0 She is not fertile during the entire 2-4 week period.\u00a0 Typically she is only fertile, or in “high season”, for roughly 5 days.\u00a0 Again, there is variation between girls, but what doesn’t vary is that once the female has ovulated, her eggs, if not fertilized, will begin to die.\u00a0 Approximately 6 days after ovulation, the eggs are dead and fertilization cannot happen, though she may still be accepting of a male dog, and may still appear to be in heat.<\/p>\n

It is vitally important that if you do not want to have your female dog get pregnant, that she is watched closely during her heat cycle.\u00a0 She should not be taken for walks, nor left out in her yard unattended.\u00a0 Male dogs are notoriously good at getting to females in season, especially older or experienced stud dogs who become familiar with the scent of a female in high\u00a0 season.\u00a0 I have heard stories of six foot fences jumped, doors literally dug through, and dogs who traveled a ways to get to the girl.\u00a0 It is best to keep your female safely in your sight when outdoors.<\/p>\n

To Spay or not to Spay?
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Setting aside the moral concerns, what about health concerns?\u00a0 How can you possibly know what an adult dog’s joint health will be when her joints aren’t even fully formed?\u00a0 Yes, that was a rhetorical question, because you can’t<\/em>.\u00a0 And with so many of our breeds having joint issues of some kind or another breeding a young, physically immature dog is just plain irresponsible.\u00a0 Taking it one step further, the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (Offa.org) won’t allow certification for joint testing until two years of age.<\/p>\n

So, at the end of the day, it is huge responsibility to own a female dog who is not spayed.\u00a0 If you think it would be appropriate to “let” her have a litter of puppies before she is spayed, see my article on “Why NOT to have a litter of puppies”<\/a> that may help you make a good decision there.<\/p>\n

Of course, there are additional risks to having an intact female, other than just pregnancy.\u00a0 Female dogs can develop severe uterian infection, known as pyometra.\u00a0 The condition is notoriously hard to diagnose, and can be fatal.<\/p>\n

But when is life ever easy?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

So, right about now you may be thinking that you are getting your girl spayed, and the earlier, the better.\u00a0 In fact, that has been the general attitude of many vets and pet parents for a couple decades now.\u00a0 However, more and more research points to the fact that doing what’s best for your girl may not be as easy as we once thought.<\/p>\n

An increasing body of research is indicating health risks <\/em>by spaying too early.\u00a0 Among the risks:<\/p>\n