Female dogs do not cruise the block looking for male studs.
If only there were canine condoms.
Well, that is not a reality, so every spring brings more unwanted litters.
By nature, a young female dog could reasonably go into a heat cycle as early as four months and as late as two years.
It varies greatly from dog to dog.
Spaying a female before six months is recommended.
An average heat can vary from two weeks to four weeks.
The average heat is three weeks.
There is an important benefit to spaying your female dog.
An unspayed female is at greater risk of developing some tumors such as mammary tumors.
Also, an unspayed female dog can develop pyometra (a serious uterine infection that can be fatal) as well as uterine cancer.
A female dog is at risk of developing other health problems the longer she goes unspayed.
Ideally, a female should be spayed before her first cycle.
This eliminates a lot of mess and anxiety.
In most counties you can get spay assistance to help with the costs.
Contact your local humane society for information.
In the U.
S.
as a whole, there are an estimated 6-8 million homeless animals entering animal shelters every year.
About half of these animals are adopted, and tragically, the other half are euthanized.
These are healthy, sweet pets who would have made great companions.
Dogs are little children that never grow up and depend on us for their well-being.
They have no interest in keeping their bloodline going.
They are content to be your companion for life.
Make a decision for your furry best friend.