Many more are leading lives of quiet desperation as strays. Reproduction Facts Spaying refers to the surgical removal of a female companion animal's uterus and ovaries. The human equivalent is an ovario-hysterectomy. Females who have been spayed cannot have babies. They no longer secrete the hormones that regulate their reproductive readiness.
Heat cycles bring hormonal changes that can lead to personality changes.
Neutering refers to the surgical removal of a male companion animal's testicles. Castration is another term for the same thing. Males who have been neutered cannot manufacture sperm. In reality, neutering a male is similar to spaying a female. Female dogs go into heat every six months usually starting at six months of age.