Dog Behaviors That Can Be Improved By Spaying Or Neutering Blog As a dog owner, one of the biggest decisions that you will need to make about your dog's care and health will be whether or not you should have them spayed or neutered. There are many different health benefits to the spay and neuter process for dogs. However, what you may not know is that there are also a variety of behavioral benefits to having this procedure performed on your dog. Before you make your final decision about whether or not you are going to spay or neuter your dog, get to know some of these potentially important behavioral benefits so that you can be sure you are making the right decision for you and your dog. Wandering and Escape Behaviors One of the issues that you may experience with your dog is that they have a tendency to want to wander away from home and/or escape from your yard or their outdoor run or kennel. This can not only be frustrating for you but also dangerous for your dog if you live near any busy streets or in areas with large natural predators. As such, it is important to understand that spaying or neutering your dog could potentially reduce their tendency to engage in such behaviors. Male and female dogs alike are driven in large part by their reproductive hormones. Because of this, when your female dog is in heat, she may be more likely to try to escape or wander to find a male to mate with. With male dogs, they are often driven by their need to find a female to mate with and so they take off to search for that potential mate. Spaying a female dog makes it so they no longer go into heat and therefore no longer have the drive to find a mate. And for male dogs, neutering dramatically reduces their testosterone levels, reducing their desire to wander as well. Marking Behaviors Many dog owners also struggle with their dogs trying to mark their territory. This is more common with male dogs, but some females do it as well. They urinate in the house, around the yard, and on certain objects to mark them as their own and to keep other dogs and animals away from what they believe to be theirs. There is also a link between spaying and neutering and the reduction of these marking behaviors. If you have been struggling with your dog urinating in the house because they are marking and being territorial, spaying and neutering along with other training and discipline may help you to eradicate this issue once and for all. With these potential behavior changes in mind, you can be sure that you are making the right decision for your situation in terms of whether or not to spay or neuter your dog. Share 23 February 2017 About Me My sweet, shy mother-in-law absolutely adores her dogs and cats. She takes excellent care of them. Whenever one of her beloved cats or dogs shows symptoms of pain, she immediately takes him or her to a nearby veterinarian. Has your pet experienced difficulties walking lately? Because difficulty walking is a symptom of arthritic joints, consider scheduling an appointment with a veterinarian in your area sooner rather than later. An experienced veterinarian can recommend prescription medicines for your pet’s arthritic joints. On this blog, I hope you will discover how veterinarians can help pets recover from the painful symptoms of arthritis. Archive 2015 2016 2017 Tags Latest Posts Piggyback Pests: The Two Unwanted Invaders Fleas Can Bring With Them 28 February 2017 Four Common Care Mistakes That May Sabotage Your Hamster's Health 28 February 2017 Caring For Your Canine Friend After Surgery? 4 Steps To Take When Caring For Sutures 24 February 2017 Bring Home The Right Puppy 24 February 2017 5 Benefits Of Neutering Your Dog 23 February 2017 ©2018 | Help for Painful Joints