If you're like many pet owners, you have no desire to contribute to the overpopulation of unwanted animals and find it sad that so many shelter dogs are euthanized because there aren't enough homes — so naturally, you plan on having that new puppy or adult dog you've recently adopted spayed or neutered. However, some people believe that spaying and neutering aren't necessary if they've only got one pet and/or if their pet spends the majority of the time indoors because they see little reason to have the operation performed if the pet is very unlikely to be in a position to reproduce. Although it is very important to ensure that accidents don't happen that could potentially result in increasing the unwanted pet population, spaying and neutering also offers health benefits to dogs that have nothing to do with reproduction.

Following are just three of the many good reasons to have your canine companion spayed or neutered.

Spaying and Neutering Help Prevent Certain Kinds of Cancer

  Female dogs that have been spayed enjoy a decreased risk of developing malignant tumors in their breasts, while neutering helps protect their male counterparts against the development of testicular and prostate cancer. Having your female dog spayed before she comes into heat for the first time provides the best protection against breast cancer. Pet spaying also completely eliminates the possibility of female dogs developing cancer in their uterus and ovaries. Pets of both sexes that have been spayed or neutered usually live longer, healthier lives than their counterparts that haven't had the procedure performed. 

Spayed and Neutering Helps Keep Pets at Home

Male dogs that haven't been neutered are prone to wander and roam, and as you may well know, even the best fences sometimes can't hold a determined dog. Some female dogs may also be more likely to escape and go exploring when they come into heat, and even if you keep your female dog inside or in a very tightly fenced yard, it's likely that interested male dogs will start hanging around your home and becoming a nuisance. 

Spaying Helps Pets Be Better Behaved

Spaying or neutering also helps pets be better behaved. Male dogs, in particular, are prone to fighting and other aggressive behavior if they are competing with other males for a female, but neutering takes that off the table. When the procedure is performed while the animal is less than a year or so old, it may also help prevent marking behavior, or urinated to establish territory.  Although this behavior is generally associated with male dogs, some female dogs do it as well.