All dogs should be spayed or neutered unless they are going to be used for breeding. This prevents unwanted puppies and avoids potentially serious future medical problems, such as prostate disease in males, and uterine infection or mammary cancer in females. Spaying and neutering can also improve behavior, especially with aggressive dogs.

Spaying is a surgical procedure that removes the ovaries and in some cases the uterus, from female dogs. For best result, the female should be allowed to come into her first heat cycle but should not mate. Mating in the first heat cycle is too early as the female is not fully developed. The first heat cycle will come soon after the 6 months of age and a female is fully mature and reproductively capable only at two years of age. If your female dog is not a promising breeding female, spay her as early as possible to avoid the unwanted puppies. Spaying should be performed at the clinic as total anesthesia and sterile environment is required.

Neutering surgery can be performed at any stage of life after 6 months, depending on particular circumstances. Surgical procedure consists of the removal of both testicles. It should be done at the clinic although it is not impossible to do it at the home environment. Total anesthesia is required but the wound is much smaller and much les invasive than the spaying procedure for females.

Spaying and neutering surgery is the only recommended birth control for dogs. Never administer contraceptive medication (injections or tablets) to your dog because these are associated with serious health risks such as infections and cancers of the reproductive system. In most cases, administering such will cause immediate body imbalance and manifest in obesity. Excessive body fat is fertile ground for development of cancers which may be difficult to observe or timely diagnose.

Most human medication and particularly contraceptives are not meant to be given to dogs. Spaying and neutering is the only appropriate way to go.