Frequently Asked Questions

If you’ve adopted a puppy or dog but don't know the dog’s history, you may wonder how old your dog is. Even if you don’t know the birth date, it is still possible to estimate your dog's age.

Teeth can give a rough indication of a dog's age. The degree of growth helps determine how old a puppy is, and the degree of wear and tartar helps estimate the age of an adult dog. Of course, there are individual differences between dogs. And a dog's previous dental care will have an impact on the health of teeth.

By 8 weeks: All baby teeth are in.
By 7 months: All permanent teeth are in and are white and clean.
By 1-2 years: Teeth are duller and the back teeth may have some yellowing.
By 3-5 years: All teeth may have tartar build-up and some tooth wear.
By 5-10 years: Teeth show more wear and signs of disease.
By 10-15 years: Teeth are worn, and heavy tartar build-up is likely with the possibility of some teeth missing.

Your vet can also estimate your dog's age based on a complete physical exam or tests looking at bones, joints, muscles, and internal organs. In older dogs, signs of aging may show up in a variety of ways, including:

A cloudy appearance in the eyes
Graying hair, especially around the muzzle at first, and spreading to other areas of the face, head, and body
Less skin elasticity
Stiffness 

Q: Why should I have my dog spayed or neutered?

A: Shelter euthanasia is the number one killer of companion animals. Spaying and neutering is the only way to reduce or eliminate that.

It’s also better for your pet’s health. And it’s better for you because it will make your life easier if your pet is spayed or neutered. Animals can be miserable -- and make you miserable -- when they are in heat. And then there’s always the problem of what to do with the puppies.

Q: Shouldn’t I let my dog have a litter before I spay her?

A: No. Absolutely not. All the medical evidence suggests a dog should be spayed before her first heat. It’s much easier for her then because it’s a much easier surgery at that time.

And the problem with letting your dog have a litter is you’ve just instantly contributed to the pet overpopulation problem. Now you have to find homes for all those puppies. And for each home you find, there’s one less home for a dog that was already born. Plus, you can’t be responsible for what the new owners do. So unless you spay or neuter all the puppies before placing them, the new owners may let their dog breed as well. Now you’ve added even more dogs to the pet overpopulation problem.

The only responsible thing to do, given the problem in this country, is to not allow your pets to reproduce.

Some people say they want their children to witness birth. OK, you can still do that. There are plenty of rescue groups out there trying to help animals that have been abandoned by irresponsible pet owners. Many have pregnant animals. Volunteer to foster a pregnant dog. You’ll be helping the group as well as the dog, and you’ll give your children a chance to see a litter being born and raised.

Q: Should I let my dog have a heat before I spay her?
A. This is determined by the breed of your dog. Small breeds can be spayed at an earlier age than large breeds.
This is due to the bladder problems that occur with large breeds when spade before a year and a half of age.
Waiting to spay may help with the bladder leakage that can occur in large breed females.

Q: What size dogs do you spay and neuter?

A:  Females must be under 50 lbs. and not had more than one litter. Larger breeds male and female are usually ready by 18 months of age.

Q: Don’t dogs get fat once you spay or neuter them?

A: Dogs, just like people, get fat when they eat too much and don’t get enough exercise. And that’s something you can control. You can use portion control and take your dog for a walk.

 Q: My dog is a guard dog. If I spay or neuter him, will that stop him from protecting my house?

A: Spaying or neutering is not going to affect your dog’s desire or ability to protect your home or protect you. Guard dogs are trained to be guard dogs. Their behavior is a function of genetics or instinct, environment, and training.

Many, many police canine units spay or neuter their dogs. There’s no correlation between spaying or neutering an animal and its ability to protect you.

But people also need to understand that unless their dog has been trained to be a guard dog, it isn’t a guard dog. Most dogs are naturally protective, but if you truly need a dog for protection, and your dog isn’t trained, you’re at risk.

Q: Will my dog stop running away from home if I neuter him?

A: Well, you really should keep your dog confined. But neutering certainly does decrease the instinct to roam. That’s because unneutered dogs are constantly seeking to match up with unspayed females. It also will decrease your dog’s urge to escape your home or escape your fence. But in this day and age, there’s no reason to allow a dog to freely roam the streets. It’s dangerous.

Q: My dog leaves marks all over my house. If I neuter him, will that stop?

A: Neutering a dog will decrease and could eliminate that kind of marking, which is a territorial behavior. That’s what they’re doing; they’re marking their territory to ward off other male dogs that could come into it and get their female. So neutering may eliminate the problem. But there also could be other health issues or behavioral issues involved at this point. So it’s a really good argument for neutering early, before the animal reaches sexual maturity and the marking behavior has become habit.

Q: Will spaying or neutering my dog prevent future illnesses?

A: Yes, absolutely. In females, it greatly decreases mammarian cancer and completely eliminates uterine cancers and diseases. In males, it eliminates testicular cancers or diseases and can lower the risk of prostate cancer. Generally, spayed and neutered pets live longer, happier lives.