Dear Fixed: A majority of shelters and humane societies across the country are now practicing early spay and neuters on puppies. Some of these surgeries are being performed as early as six- to eight-weeks-old. Shelters have found that up to 60 percent of the puppies they send out the door never come back for spaying or neutering. Signing an adoption contract doesn’t seem to guarantee the pup will be fixed. Many times these unfixed dogs go on to produce more unwanted dogs.

In 1991, the American Human Society was the first organization to endorse juvenile spay and neuter for newly adopted puppies. The American Veterinary Medical Association followed suit in 1993. Once this practice was implemented some owners were concerned that spaying at such a young age would cause problems with growth development. Studies so far have suggested that there is no correlation between early spay and neuter and abnormal growth or a smaller adult size.

An additional benefit to early spay and neuter is surgery is easier, recovery is shorter and healing is faster. In addition, you have nipped any early onset of sexual maturity in the bud. There is also no medical or behavioral reason to wait until a puppy is six months old or for a female to experience her first heat before being spayed. And early spaying does not cause any behavioral conditions. Neutering males early reduces the risk of urine marking in the house, roaming tendencies and aggression. Plus the longer you wait to spay or neuter the higher the risk that the dog may be involved in an accidental breeding which may result in more dogs going back to the shelter.      

Dear Lisa: As a child I showed Collies with my parents. I now have a family of my own and my 14-year-old son is interested in showing our Collie. Can you refresh my memory about which age class to enter him? – Aging Handler

 

Dear Aging: How wonderful that your son is following in your dog handling footsteps. Showing dogs not only encourages good sportsmanship but also teaches responsibility for caring for a living being.

Today classes specifically for children are called Junior Showmanship. When these classes were started in the 1930’s they were called Children’s Handling Classes. Youngsters would show their dogs under the same rules as breed conformation classes but were judged on their ability to present and handle their dog rather than judging the dog’s merits. In 1951 the name was changed to Junior Showmanship and in 1971 the American Kennel Club (AKC) began official recognition of the classes.

If your son is ready to enter the show ring I assume he has already taken some handling classes and attended some matches (practice dog shows) to prepare. Children from 10- to 18-years-old are eligible to enter AKC conformation and performance events. The “Junior” age group is from 10-years-old to under 14-years-old and the “Senior” age group is from 14-years-old to under 18-years-old on the day of the show. A further classification is called “novice” for those who have not yet won three first place blue ribbons. After three first place wins, regardless of age, the child moves into “Open”.

As the parent or guardian you must fill out a form and request a “Junior Handler Number” from the AKC before your first show. This simple task can be accomplished at www.akc.org under the Dog Events, Junior Showmanship section. Good Luck!      

Lisa Peterson, a breeder and exhibitor of Norwegian Elkhounds, is a Delegate to the American Kennel Club. Send questions to elvemel@aol.com or P.O. Box 197, Newtown, CT 06470.