Spaying and Neutering your Border Collie Puppy

You have your Border Collie puppy home and it is growing fast. What are you going to do about desexing it?

This is a really important question that you need to consider long and hard before getting your puppy. The earlier your Border Collie is desexed the better, and the less it costs you. The big question is whether you are going to breed your purebred Border Collie or not....

Reasons to Neuter your Male Border Collie

Yes, males will cock their leg on anything and everything but they will not do it in their home. This is usually a sign of dominance and females are just as likely to do it too. If you neuter your male Border Collie when he is still young, you can avoid a lot of this behavior.

Here are some more reasons to help you decide whether or not to neuter your male:

• Entire males tend to be more dominant than neutered males
• Neutered males are just as sweet and loving as a female. Entire males tend to be more independent
• Entire males will know when there is a female on heat in the area and try to get out. Neutering your male will stop the desire to wander looking for a female
• Neutering your Border Collie gives him 100 percent protection against testicular cancer, and helps prevent prostate disease and perianal tumours
• It costs less to register your Border Collie with your local council.

Reasons to Spay your Female Border Collie

Why is it so many people want to keep their female Border Collie entire because they want a puppy one day? It is highly unlikely that you will ever breed a purebred Border Collie and, if your puppy is a purebred, it is likely your breeder will not allow it if the puppy is sold as a pet. An entire female in your home is really hard to live with.

Here are some reasons to help you decide whether or not to spay your female:

• Females on season leave blood everywhere and attract the attention of every male in the neighborhood. This does not happen with a spayed Border Collie.
• Females become moody and more aloof when they are in season. Spayed Border Collies are more even tempered and loving.
• Spaying your female gives her 100 percent protection against uterine infections which can be common in entire females and have the potential to kill.
• Spaying helps to protect your female Border Collie from breast cancer.
• It costs less to register your female with the local council.

Risks with Spaying or Neutering Your Border Collie

There are risks with all medical procedures and you have to outweigh the risks against the long-term benefits. The risks with spaying or neutering include:

• Obesity. When a Border Collie is desexed its hormonal makeup alters, and so does the metabolism, and the Border Collie does not need as much food to maintain a healthy weight.
• Anaesthetic. Having your Border Collie desexed means it needs to go under a general anesthetic and there is always an element of risk to this.
• Costs. It costs up to $300 to get your Border Collie desexed.

It really is your choice whether you keep your Border Collie entire or not, but unless you are contributing to the breed there is not much point breeding.