Dear Miss Behavin’: With Mother’s Day here, I was considering breeding my dog, Lulu. I know that there are a lot of dogs that need homes, but I read somewhere that female dogs should have at least one litter (plus the idea of puppies sounds cute).
PET OF THE WEEK: Simon is a handsome, 7-year-old striped tabby who is the definition of mellow. His favorite pastimes include lounging in the sun, getting good pets, and rolling around in catnip. During his time at PHS, volunteers say he has grown more confident and outgoing. Ask for Simon, ID# A820243. Adoptable pets are available at Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA’s Tom and Annette Lantos Center for Compassion, 1450 Rollins Road, Burlingame. For information, call 650-340-7022 or visit www.phs-spca.org. (Hiromi Motojima / PHS/SPCA)
Reply: I can’t argue with you that puppies are downright adorable. However, the veterinary community agrees that there is no medical reason a female dog needs to have puppies. Discuss your concerns with your vet, and hopefully he or she can recommend the ideal age to spay Lulu, as well explain the benefits to her health down the road.
In addition, puppies are a ton of work. They need to remain with their mother in your house for a minimum of eight weeks after they are born. This is so they can receive the necessary nutrition from nursing as well as education from their mother. Puppies learn a great deal of social skills from their littermates and their mother. If they are removed too early, it can have lifelong consequences.
Young puppies also require socialization from people. A mom and litter would require a warm, quiet, safe space indoors. Once they are old enough, they need to be handled on a regular basis and have positive interactions with visitors.
Even if you planned on finding homes for all of Lulu’s puppies, please consider that you are sending a new batch of dogs out into the world that could potentially have puppies of their own one day. Hundreds of dogs could possibly result from Lulu’s one litter! As you stated, there are many dogs in shelters that need new homes, and you don’t want to contribute to those numbers.
If you and your family are set on experiencing puppies, consider reaching out to your local animal shelter or Humane Society and volunteering as a foster caregiver. Most shelters periodically get puppies or nursing moms with puppies that need several weeks in foster care. It will still be a lot of work, but you’ll be making a huge difference for some needy dogs.