drdoolittle
True BYH Addict
This may be a controversial thread, as it deals with spaying/neutering my lgds....I know many here don't agree with it, or at least feel it shouldn't be done before a certain age. That debate is not the point of my post, but I wanted to share how completely AWESOME my dogs are!
So, after much thought and research, I made the decision to spay/neuter all 3 of my LGDs:
Sheba, 5 year old G.P. (momma to my other 2)
Cara, 5 month old female G.P./Anatolian
Hondo, 5 month old male G.P./Anatolian
I spent all last week worrying and wondering if I should cancel (because temps were going to be SO low the day of surgery and through at least tge weekend and I didn't know HOW I could have these 3 HUGE dogs in my house with my 7 indoor dogs---they don't get along yet).
After speaking with one of the employees at the clinic, I knew I HAD to find a way to keep the dogs inside (at LEAST the night following surgery) and decided to go ahead with the surgeries. I spent 2 nights after work setting up a "pen" in my spare room (A room SEVERAL of my cats stay in the majority of the time!). The pen is a large steel puppy play yard with 3 xl wire dog crates making up one side.....each end of the play yard is attached to a crate and the 3 crates are zip-tied together. The dogs can go in the crates for time alone if they wish.
Bringing the 3 in tge night before surgery, I was positive that all 10 of my dogs would be barking their heads off and my hubby would be yelling.....to try to keep this at a minimum, I sequestered my indoor dogs in different areas (2 in the laundry room, 3 in our bedroom, 1 in my adult son's room and decided to let our elderly boxer remain loose in the main part of the house.
I was completely shocked and pleasantly surprised once I brought my lgds in! They themselves were SO QUIET! And my inside dogs were too!!! Even the 2 in the laundry room behaved, no crying/whining at having to stay back there! I figured, "This is too good to be true......I bet Sheba, Cara and Hondo will poop and pee on the floor, maybe even rip up the carpeting." And I wouldn't have blamed them, they had NEVER been indoors in their lives and besides being restricted in movement, they were HOT although my heat was set at 67...
Again they made me so.proud! No accidents overnight, nothing chewed up (except one dog quilt a little bit)!
The morning of surgery, a good friend went with me to take the dogs in. They had to ride loose in my Traverse.....no way could I have fit 3 large crates in there....and were super well-behaved. I had to carry Hondo and Cara into the clinic, they had never had harnesses/collars/leashes on before.....Sheba walked, but needed my encouragement. Surgery went well with no complications and I went alone to pick them up. Sheba walked to the car just fine.......2 girls from the clinic had to carry Hondo and Cara to the car (I was so thankful for their help!) because they were too scared to walk. The clinic employees were just gushing over my dogs saying what great dogs they are and what awesome personalities they have! They said, "These 3 were pretty much the talk of the clinic all day today!"
Once home and back in their indoor pen, the dogs have done so well recovering! They did not like the huge, pladtic cones (who does) and kept crashing into each other, the crates and me. But they didn't fight me putting the cones back on after feedings or going out to potty, just accepted it!
I had to go to work the 3rd day after surgery......I'm gone 12-13 hours.....and worried all day long about the mess I would come home to. Then there was a snow storm towards the end of the day, turning my 45 min drive home into an hour and a half! I was totally freaking out, I just KNEW when when I got home and opened that spare room door I would be met by complete and utter chaos! Again, I was wrong! The dogs didn't even pee on the floor or tear up carpet or break out of their pen! They weren't even carrying on when I walked in, just patiently waiting!
These are some AMAZING dogs! And for me, that's saying a LOT! I work in dog rescue (hence my 7 indoor dogs.....) and have had many foster dogs stay in my spare room. I've NEVER had dogs (especially ones that have always lived outdoors) behave so well!
I have to take each one out on a leash (one at a time), and they each patiently wait for their turn. Hondo and Cara were walking on leash like PROS by the 2nd day! They poop and pee within 10 minutes of going outside and do not fight going back in their pen, although I know all they want is to be back outside running around freely.
I took off their cones for good on the 4th day......they don't even notice their surgical areas. Sheba is the one I'm most impressed by, she bounced back from surgery like it was nothing! They do.make a mess with ther food, but that doesn't bother me in the least! I'll be happy when I can put them in their outdoor kennel in the livestock area though......and REALLY happy when they can run around outside doing the job they love and were created for. These sweet, intelligent dogs continue to impress and amaze me! I'm so thankful I made the decision to get all 3 of them!
So, after much thought and research, I made the decision to spay/neuter all 3 of my LGDs:
Sheba, 5 year old G.P. (momma to my other 2)
Cara, 5 month old female G.P./Anatolian
Hondo, 5 month old male G.P./Anatolian
I spent all last week worrying and wondering if I should cancel (because temps were going to be SO low the day of surgery and through at least tge weekend and I didn't know HOW I could have these 3 HUGE dogs in my house with my 7 indoor dogs---they don't get along yet).
After speaking with one of the employees at the clinic, I knew I HAD to find a way to keep the dogs inside (at LEAST the night following surgery) and decided to go ahead with the surgeries. I spent 2 nights after work setting up a "pen" in my spare room (A room SEVERAL of my cats stay in the majority of the time!). The pen is a large steel puppy play yard with 3 xl wire dog crates making up one side.....each end of the play yard is attached to a crate and the 3 crates are zip-tied together. The dogs can go in the crates for time alone if they wish.
Bringing the 3 in tge night before surgery, I was positive that all 10 of my dogs would be barking their heads off and my hubby would be yelling.....to try to keep this at a minimum, I sequestered my indoor dogs in different areas (2 in the laundry room, 3 in our bedroom, 1 in my adult son's room and decided to let our elderly boxer remain loose in the main part of the house.
I was completely shocked and pleasantly surprised once I brought my lgds in! They themselves were SO QUIET! And my inside dogs were too!!! Even the 2 in the laundry room behaved, no crying/whining at having to stay back there! I figured, "This is too good to be true......I bet Sheba, Cara and Hondo will poop and pee on the floor, maybe even rip up the carpeting." And I wouldn't have blamed them, they had NEVER been indoors in their lives and besides being restricted in movement, they were HOT although my heat was set at 67...
Again they made me so.proud! No accidents overnight, nothing chewed up (except one dog quilt a little bit)!
The morning of surgery, a good friend went with me to take the dogs in. They had to ride loose in my Traverse.....no way could I have fit 3 large crates in there....and were super well-behaved. I had to carry Hondo and Cara into the clinic, they had never had harnesses/collars/leashes on before.....Sheba walked, but needed my encouragement. Surgery went well with no complications and I went alone to pick them up. Sheba walked to the car just fine.......2 girls from the clinic had to carry Hondo and Cara to the car (I was so thankful for their help!) because they were too scared to walk. The clinic employees were just gushing over my dogs saying what great dogs they are and what awesome personalities they have! They said, "These 3 were pretty much the talk of the clinic all day today!"
Once home and back in their indoor pen, the dogs have done so well recovering! They did not like the huge, pladtic cones (who does) and kept crashing into each other, the crates and me. But they didn't fight me putting the cones back on after feedings or going out to potty, just accepted it!
I had to go to work the 3rd day after surgery......I'm gone 12-13 hours.....and worried all day long about the mess I would come home to. Then there was a snow storm towards the end of the day, turning my 45 min drive home into an hour and a half! I was totally freaking out, I just KNEW when when I got home and opened that spare room door I would be met by complete and utter chaos! Again, I was wrong! The dogs didn't even pee on the floor or tear up carpet or break out of their pen! They weren't even carrying on when I walked in, just patiently waiting!
These are some AMAZING dogs! And for me, that's saying a LOT! I work in dog rescue (hence my 7 indoor dogs.....) and have had many foster dogs stay in my spare room. I've NEVER had dogs (especially ones that have always lived outdoors) behave so well!
I have to take each one out on a leash (one at a time), and they each patiently wait for their turn. Hondo and Cara were walking on leash like PROS by the 2nd day! They poop and pee within 10 minutes of going outside and do not fight going back in their pen, although I know all they want is to be back outside running around freely.
I took off their cones for good on the 4th day......they don't even notice their surgical areas. Sheba is the one I'm most impressed by, she bounced back from surgery like it was nothing! They do.make a mess with ther food, but that doesn't bother me in the least! I'll be happy when I can put them in their outdoor kennel in the livestock area though......and REALLY happy when they can run around outside doing the job they love and were created for. These sweet, intelligent dogs continue to impress and amaze me! I'm so thankful I made the decision to get all 3 of them!
