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May 17, 2009 - May 23, 2009 (about 28 weeks old)

If your device does not support Pictobrowser, you may see the pictures at Flickr: "Sophie 28" in the "Sophie" collection.

Sophie was spayed on May 19. (Since she was "going under," we also decided to have her microchipped.)

When we adopted Sophie from Sunshine Golden Retriever Rescue, we signed a contract pledging to have her spayed when she was old enough. This little blip is about the time before Sophie's surgery.

I'm stepping my soapbox now...

Although there was no question as to whether we would follow through with Sophie's appointment, I have to admit that I felt really sad about it. Sophie is a beautiful dog, so very smart, so very loving. I wanted to keep open the option of someday allowing her to have puppies, for I'm sure that they would have been delightful and I would have loved to have had the experience of caring for a litter of golden pups. When I shared these thoughts with some friends, I was surprised that some of them suggested that I "hold off" for now, no one would ever know...

I hesisitated to write about these feelings here because I didn't want anyone to question whether we would follow through on our committment. However, the more I thought about it, the more I thought that there are probably many people out there who adopt puppies, pledge to get them neutered or spayed, and then don't follow through on that committment, for exactly the same feelings that I experienced... The rescue policy of not placing adult dogs until they have been altered is testimony to the reality that not enough pet owners take this responsibility seriously.

One of the technicians at our vet put it very nicely and I thought I'd share it here. The only people who should be breeding dogs are professional dog people who are committed to a responsible breeding program, people who research the history of their dogs, so that undesirable traits, (such as dysplasias or other medical issues), are not passed on to the puppies, and have the knowledge (and resources) to provide appropriate care to the mom through her pregnancy and to the pups in their infancy. "There are thousands of purebred goldens being euthanized every day..."

Perhaps my writing about it here will remind anyone sharing similar feelings that even though it's so tempting to not make that appointment, it is such an important part of the contract -- that your beloved pet likely would not have been allowed to join your household if you didn't agree to neuter or spay them when they became old enough.

If your pet came from a rescue or pet store, then you don't know if he/she carries a genetic trait that shouldn't be passed on. Even if you didn't contract to have your pet altered, if you bought it from a reputable breeder, have your pet altered. Love your pet for the unwavering loyalty and companionship that he/she will so willingly lavish on you. Leave the breeding to the professionals.

Puppies are special and rescue organizations place them in homes where they believe the pups will have the best chance of being properly raised, so that they don't end up back in a shelter. Honoring the neuter/spay committment, not only helps control our animal population, but also confirms that you are a pet owner who is committed to keeping your word.

Note:  Tuesday, May 19... Sophie sailed through her surgery. However, I got a call that evening telling me that though the surgery went well, that she'd started having some difficulties with vomiting -- thus far, she'd thrown up parts of a dishtowel, some grass and an elastic hairband! She spent the night at the vet and I picked her up early Wednesday morning. On Wednesday afternoon she pooped out a sock and another hairband! UGGH! (so much for not feeding her on the morning of her surgery...!)

Later that week... Sophie's home, safe & sound. As you can see from her picture above, she was not a happy camper through much of her first day home. I'm told that dogs don't self-limit their behavior and already, I'm seeing that pent-up energy, as we're not allowed to let her run or rough house for about 2 weeks.

She's turning into a chewing machine, (as if she wasn't already!!), much worse than what we've experienced thus far -- She really misses being off leash, her ball runs and tugging matches and I'm having great difficulty keeping her activities calm. Now it's really evident to me just how important that daily exercise is to dogs with active temperments, in reducing destructive behavior. She's out of her mind!

Things that are helping: an endless supply of rawhide for her to chomp on, I found a chew toy that's half ice--I freeze treats in it... I gated off the kitchen, so she can't get into trouble with the counter surfing, (something I should have done before...), but more problematic because she's so desperate that she's clearing surfaces in fell swoops...

We take the cone off when we're hanging out together and she appreciates the freedom--but does need frequent reminders to not "itch" at her surgical site. Our vet said that the upcoming week would probably be more bothersome for her as the site gets more itchy as it heals.