Imagine my excitement and astonishment that of all the products Andy Newman sifted through, the one to which he gave the most attention in his column was the unique brainchild of Dexter Blanch, a dog trainer and brave inventor who knows it is in the best interests of young female dogs to delay spaying them — but protect them from becoming pregnant. Listen to Dexter’s interview with me on my radio show The Expert Vet, where Dr. Donna Spector and I have done several shows on the health benefits to female dogs of waiting to spay them until they are around two years old (but not breeding them).
I’m proud to say I found the PABS harness system first! I was especially gratified that my esteemed co-host on our training show Good Dogs! Dr. Gayle Watkins from Avidog International, has tried it on one of her females and gives the PABS chastity belt a “paws up”, saying that a dedicated owner with patience can use it effectively. But I couldn’t give it a better endorsement than Newman did at the end of his Pet City article:
“Which brings us, somehow, to the dog chastity belt, formally known as the Pet Anti-Breeding System. (“Stop it! Block it! Lock it!” says the flier.) If you want to delay spaying your dog for any reason, the belt lets her “still be a pet while being fully protected.”
Unfortunately, I could not find any dogs in heat to give it a real tryout. But Danielle Ettkins, who runs the Green Pup store in Gowanus, Brooklyn, agreed to let Cleo, her 5-month-old Goldendoodle, try it on. A fishnet triangle connected with an eight-point buckle system and a collar in the front, the belt like a piece of light bondage gear. Cleo did not seem to mind wearing it. Ms. Ettkins inspected.
“It certainly blocks the vulva,” she said. “I would have to see it in action.”
For Cleo, that opportunity is still several weeks off. So if you have a dog about to go into heat and would like to try out the belt, shoot me an email at petcity@nytimes.com.”
—Tracie Hotchner
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