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Permalink Reply by Michelle C. on December 19, 2012 at 9:46am

My vet told me as early as 5 1/2 - 6 months or until they start those unwanted behaviors. 

I got this off Cesar Millan's website. 

"..In my experience, dogs neutered under 6 months develop less obesity and don’t establish some of the “male” behaviors that neutering is meant to treat. They are also less likely to jump a fence, fight, or get hit by a car. With no true proof of the risk of increased cancer--and the very real risk of bad behaviors or even physical injury from running away or fighting--I am letting my clients make their own decisions based on a debatable risk of cancer vs. the very real behavioral risks.

Spaying females before 6 months is less controversial than neutering; preventing the first heat nearly eliminates the risk of breast cancer which is much more common than bone cancer."

About Dr. Sherry Weaver
Dr. Weaver graduated with honors from the University of Georgia's School of Veterinary Medicine.  She founded a state-of-the-art animal hospital, teaches pet care to children, and donates time and resources to rescue organizations.

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Permalink Reply by Michelle C. on December 19, 2012 at 1:55pm

I guess what I should have put in is that there are many different answers to this question. There are pros and cons to doing it too early and doing it later. And, everyone has a different opinion. 

The best thing to do is to get as much information as you can and discuss it with your vet. Then, you can make an informed decision and choose whatever is best for you and your dog. 

I asked my vet this question last week when I brought my new puppy in for a health check and he said no earlier than 5 1/2 - 6 months but it was good, also, to wait till the dog started exhibiting those signs to do the neuter (as I have a male puppy). 

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Permalink Reply by Ludi on December 19, 2012 at 1:34pm

I am not a fan of early neutering and spaying. Sex hormones play a vital role in the structural development of our dogs, and with a dwarf breed like the corgi, their growth period should be long and steady. I put off neutering Ace until 11 months of age; if I could have postponed it even more I would have (but he was a cryptorchid, and retained a testicle within his abdominal cavity).

With proper management, having an intact adolescent is no different than having a neuter. Ace never marked indoors, never chased after girls, never humped anything nor got into squabbles with other intact males.

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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on December 19, 2012 at 4:53pm

I came across a similar comment when I was reading about CCL surgeries; one vet opined that since sex hormones are anabolic steroids with a strong impact on development of bone and tissues, neutering may result in weaker joints and ligaments.

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Permalink Reply by Ludi on December 19, 2012 at 5:59pm

Yeah, that's the gist of it. For those who want to put their dog through competition-level dog sports (high impact ones like agility in particular), it is definitely not recommended to alter your pet early.

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Permalink Reply by Jane on December 19, 2012 at 1:42pm

I would spay a female before her first heat, so around 6 months old. For males it is recommended to wait until they're closer to a year old. I wanted to wait with Luke but ended up having him neutered at about 7.5 months because he was lifting his leg on EVERYTHING lol.

You can read more about it here:

https://www.avma.org/News/Journals/Collections/Pages/AVMA-Collectio...

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Permalink Reply by rae on December 19, 2012 at 5:15pm

We were told by our breeder to NOT neuter our male pup before 8 months.  So that he will learn to lift his leg and such when he goes to the bathroom.

So we're going to stick with what she advises.

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Permalink Reply by Bogart the Cardigan on December 20, 2012 at 6:23am

Thank you everyone for the very informative responses.  We are going to wait a while, as Bogart is not exhibiting any annoying behaviors (unless you count digging up the yard!) yet.

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