At what age should a dog be spayed or neutered?

    If you puppy was purchased as a pet, you have a contractual obligation to spay or neuter him or her by the age of 10 months.  With that said, there other reasons to spay/neuter.

    • Prevent unplanned puppies. If your female dog is unspayed, she will come into breeding season or “heat” for several weeks (approx 21 days) once or twice a year. Each time this happens, she’ll be very alluring to male dogs—who can smell the scent from long distances. This can bring unwanted canine visitors to your yard, which could result in a litter of unplanned puppies. Having a litter, particularly an unwanted litter, is expensive and involves a lot of time and energy on your part. The female will require veterinary care during pregnancy. Delivery can sometimes be difficult and can result in expensive surgery or the loss of the female and/or puppies.  Spaying and neutering is a responsible way to prevent accidental breeding resulting in unwanted puppies. Breeding should be left to responsible breeders who have an organized breeding plan and knowledge about canine genetics, and who breed dogs to preserve the breed’s best qualities for future generations.
    • Reduced health risks. Spaying or neutering can lead to a reduction in health risks for both male and female dogs. Unspayed females can develop a painful and life-threatening infection of the uterus called pyometra. Unspayed females are also at much higher risk of mammary tumors than are females who have been spayed. Neutering a male dog prevents testicular cancer and reduces the risk of other problems such as prostate disease. A neutered male dog also has less desire to roam so has less risk of getting poisoned, hurt in a dog fight, or hit by a car.
    • May help with behavior issues. As well as reducing roaming in male dogs, neutering can often (though not always) help to reduce or eliminate undesirable behaviors such as leg-lifting and mounting. Neutering can also decrease aggressive behavior in some dogs, especially if they are neutered before one year of age. Spayed females will also be less likely to roam.

    At what age should a dog be spayed or neutered?

    Spaying or neutering can be done as early as a few months old, dog owners should consult with their veterinarian to determine the best age to spay or neuter their pet. Many vets in the U.S. recommend spaying or neutering be done between 5 and 9 months of age.  Because the dogs has to be sedated, depending on our OEB and their propensity to breathing issue, your vet may wait until your puppy is a little older.

    Many recommend for female puppies to be spayed before their first heat, which can occur as early as 5 months of age. Spaying before the first heat greatly lowers the risk of mammary tumors. (Females who are spayed after their first heat also continue to have reduced risk compared to unspayed females.) Neutering males before puberty may help prevent establishment of some behaviors such as marking and aggression.

    What Age Should a Dog be Spayed or Neutered?

      So what is a good age to get your puppy spayed or neutered can be a conflicted question.  It is for me.  As a responsible breeder, we have an obligation to the breed and to dogs in general to minimize unwanted pregnancies.

      If your puppy was purchased from Crooked Star Bulldogges as a pet, you have a contractual obligation to spay or neuter performed by the age of 11 months. 

      Why have your dog spay or neutered?
      • Prevent unplanned puppies. If your female dog is unspayed, she will come into breeding season or “heat” for several weeks (approx 21 days) once or twice a year.  Each time this happens, she’ll be very alluring to male dogs—who can smell the scent from long distances. This can bring unwanted canine visitors to your yard, which could result in a litter of unplanned puppies. 

        Having a litter, particularly an unwanted litter, can be expensive and involves a lot of time and energy on your part.  The female will require veterinary care during pregnancy.  Delivery can sometimes be difficult and can result in expensive surgery or the female and/or puppies’ loss.  Spaying and neutering is a responsible way to prevent accidental breeding resulting in unwanted puppies. Breeding should be left to responsible breeders who have an organized breeding plan and knowledge about canine genetics and who breed dogs to preserve the breed’s best qualities for future generations.

      • Reduced health risks. Spaying or neutering can lead to a reduction in health risks for both male and female dogs. Unspayed females can develop a painful and life-threatening infection of the uterus called pyometra. Unspayed females are also at much higher risk of mammary tumors than are females who have been spayed.  Neutering a male dog prevents testicular cancer and reduces the risk of other problems such as prostate disease.  A neutered male dog also has less desire to roam, so has less risk of getting poisoned, hurt in a dog fight, or hit by a car.

      • May help with behavior issues. As well as reducing roaming in male dogs, neutering can often (though not always) help reduce or eliminate undesirable behaviors such as leg-lifting and mounting. Neutering can also decrease aggressive behavior in some dogs, especially if they are neutered before one year of age. Spayed females will also be less likely to roam.

      At what age should a dog be spayed or neutered?

      So here is where we enter the conflicting part of our conversation.   While spaying or neutering can be done as early as a few months old, dog owners should consult with their veterinarian to determine the best age to spay or neuter their pet. Many vets in the U.S. recommend spaying or neutering be done between 5 and 9 months of age.  Because the dogs have to be sedated, depending on our OEB and their propensity to a breathing issue, your vet may wait until your puppy is a little older.

      Many recommend that female puppies be spayed before their first heat, which can occur as early as 5 months of age. Spaying before the first heat greatly lowers the risk of mammary tumors. As for research, females who are spayed after their first heat also continue to have reduced risk compared to unspayed females.  Neutering males before puberty may help prevent the establishment of some behaviors such as marking and aggression.

      As for our opinion, we strongly believe the puppy needs the hormones to promote property muscle and bone growth; however, we understand the importance of spay or neuter.  Our answer is to give the new owner 11 months to complete the procedure. This gives the puppy adequate time to get much of the growth completed.