I've just been reading up on another forum, somebody has had their dog neutered at 8 weeks!! Is this too young? What is the best age to have it done.

This is the same as having your baby daughter have a hysterectomy.  She would not go through puberty so physically wouldn't mature as she should.  Some people don't mind this.

Myself I prefer that my bitches arte fully groen and mature before cutting bits out of them that nature decreed have a vital role to play.  Some people seem to think that it will have no negative effect.  We all know how vital hormones are to the correct functioning of the body when they don't function properly.  Any woman who takes HRT or has suffered from PMT will tell you how it can effect your general welllbeing.

For this reason alone I think it is totally unethical to neuter baby puppies.  You are taking away a large chunk of their hormonal system which not only regulate their sexual characteristics and behaviour but also influence growth etc.

I have my bitches spayed at around 7 years as I choose to breed from them, but otherwise I would spay a bitch 3 months after her first season, or if she was still under a year old at the time wait until ater her second.

Hi Harriet,

Very early spay is increasingly common in the rescue societies in the U.S.   Overpopulation of dogs is a real problem in certain areas of the country.  Early spay is a desparate measure to cut down on unwanted litters.  In the end, it is perhaps a more humane option than pts unwanted puppies and strays. 

No thinking, responsible human being with the option of waiting should neuter an 8 week old puppy.  Vets seem to follow one of two schools of thought with regard to neutering and spaying.  Spay before sexual maturity - at about 6 months of age for a bitch, before she comes into season.   Or, spay three months after the onset of the first season. 

Stacey

I believe the RSPCA have a tendency to neuter early with rescues, a woman I know got her boy rescue @ 4 months old and he was already neutered, his temperament seems ok at present, he is a bit pushy but I think that is just him, my 5 month old Cattle Dog can tell him what to do!  Personally I hope not to neuter my pup, but if necessary I will wait until he is fully mature

When I did a search a while ago on labradoodles, I came across a site, and a vet on it in Australia spayed puppies routinely at 6 weeks (:

To be honest most dogs don't fully mature until they are at least a year old (depending on breed) but it recommended highly that they are spayed before they have their first season to prevent cancers.

While I agree that if you have the choice to wait until your dog is 6 months and then get them done this is preferrable, but you have to remember that breeders have to protect their puppies and make sure that they aren't used for indiscriminate breeding and so would prefer to neuter/spay at 8 weeks before they go to their new home (which doesn't really have any affect on them) than worry what damage could be caused.

Can't agree with that being a reason for spaying such babies. If I thought prospective owners were likely to go in for indiscrimate breeding, they wouldn't get a puppy! I prefer to to endorse their registrations & as mine is not a commercial breed that is sufficient. Don't know how you can possibly say it doesn't have any effect - if it didn't have any effect there wouldn't be any point in doing it would there? Yes it stops procreation, but in doing so it also stops the puppy's natural development.

This particular dog that I was reading about did have problems with bladder incontinence, the owner said the vet has put it down to the early neutering, so it definitely has an affect other than stopping procreation. I would have thought that the dog would never mature either. Any thoughts?