I have 2 Staffies, Charlie 2yrs and Molly 10 weeks and would appreciate some advice to help me decide which one to neuter first.

Having nearly lost my last Staffie girl Tessa (now at Rainbow Bridge) to pyometria aged only 2 at the time but thankfully lived another 10 years I know the dangers of an unspayed female.

My problem is justifying getting Charlie castrated just because I have another bitch when he is a very obedient boy who has never displayed any of the traits I've read about ie humping, wandering, marking etc which is why he is still intact.

I have no intention of breeding Molly but I have a problem with getting her neutered at 6 mths before her body has had time to develop. I have read so many conflicting views on the subject and am now more confused than ever.

Has anyone else ever had this decision to make and if so I sure could do with some help to make my mind up. Thanking You in Advance, Deirdre

Don't be fooled - just because he's a very obedient boy now - he won't be when she's in season!!! I think I'd be tempted to put him in kennels when she's in season for the first time (& maybe the 2nd if she's very young 1st time round) & then have her spayed. It's up to you which you have done though. It's a bigger op. for the bitch, but they do seem to have less problems than the dogs with neutering & there appear to be more benefits (JMO) Just don't try to live with the 2 unneutered, it's no fun!!!

Being as Charlie is the older dog, and your puppy is only 10 weeks and you have to let her have at least one season before spaying, if it were me in your position i would get Charlie neutered.  If you are worried about Pyo, and you have no intention from breeding either of them get your puppy done when she is old enough.  I only suggest this because you are concerned about Pyo.

But its your decision at the end of the day :)

we have a 9 month old called Giorgia and we decided to have her spayed at 6 months before her first season, our vet was happy with that although one practice wouldnt do until after the season. She wouldnt eat or drink that evening when she came home but the next day she was back to normal and eating everything in sight. We tried to stop her jumping up and down because the stiches would pull on her tummy and we didnt take her out except the garden for a few days but she was fine and still is. In the first week we had a slight problem with her not holding her water sometimes in the day  but rang the vet who said it was normal especially as she was holding it all through the night. That cleared within a week as they said it would. We're very glad she had the operation but we felt guilty when we saw the wound but we thought long and hard about it especially being a girl. She is too much a 'baby' to us to have bred from her even though she came from an  excellent line so if you're not going to breed then spaying is the answer, I have my own opinion on the dog which is to have him castrated but I do not have any experience with them and so I cannot give you balanced or informed advice only opinion, sorry!

I would not get a bitch done before her first season, but thats just my opinion :)

Thanks to everyone for all your very good advice.

To Anwen, I'm afraid I couldn't put Charlie in kennels, firstly because he's never spent a day/night without me from he was 6wks old and I would definately suffer from seperation anxiety, and secondly although Charlie got his puppy jabs (as has Molly) I now (after a lot of research and deliberation)  use Homeopathic Nosodes and most kennels don't allow Dogs in unless up to date with their jabs.

To MollMoo, Why do I have to let her have "at least one season"? My Vet will spay Molly just before her first season at about 6mths he said. I also have 6 cats (3 boys and 3 girls) and they were all "done" at 6 months and I didn't worry the like I am about Molly!!!!!!! By the way I call my Molly MollyMooMoo.

To Coleystaff, "Giorgia" what an unusual but lovely name (not sure how to pronounce it though) Thank You for sharing your experience with me. Did it change Giorgia's personality because already Miss Molly has decided that she's the boss (all 5lbs of her) and Charlie (who is 4and 1/2st and 18 inches tall) is more than happy to let her be. The Cats are all letting her away with it to but I'm sure this will change when they've had enough of her. My last Staffie Tessa was 10yrs old when I got Charlie and she was definately the boss.

Whatever I decide in the end (it won't be till after Christmas now) I will post and let you know. Deirdre, Charlie, Molly and the Cats

I forgot to comment on your who's the boss?.
Definitetly Giorgia at least we let her think she is! She actually tells us off at times by making a funny throaty noise with her mouth closed dont know how to describe it . The funny thing is we have done everything we're not supposed to. we had before 8 weeks, have had her spayed before her first season, she sleeps in our bed and is totally spoiled. But........ we have done the following with her since she was a pup:
taken food and toys from her - without any aggression or complaining
taught her that when we mean 'no' or 'leave' that we mean it(using our voices)
never hit her or lost our temper
tried to go through doors first ( doesnt always work, have to be fast with a Staff!)
given her the best food that we could
talked to her constantly, she sits,looks at you & tilts her head to oneside
taken her with us whenever possible
never left her for long periods alone
daily walking and playing

and finally lots of kisses hugs and cuddles and we have been rewarded many times over

Don't get your bitch done before her first season, prefebly wait untill she is 2 years old, but thats JMO!  Maybe its worth getting them both done.  As for the temp of your boy, right now I have a calm boy laying beside me asleep not intrested in the rest of the world.. When a season comes round for one of the girls I can gurentee he will not even think about being next to me, but only intrested in how to get to the girls!

The only time our two boys have had a fight was when the girls where in season (then it could have been avoided if i wasn't so stupid!), hormons fly everywhere in a male dog, so maybe it's best you get him done. 

At the end of the day all you can do is take the conflicting advice from everyone you have asked and choose yourself what you want to do.

just for my own information, what is the reason some people say wait for the first season? I ask because I'm interested not because I am being facecious honest!

thanks  Rob

I was told by my vet that during the build-up to a season, and during the season itself, the blood supply to the uterus is greatly increased, making the risk of dangerous haemorrhage during surgery that much greater. If the operation is done midway between seasons, when the uterine blood supply and hormone levels are at their lowest, surgery is much easier and safer, with less chance of complications.

At 6 months of age, most bitches are well on their way towards a season, and are therefore more at risk.

To Jeangenie, What your Vet said makes complete sense to me and I will ask my Vet his views on this.

I posted again before I saw how many other people had replied, all of you have given me food for thought. It's just that I was going to breed Tessa, she was 2yrs old when she got pyo and it still scares the hell out of me but so does the thought of Molly not maturing because I got her spayed to young.

I do intend to get both "done" it was just a case of who first. At the moment it seems to be leaning towards poor Charlie but then I've read the percentages for mammary gland cancer are less for spaying a bitch early!!!!!!  Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

Decisions, Decisions, again thanks to everyone for all their very sound and constructive advice.

Deirdre, Charlie, Molly and the Cats

Hi Rob,

In addition to the important medical info JG has provided, bitches who have not yet had a season are nowhere near physical maturity (or mental for that matter ;))  Hormones play an important roll in the development of every species.  By letting a bitch have at least one season, although preferably waiting also until the breed average age of maturity, she has a better chance of developing to her full healthy potential in substance of bone, etc., and also the hormones in an unspeyed bitch help get through the "teenage" stage and allow the mind - for example ability to cope with fearful situations- to develop more into that of a mature dog.  (although my girls don't *do* maturity!!! - at 5 years they should have stopped the whole puppy stealing thing, right???)  :D

Regards, Teri :)

thanks for all the advice you have given me and without judging my original decision as well. much appreciated!

Giorgia is pronounced like the name George but with an a on the end (like the town in America). The difference with the spelling is because I am Italian and that is the Italian spelling instead of Georgia.
We have always had cats too, in fact we have had within the family over a dozen andhad them spayed or neutered at 6months and didnt have any problems so I suppose we didnt worry too much about Giorgia. She is a bundle of joy and hasnt changed her personality at all because of the op I mean. We simply didnt want the risk of her having a pregnancy because we walk her alot off the lead as we are in a rural area. She meets many dogs and wants to play with them all, she dances around them and we know the owners and feel we have been spreading the good word about the breed because alot of the people were reticent about seeing a Staff until they met Giorgia,that is. We have been stopped in town whilst out by people who have commented on how good she is and how pretty she is and they have been surprised because she is a Staff. We have introduced her to every conceivable situation since she was little. She has met duicks, squirrels and allsorts of other wildlife. She has also gone in the car every week, gone to shopping centres and towns, has been with my sisters two dogs a few times each week and also their cat and so far except for the odd scrap with my sister's second dog who came after Giorgia we have had no problems at all.