This is a bit of a follow on from my posts on "To neuter or not when showing career is over" from which I've had loads of information - THANK YOU

6 months definite.  Possibly younger.  My experience of small breeds bears this out.

Thanks Jeansw. I am a bit concerned as Heidi's showing signs of a season.  I did write a lot more but I seem to have lost it.  Pip's 19 weeks, has penal shaft hair, cleans up after and grooms Heidi as a mother would#?!  She mothers him too.  I just don't want to risk anything nor separate them needlessly.
How/when can I check if she's ovulating?

"Can" doesn't really equate to "should" though... JRTs unless Parson Russells aren't showable, so "neutering after a show career" doesn't really apply to them unless they are part of working terrier shows.

Lots of reasons why it would be unwise to allow a very young dog to sire a litter. Not physically mature, hasn't stopped growing, so things like patella can't be assessed, or good conformation in general. Mentally, not mature either, so no idea what kind of temperament he will settle into at maturity. Temperament is hereditary as well.... so using a male when he's still a puppy, siring litter/s, then finding out he's developed a poor/nervous/aggressive temperament later, but has already passed it on to offspring, isn't the ideal scenario.

Thanks for your very polite reply.  I deliberately used a controversial header but lost most of my original message somehow.   I don't want to breed from him.  I'm worried about how soon he will be capable as I can't neuter my Elkhound bitch for health reasons.  Sorry for misleading you.

> Thanks for your very polite reply.  I deliberately used a controversial header but lost most of my original message somehow.   I don't want to breed from him.  I'm worried about how soon he will be capable as I can't neuter my Elkhound bitch for health reasons.  Sorry for misleading you.

You're welcome - I think my reply crossed with your last post, where you explained your situation a lot more clearly :)

I'd suggest, and knowing all about Jackie males too (having lived around some for 2 years), that by around 7 months he'd be more than capable of doing the job.  Not that he should of course.  To avoid anything happening, I'd suggest he should be separated from any bitches in season (or coming in because once switched on, he's going to be a nightmare until she's out of season again) from now on.

Probably inappropriate thread to post this, but is there such a thing as a contraceptive pill for bitches?

Not tablet but you can use delvosterone injections to suppress seasons, as with all medications there are risk factors

To neuter under a year ols for boys or until after the first season for girls is not recommended as it will interfere with their growth and maturity

> Probably inappropriate thread to post this, but is there such a thing as a contraceptive pill for bitches?

We had one of our bitches given a shot to stop a season (we were campaigning her and didn't want her in season when a particularly 'good' show was coming up).   It's not a good idea to do this more than a few times (we only did it once) because not only can it mess up the normal cycle, there are the inevitable other side-effects.   I have a feeling the product we used, was withdrawn.

And of course it's possible to get a shot to stop a pregnancy after the event, if given immediately after a mistake mating, but it doesn't always work.

I don't think there is an actual contraceptive pill - spay yes!!

And of course it's possible to get a shot to stop a pregnancy after the event, if given immediately after a mistake mating, but it doesn't always work.

That was the old style one. These days when using Alizin it can be given up to 45 days after mating, although obviously it is far preferable to give it sooner rather than later as there will be no pups to abort. Also the efficiency is much higher with Alizin. The failure rate is given as >0.01 % to < 0.1% and then often when the bitch was mated again after the Alizin injections.

> Also the efficiency is much higher with Alizin. The failure rate is given as >0.01 % to < 0.1%

This product is super.  As you know I had a mis-mate with a bitch that I definitely didn't want a litter from.  She had a patella luxation.  I discussed it with Goldmali at the time and I discussed it with the young vet who gave the first jab.  She had never seen a bitch that had pups left after Alizin and couldn't praise it enough.  I would always recommend it.

It should be on big posters in vets, also an advertising campaign so people know they do not need to have an unwanted litter if a bitch is mismated.

It could be something humorous.