When is the right time to spay or neuter your adolescent or "pre-teen" puppy?
In my opinion, the ideal time is at six-seven months of age. Almost all of your dog’s major growth has concluded by this point, but the sex hormones have not yet taken over driving his or her behavior.By spaying and neutering at six months, we are blocking the brain from receiving those forceful signals from the hormones. This way your dog never has to endure the suffering and frustration of needing to mate but lacking the opportunity.
I have Jiwe, who was supposed to be a show dog, but only one testicle came down. We waited and waited. He was a year and a haf when we finally made it to the vet. He is the most misserable dog, I've ever seen. He fights, he mops around. He tries to escape, he has a seperation anxiety. Maybe it has nothing to do with the timing of his surgery, but I suspect.
Do it early; we owe it to our dogs to prevent them from having to undergo the extreme physical and psychological suffering caused by not being able to mate when their bodies are screaming at them to do so.
Rhodesian Ridgeback FAQs . . .
