Spaying and Neutering in Your Puppy

And why we recommend a delayed approach

This is a very deep and very wide subject with all sorts of information and implications——more than I can address at the time of writing this! However, just like with so many other topics, I BEG you to thoroughly research for yourself before you make a decision that cannot be undone! You can always choose to do it at any time…..but once it is done, it cannot be undone. To pretend that spaying and neutering is as cut and dry as “it prevents puppies and certain cancers…..so do it as soon as possible!” is uninformed and irresponsible.

Just think of how humans would turn out if we took children and removed the influence of sex hormones early in life. To pretend the only difference we would see is the absence of offspring is insane! It would have an effect on everything——from demeanor, to size, to bone growth, and everything in between! And this is EXACTLY the case in dogs. Delaying spay and neuter for as long as possible, and ideally until your pup is done growing, has been found to reap benefits in every area of life——from a decrease in hip dysplasia to a decrease in the fear of storms and separation anxiety!!

Of course, every situation is unique, and there are factors to look at in your dogs life and situation, but we STRONGLY encourage our families to seek information on delayed spay and neuter and thoroughly weigh their options before making a decision. Here are a couple of articles to get you started!

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/three-reasons-to-reconsider-spayneuter/

http://www.akcchf.org/news-events/news/health-implications-in-early.html

http://www.earthrated.com/en/blog/the-spay-and-neuter-controversy/

http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/reexamining-early-spay-neuter-paradigm-dogs

https://www.thethings.com/10-reasons-why-you-shouldnt-spayneuter-your-dog/