# time to snip?



## dana (Dec 3, 2006)

what age should you give ur babes the snipety snip snip?


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## lovestofly (Feb 25, 2007)

You'll get a lot of different answers but our breeder asked us to NOT do the snip until 18 months and we are waiting. If there are no problems, I may not do it at all since he is NEVER where he could get another dog pregnant. I know a lot of people don't like the idea of not neutering but as long as WE are responsible I don't see a problem with it.


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## Emma&Tilly (May 15, 2005)

If you are going to do it I would personally wait until the dog is fully grown. Its not something that HAS to be done of course, that is always an option aswell! 

Theres lots of studies/data that can be read many different ways on what is the best age...Im sure if you did it at 6 months the dog would be perfectly fine...but I honestly don't see what the rush is if you are a responsible owner. If you can look after your dog properly then I would rather leave him with his testosterone until he has at least finished growing.


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## woodysmama (Feb 25, 2007)

Lots of views on this one Im sure.......Woody was not quite 6 months. I still think thats the reason he pee-pees like a girl....LOL


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Never before 18 months, and in fact never without medical reason


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Tucker was 9, almost 10 months.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

woodysmama said:


> Lots of views on this one Im sure.......Woody was not quite 6 months. I still think thats the reason he pee-pees like a girl....LOL


I don't think that has anything to do with that....lots of males never lift their legs...


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Tucker never lifted his leg when he was intact. I dont see why it matters if they lift or not anyway.

I think it's gross when dogs lift their legs so I'm actually glad Tucker doesn't mark his territory lol


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

GoldenLover84 said:


> I think it's gross when dogs lift their legs so I'm actually glad Tucker doesn't mark his territory lol


Yet...he still might. Samson was right around a year the first time he did it, and only did it occassionally until we got Cosmo. Now they both do it all the time...


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Maybe... I just can't see him as the lifty-leg type LOL.

He did it once as a younger pup and I scolded him for it (he did it in the house) and he hasn't done it since.

Now I just need him to stop chewing his fur off (he's started chewing his tail again....)


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## dana (Dec 3, 2006)

toby is.......5years old? and he only lifts his legs to mark! lol


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

Lucky was nuetered at 20 months and though think its best to wait til they are done growing, his recovery was rather slow and I once again must struggle, drag and carry him through the vet's door.

I really think it would have been a faster recovery and less trauma if he was younger.


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## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

my golden was done at 6 months, but I didn't own herat 6 months or she would have been done earlier. My other 2 were done at 4 and 5 months, after I fought tooth and nail with my former vet and threatened to switch vets if they didn't spay them before 6 months. I switched vets later anyway. All my cats were done the minute they reached 3 lbs, except Henry who was already a year old when I found him. He was done about 2 weeks after he came to my house.


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## sophiesadiehannah's mom (Feb 11, 2007)

the four dogs i had at puppies were all females and were fixed before their first heat with no problems at all, the two rescues were done at 6 and 3 years old.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

IMO, a dog in an average pet home should be neutered as early as 6-8 months or as late as 18 months if there aren't any behvior issues that are being super-charged by testosterone. The first real hit of testosterone starts to come in about 8 months.

I think that for the most part, the people here who are anti-neuter are VERY experienced dog homes. The very way in which they live with their dogs often contributes to the fact that they don't experience problems from keeping an intact male, etc.

The other issue with keeping an intact male in the US is due to the fact that b/c we are such a heavy pro-neuter society, an intact male stands out like a sore thumb among other dogs and often makes him the target of other dogs b/c he's the lone intact dog.

For the people who say early neuter (before 18 months) makes the dogs look leggy, etc. I argue that in a pet home, any subtle physical differences will not be noticed. I've also not seen any injuries that have been actually attributed to early (again, pre-18 months) neuter. I see about 100 dogs a week in training classes.

Again, it's one thing for a dog enthusiaist to live with an intact dog... it's a whole 'nuther story for the "average" pet owner to do it. For them, surviving the dog's adolescence is hard enough w/o adding wonky hormones to the mix!

JMO...

-Stephanie


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## MisterBailey (Jun 28, 2007)

Our vet said 6 months was a good age to do it, so I'm going with that.


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