When Should You Neuter Your Dog? A Guide to Timing and Health Benefits

Should You Go For Early Neutering?

What happens if you get your dog fixed too soon?

It all depends on when your dog reaches their sexual maturity. Spaying or neutering prior to reaching that maturity could affect your dog's development, affecting their musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and immune systems. 

Sex hormones are very important in the proper development of any animal (especially healthy dogs!), and household pets are no different. 

If your dog is fixed too soon, it could lead to joint issues like hip or elbow dysplasia, urinary incontinence, and even some cancers like lymphoma. 

That probably sounds scary to you, but let me be clear…

The benefits of spaying or neutering your dog outnumber the risks of doing it too early. So even if you've already spayed or neutered your pup or you're planning to do it early to prevent an oopsie, you're still doing what's best for your dog. 

Having all the information can help you make the best decision for your pup. 

Neutered Dogs: What Does It Mean To Have Your Dog Neutered or Spayed?

Neutering or spaying your dog refers to a surgical procedure that removes their reproductive organs, rendering them unable to reproduce.

• For male dogs (neutering): This involves the removal of the testicles.
• For female dogs (spaying): This typically involves the removal of the ovaries and uterus.

While it might sound like a drastic measure, spaying or neutering is a common practice and offers numerous canine health benefits for both your dog and the wider community.

Difference Between Intact Dogs and Neutered Dogs

Choosing to neuter your dog is a big decision with significant impacts on their health and behavior. Understanding the differences between intact and neutered dogs can help you make the best choice for your furry friend. Let's explore how spaying or neutering can affect your dog's reproductive capabilities, hormones, health risks, and even appearance.

Intact Dogs

• Reproductive Capability: An intact dog has all its reproductive organs. Males have their testicles, and females have their ovaries and uterus. This means they are capable of reproducing.
• Hormones: Intact dogs experience the full range of hormonal influences. This can lead to certain behaviors like marking territory (males), going into heat (females), and potentially increased aggression or roaming tendencies.
• Health Risks: Intact dogs are at a higher risk for certain reproductive cancers and infections. For example, males are at risk for testicular cancer, while females are at risk for mammary cancer and uterine infections.
• Appearance: Intact males may have larger testicles, and their overall physique might be slightly more muscular due to testosterone.

Neutered Dog

• Reproductive Incapability: A neutered dog has had its reproductive organs surgically removed. Males have had their testicles removed (castration), and females have had their ovaries and uterus removed (spaying). They cannot reproduce.   
• Hormonal Changes: Neutering significantly reduces hormone levels. This often leads to a decrease in hormone-driven behaviors like marking, roaming, and aggression. Females no longer experience heat cycles.   
• Health Benefits: Neutering eliminates the risk of testicular cancer in males and significantly reduces the risk of mammary cancer in females, especially when done before the first heat cycle. It also prevents uterine infections in females.
• Appearance: Neutered males may have a slightly less muscular build due to lower testosterone levels.

Benefits of Having Your Dog Spayed or Neutered

I've already mentioned it, but pet owners, if your dog is in situations where unwanted breeding and pet overpopulation might occur, spaying or neutering is the surefire way to prevent this from happening. 

Aside from breeding prevention, spaying and neutering your dog delivers a heap of health benefits. 

If you have a female dog, spaying will greatly reduce her risk of developing mammary cancer…a cancer that's fatal in nearly 50% of dogs. 

Similarly, for males, neutering your male dog eliminates his risk of testicular cancer entirely. 

Behaviorally speaking…spaying and neutering can help avoid unwanted behaviors.

For females, that means your pup won't have heat cycles, and you won't have to deal with howling, crying, or erratic activities that come with those hormonal shifts. 

For males, this means you won't have to worry about your dog constantly marking inside your home or roaming around to find a mate. 

Spaying or neutering can help prevent infections, like uterine infection, that can be costly to treat. 

So, I must emphasize that it IS a good thing to get your dog spayed or neutered.

But…when is the best time??

The Best Age to Spay or Neuter Your Dog

What is the appropriate age for a neuter surgery? The short answer is that the best time to spay or neuter your dog is when they reach their physical maturity. 

Now…I say the short answer because it's much more complicated than that, as different breeds of dogs reach their sexual maturity at very different times. 

For example, small dogs and toy breeds mature at an early age, around six to nine months old. Smaller dogs are less likely to suffer from the adverse effects of early spaying or neutering, simply because their body is maturing at a faster rate. 

The larger breeds (for example, large breed male dogs) mature much later, and for them you'll want to consider waiting until they're older to spay or neuter.

I'm talking over one year old. 

That's because some large breeds don't mature until they're 16-18 months old!

To break it down for you…

If you have a small-breed pet dog, they will likely experience no issues with getting spayed or neutered early on. 

If you have a large-breed dog, there are many risks associated with spaying or neutering too early, so it's best to wait until they're older (1+ year) to get them fixed. 

If you have questions about neutering pets, it's always best to discuss them with your vet. 

Let's say you've decided to wait until your pup is older to get them spayed or neutered. How do you keep them out of trouble in the meantime? 

An intact dog will require your constant supervision. 

Unspayed female dogs (intact females) attract male dogs (even from miles away), so you'll want to keep an eye on her at all times so stray dogs don't come wandering into your yard. A fence can help tremendously, and I've even seen people carry an umbrella on walks to ward off any male suitors. 

Unneutered male dogs can get forceful. With all the testosterone coursing through their bodies, if a nearby female is in heat, there's no way to predict how an unneutered male dog might act. Keeping an eye on your dog and always having them on a leash when outside can ensure that they don't try to break into a neighbor's yard to mate with another female.

What About Dogs with Behavioral Issues?

You might have heard that neutering your dog can help curb some of their aggression. And there is some truth to that (as I just mentioned, how un-neutered males can become forceful). 

So, if you're finding that your good little boy is becoming more and more aggressive, then getting them neutered earlier might be the best solution for you. 

That being said — with proper training — many male dogs can remain intact and have wonderful dispositions. A lot of behavior issues boil down to how you handle your dog…do you have a solid training foundation, and does your pup view you as the leader of the house?

When you have an appropriate relationship with your dog via training, you can let them know what behaviors are acceptable (playing a friendly game of tug) and what behaviors are not (marking inside the house). 

If you want to set a strong foundation of training for a lifetime of learning, I would love it if you checked out my Dog Calming Code™ program. 

It centers around the relationship you have with your dog, and helps you communicate with them in a language that they can understand. 

So you both walk away with trust, friendship, and, best of all, an obedient dog that will listen to you anywhere. 

And remember, the best time to get your dog spayed or neutered is when it's best for you…

…but if you do have a larger breed, you might want to consider waiting until they've fully matured to avoid any health risks.

~Doggy Dan 🙂