Spay & Neutering

All dogs should be spayed or neutered unless they are to be used for breeding. This prevents unwanted puppies and avoids potentially serious future medical problems, such as prostate disease in males, and uterine infection or mammary cancer in females. Spaying and neutering can also improve behavior.

Females are usually spayed around 6 months of age, before their first heat cycle. Allowing a female to go through a heat or to have a litter is not necessary. In fact, the surgery is safest and the future medical benefits are greatest when it is done before the first heat, or estrus, has started. Males are usually neutered between 5 and 10 months of age, depending on breed and size.