I'd like to hear yalls thoughts...

Caira is 5 months and we are trying to figure out when to spay her. My boyfriend doesn't want to deal with "the river of blood" :P and wants to spay her at 6-7 mos. I think I'd like to let her go through one heat because she has been pretty slow to mature.

However, Remy is intact. In fact, that's one reason I would like her to go through one heat... I've seen how different he looks (more solid) than one of his littermates who was neutered early. I assume it is the same for females? She is small and small boned and I am hoping the hormones might help broaden her a bit.

BUT it would be a pain having two intact dogs. I pretty much couldn't let them be together at all during it, which would suck. Also, I know just the smell will drive Remy nuts. I don't want to spay her early on the basis of inconvenience, though... I want what is healthiest for her.

Any thoughts? Do any of y'all have an intact male and intact female on.the same household (that don't breed)?

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Remington Byrd's Golden Shot - "REMY" - CGC, Therapy Dog, Service Dog
Collier's Freedom's Avenger - "Caira"

Have you asked your vet about their opinion on the subject? One of the first visits to the vet after I got Jacey I brought it up to get his opinion and he said 6 months.

Honestly I would not spay her until she is fully grown. BUT you have to take HUGE precautions with an intact male in the house. If you cannot separate the two and when I say separate I mean different households then I would certainly consider fixing either of the two.

What does her breeder say about the best age to spay?

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Karen, Chance, Lucy and Savanah RB



“Everyone needs a dog to adore him, and a cat to bring him back to reality”

I can only relate our experience with the two female golden retrievers we have had in the past. Both were spayed prior to their first heat, probably around 6 to 7 months old. Neither exhibited any negative effects. They both lived long, healthy lives. The last one, Chewy, was lean and athletic, and never had a sick vet visit. She lived to be 14 1/2 years old.

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Dave

I have done the research and read the articles. I spoke to both the breeder and the vet. Both said to have Liberty spayed at 6 months. I've chosen to wait. I feel that is beneficial to wait until she has one heat cycle. I am still waiting at nearly 10 months old. No sign yet. As for how to deal with an intact male in the house, I'm not sure. I believe there are doggie diapers that perhaps you could put on her. Not sure that would keep him off of her though. could you maybe arrange for someone to take him for a few weeks when she is in heat? Otherwise separate rooms I guess?

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Liberty - 10 months




Kim - Mommy to fur-baby Liberty and 2 human daughters 12 and 14 years old

I am one to not neuter/spay early unless I have to. Well my new dog Hank came to me not neutered and knowing that Lilly was due in heat sometime soon I got him done. He was 7 mos old. I just couldnt risk anything happening. Even with the option of keeping him at my work, which I may do during the day when Im at work when she does come in, I just dont think he would have liked being there for a week or two 24/7 as that would have been the best option to make sure nothing did happen. Dogs will try to get to a female.. And can hurt themselves or the female. I would say your options are, 1) have him stay somewhere else 2) neuter remy as he is older 3) go ahead and spay her at the latest you can safely (i woud ask the breeder when her mom had her first heat, Lilly followed in her mothers footsteps and was almost 11 months at her first heat)

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Alison and 2 Furry Kids and 2 non furry kids

Lilly- Golden DOB 1/28/11
AKC name: Goldridge Lights Action Lilly RN CCA
http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=433352
Sanford- JRT DOB-9/5/06

Bridge dogs
Toby-Boxer 10 yrs. old (rescue) 9/17/2002-11/1/12
Charlie- Boxer (1st "child" together)2/19/02-3/18/12
Julie- golden retriever ( my heart dog) 5/6/96-3/3/07
Ruby- terrier/chow mix (my 1st dog) 8/1/90-1/15/05
Rusty-shih tzu (million dollar dog) 2/5/99-1/20/04

My neutered boys "breed" my girls if their diapers come off. And they are fast and aggressive about it...of course, my girls are also willing. I think the early neutering issues are worse with boys vs girls.... IMO it is because boys seem to mature more slowly... It is totally none of my business, but didn't you post that your boy is "reactive." One thing that is proven that neutering helps with aggression... Unless you have a kennel situation having two un neutered dogs of opposite sex in the same house is a time bomb!

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Janice and The Celebration Gang -
"Samantha, George, Tiki, Emily, Mick and Basil" Gone but not forgotten, Sally(Windjammer's Ima Country Girl CDX CGC), Laney(Mandell Marlenes Celebration UD RA CGC), and Cookie(Starseeker's Kissmas Cookie CDX RE CGC).

Thanks everyone for your opinions!

Sallys Mom - Yes, Remy is reactive, but it was caused by him getting attacked by another male, large, GSD. I don't think his hormones have anything to do with it... It is a behavior issue due to fear, and he is doing really well with it as we train and train and train.

I don't have another house to put Remy in when Caira will be in heat, but I do have crates. I think it may be easier just to spay her early. The breeder does not contractually require that she be spayed at a certain age, but I know he prefers that she goes through a heat.

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Remington Byrd's Golden Shot - "REMY" - CGC, Therapy Dog, Service Dog
Collier's Freedom's Avenger - "Caira"

I think waiting to let her mature more is a really good thing. But it may mean you have to board Remy somewhere while she's in heat. There have been others on here who've done that.

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Kathleen, mom to one human, age 17, three canines, and a bunch of fish.