When To Neuter Spay Or Breed Your Golden Retriever
Golden retrievers are one of the most popular breeds of dogs due to their intelligence, gentle nature, and ease in training, and this can cause owners to wonder whether and when they should neuter, spay, or breed these dogs.
Fortunately, experts in overall canine health, breeding, and veterinary medicine are conducting new studies and research to examine the ethics and long-term effects of neutering, spaying, and breeding and when they should take place.
So, when should your golden retriever be neutered, spayed, or bred? When it comes to surgical sterilization through spaying and neutering, most experts agree that golden retrievers should be between one and two years old before undergoing such procedures. As for breeding, its recommended that golden retrievers reach full physical maturity before mating, which usually occurs around 24 months but can vary among individual retrievers.
Neutering, spaying, and breeding are all practices involving human intervention in the life cycle and natural selection of dogs.
Therefore, these procedures and decisions should be heavily considered by pet owners to promote the health, well-being, and quality of life for their dogs.
When it comes to your golden retriever, none of these practices should be undertaken without extensive research and reputable veterinary care.
Study Evaluates The Effects Of Early Neutering And Spaying In Golden Retrievers
A search for a quality Golden Retriever to handle in junior showmanship led Liz Bultman to breeder Rhonda Hovan. As they got acquainted by e-mails, Hovan was impressed that Bultman wanted to be sure that Hovan would not require her to neuter or spay the dog at an early age.
The possible health effects of early spaying and neutering is a topic Hovan, the research facilitator for the Golden Retriever Club of America, holds close to her heart. “For years when I looked at adult dogs that I’d bred, I saw marked physical differences between those sold as show prospects and those sold as pets,” says Hovan, of Akron, Ohio, who has bred Golden Retrievers under the Faera prefix for more than 40 years. “The dogs sold as pets were tall and lanky, with no bone and pointy muzzles. I’d look at them and wonder how they got so tall.”
Hovan began to realize a key difference was that the Goldens intended as show prospects were kept intact. Those sold to families as companion animals, or pets, were routinely neutered. Hovan, like most breeders, requires pet owners to spay and neuter dogs. She began noticing that the age at which dogs were spayed or neutered played a role in the way they looked as adults.
Beyond Behavioral Changes;
An Individual Basis;
“Most buyers are surprised when I point out the risks and benefits,” Hovan says. “I have a discussion with them in which I tie into my health guarantee the age of neutering, exercise recommendations and target weights.”
Reasons To Consider All Options Before Spaying Or Neutering A Puppy
Dr. Benjamin Hart of the University of California, Davis, has been researching the effects of spay-neuter for a decade, with support from the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation. His first paper on the subject, published in 2013, revealed that Golden Retrievers that had been spayed or neutered had a correlation of being three or four times more likely to develop certain cancers, including lymphosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma, and also more likely to develop joint problems such as hip dysplasia and damage to the cranial cruciate ligament. The team later published data on German Shepherd Dogs and Labrador Retrievers, finding that early spaying and neutering had varying effects on these dogs likelihood to develop joint disorders, cancers, and urinary incontinence.
And when it comes to dogs weighing more than 20 kilos, the study found that the impact of early spay-neuter varies hugely across breeds and sexes. For instance, since most small dogs didnt experience higher rates of the studied cancers and joint problems, Dr. Hart conjectured that at the other end of the scale, Great Danes might suffer them at a high rate. Yet he found that the gentle giants had no increase in joint disorders after early spay-neuter. That was completely unexpected, Dr. Hart told me.
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Male Dogs Are Coming Around More Often
Because your Golden retriever is in heat, she is giving off pheromones to attract other dogs. Male dogs can smell your dog at this time from a mile or more away and wont hesitate to track her down.
Make sure you stay with your dog while she is outside during her heat. There is no barricade high enough to keep a determined male from making it into your yard if he knows your dog is in heat. Its better to be safe than sorry.
Do Male Dogs Experience Mood Changes After Being Neutered
As we mentioned before, the primary benefits of having your male dog neutered lie in an overall reduction of the odds that they develop a wide range of canine cancers. While male dogs who are neutered do experience an increase in aggressive behaviors right after the procedure, neutering can make them much less aggressive over time. In fact, neutering has bee proven to create a much happier and calmer male dog over time.
One of the huge determining factors as to whether your male dog will become more aggressive after being neutered is the type of breed they are. Certain dog breeds are naturally more aggressive than others, so the temporary imbalance in hormones that neutering causes can spike aggressive behaviors in male dog breeds that are predisposed to violent tendencies in the first place.
The most obvious physical change that your male dog will go through is the removal of their testicles; however, once the incision scars heal, its barely noticeable. Neutering your dog is great because it bolsters improved health and a longer life overall.
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Golden Retriever Behavior After Spay
After your Golden Retriever is spayed, she will need to be allowed to rest for 5-7 days. Even if she feels perky the day after the surgery, you should still try to keep her calm as her incisions heal. Your veterinarian will let you know how and when to give her pain medication and if she needs to go back into the clinic to have any stitches removed.
Otherwise, her behavior should remain just as it was prior to her surgery. Spaying your Golden will not change her personality or behavior in any meaningful way. She should be exactly the same pup she was before.
If she had heat cycles prior to her spay, she will not have them anymore. So, you will not notice any more of the behavior changes, such as irritability or seeking out male dogs, that she may have had during a heat cycle.
Golden Retriever Behavior After Neutering: Things To Know
Pet neutering is a common procedure that provides a variety of advantages to both animals and owners alike. Many golden retriever owners have their dogs neutered or neutered to prevent unwelcome breeding. Others do so to prevent health complications. Do you know the golden retriever behavior after neutering? Find out here!
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Care For Your Dog After Neutering Or Spaying To Ensure Speedy Healing
The good news is most dogs recover quickly after they are spayed or neutered. Follow these six helpful tips to care for your dog after neutering or spaying and ensure a speedy recovery.
Amy Davis loves her pets. She has a diverse variety including two cats, one dog, three rabbits, two guinea pigs, a rat, and a beautiful macaw. She loves writing about everything pet-related and spends as much time as she can sharing her personal experiences on her blog Ultimate Pet Hub.
*DogsBestLife.com participates in the;Chewy Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to let our site earn fees by linking to Chewy.com.;
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Spaying, neutering dogs include health benefits for your dog and
Benefits Of Spay & Neuter
Our vets know that you may not feel like it at the moment, but going through the emotional process of having your dog spayed or neutered is worth it, both for you as a loving pet parent, and for your canine companion.
Having your dog fixed can help to curb undesirable behaviors such as roaming, mounting and animal aggression. Spaying and neutering may also offer your dog a number of health benefits including a decreased risk of some serious illnesses, as well as preventing;unwanted puppies.
An estimated 3.3 million dogs enter shelters every year! By having your dog spayed or neutered you are doing your bit to help reduce the overall number of unwanted pets in your neighborhood.
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When Do Golden Retrievers Go Into Heat
All dogs go through it. Heat is a natural cycle for female dogs that lets them know when its the best time to make some puppies.
While its instinctive for her, it isnt the same for you. If you want to know when your golden retriever is going into heat, youll have to watch for the signs.
When do Golden retrievers go into heat? Golden retrievers usually go into heat the first time when they are 10-14 months old. They will fall into a cycle that repeats itself on a pretty reliable timeline for the rest of their life. Heats tend to be between 9 or 10 months apart.
Your Golden retriever will let you know when their heat is beginning and ending. Continue reading to learn more about the cycle your dog goes through and what symptoms come along with it.
What Are The Risks
With most highly bred breeds especially Goldens they are often maligned by disorders and cancer. So, heres a quick overview of what the study says the breed suffer from depending on when their surgical castration was performed. The aim of providing this information is about giving you all the information to make the best decision.
| 4% | 5% |
Luckily, at least females are not more or less susceptible to urinary incontinence, Pyometra or mammary cancer. It doesnt appear to matter for these conditions when your girl gets spayed. So you can keep that a constant in your considerations for your Golden Retriever which at least will help, right?
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When To Spay And Neuter Golden Retrievers
In recent years there have been newer recommendations put out for large breed dogs, including Golden Retrievers, on when to spay and neuter. Now it is recommended that you wait until your Golden is at least 18 months old before spaying or neutering them.
The reason to wait until your Golden is at least 18 months old prior to spaying or neutering is to ensure they have a chance to fully go through their version of puberty. A recent study suggests this can decrease the risks of bone and joint abnormalities as your Golden grows.
The information from this study came from the on-going Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, supported by the Morris Animal Foundation. If you are interested in contributing to the research helping to understand the development of cancer and other health conditions in Golden Retrievers, you can voluntarily participate in this study with your dog.
Up until recently, it was recommended that dogs be spayed and neutered before they are able to reproduce. For female dogs, this means before they go into their first heat cycle.
In addition to preventing your dog from getting pregnant, another reason it was highly recommended to spay before their first heat cycle was to prevent mammary cancer. Studies have shown that spaying your dog prior to their first heat cycle can drastically decrease the risk of them developing mammary cancer later in life.
When Should You Neuter Your Male Golden Retriever
The perfect age to neuter your male golden retriever is around one year after they reach sexual maturity.
When you neuter your golden at such a young age, you increase their chances of enjoying its benefits while decreasing their chances of suffering from any side effects.
By neutering your golden, you are eliminating their need to find a mate, which is the root cause for many behaviors such as aggression, domination, and escaping. You can learn more about golden retrievers aggression here and about how to stop your golden retriever from running away here.
It also provides major health benefits for your male dog and it significantly reduces their risk of testicular cancer. Learn more about this in the sources section below.
Some vets recommend waiting for two years before you neuter your dog, but the only problem with that recommendation is that neutering your dog after two years will not make any difference in your dogs behavior before its done and it may take them longer to re-adjust.
However, if they are not displaying the aggressive behaviors connected to mating, then you can wait for two years without much worry.
You can always consult their vet if they should do it at that age or not considering that they know your dogs medical history.
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Spaying Your Female Dog: What You Should Know
Preventing animal overpopulation through spaying female dogs is an important part of responsible dog ownership, yet many people hesitate when it comes to this critical procedure. After all, the thought of your favorite dog undergoing surgery is bound to cause some anxiety. Fortunately, you can alleviate your concerns by understanding the benefits that spaying provides for your pets long-term health along with what to expect when you take your dog to the vet for spaying.
How To Keep Your Dog Safe Meanwhile
Since spaying should ideally take place after the dog has her first heat, it will take some commitment and care on your part, as the owner, to keep her safe.
Dog park visits will have to be avoided and you should keep your dog indoors. Since females in heat attract males from very large distances, you should make sure she doesnt go outside unsupervised.
Dogs in heat also tend to make a mess. You should provide a good environment for your dog and be prepared to clean up after her often.
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The Pros Of Neutering Your Golden Retriever
Here are the pros of neutering your golden retriever
First, neutering your male golden retriever;
- Reduces the level of your male golden retrievers aggression.
- Neutered dogs are more gentle and affectionate;
- They will try to escape to find a mate;
- Their prostate health will be better;
- They will not chase a female in heat;
- You will avoid the whole mark my territory part
- They will be calmer;
- ;They are less likely to hump objects, other pets, and peoples legs.
- Neutering them will reduce the chance of having anal fistula ( a condition that develops carbuncles around their anus
- It will control your dogs breeding;
Pros of neutering your female golden retriever
- Reduction of their heat period;
- Your female golden and house will be cleaner;
- They will be calmer;
- Reduces the risk of your female golden retriever getting breast cancer.
What Is The Best Age
There is a lot of argument about the best age to neuter a Golden retriever. However, two top options will be before 12 months of age and after 12 months. The following are the advantages and disadvantages of both sides of the debate.
Neutering Before your dog reaches one year
Behavioral issues in Golden retrievers increase after sexual maturity. In the past decades, vets recommend that you get your dog neutered prior to reaching sexual maturity. However, recent studies reveal contradicting evidence.
The development of the sex hormones is crucial to your dogs growth. Thus, getting them neutered before they reach the age of one year can have grave side effects on their health.
For example, a male golden retriever that is neutered before reaching the age of one has an 80% risk of developing hypothyroidism compared to dogs neutered after the age of one.
Similarly, a female retriever neutered before reaching the age of one will have a 60% risk of developing hypothyroidism compared to those neutered after a year.
Studies even show that dogs that are neutered before their sexual maturity have a tendency to grow taller. This is bad news for your retriever since taller retrievers are believed to have a shorter lifespan. Short male Golden retrievers can live at least two years longer compared to short retrievers. Similarly, short female retrievers will live more than a year than tall female retrievers.
After One Year
The Best Age
Male Golden Retrievers
Female Golden Retrievers
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Benefits Of Male Dog Neutering
Is neutering male dogs really necessary?;Most veterinarians think it’s a good idea.
Here are some benefits of neutering that you may want to consider:
- Neutered dogs tend to be less aggressive
- Your dog won’t contribute to pet overpopulation
- Territorial marking is reduced
- That means marking both indoors and out
- Chance of testicular cancer is eliminated
- Chance of prostate cancer is reduced
- Male dog neutering tends to make pets gentler and calmer
- The urge to mate is eliminated
- The inclination to roam is reduced
- A neutered dog is often easier to train
- That’s because he can concentrate better on you
- He doesn’t have to deal with the distraction of lady dogs
- If your dog isn’t championship breeding stock, you should strongly consider neutering him.
Best Age For Male Dog Neutering
What’s the best age to neuter a dog? Surgical castration can take place as early as six weeks, but generally only animal shelters and rescue organizations do it that young.
They want to know that when they release their pups to new homes, they won’t contribute to pet overpopulation.
Some;breeders;may also choose to have puppy neutering performed on their pet-quality pups before selling them at about eight weeks of age.
In general, neutering a dog becomes safer after he’s had all his;puppy vaccines; and weighs a bit more. Taking all factors into account, most veterinarians prefer to have male dog neutering take place at around five to six months of age.
The only difference is that younger dogs heal faster.