Labrador breed Hunt Trials question

[Shadowlawnskysthelimit]

To those of you train Labs ; when would you have a female pup fixed ?
I was told years ago that you needed to fix a female before they cycled the first time. This was done to keep the chances of them having mammary tumors later in life down to a very small percentage.
Have you heard of this ? Is this a good practice? What age do you spay dogs ?
Our vet retired a couple years ago and new vet is telling me that this is not a good practice that it impedes some growth in pups Have a pup coming in mid January and wanted to sort this out !

 

[Aeon]

After a year or not at all. My vet and I belive keeping them intact till they are fully grown.

Incontinence is common in fixed pups. Think it's close to 50% so there is a down side. The upside is a large reduction in cancer risk...

 

[labsrule]

My personal belief is waiting for at least one heat or close to it. I have had 3 female Labs and all were fixed at around their first heat. No issues with any of them. And yes, they were and are hunting labs.

John

 

[Snake Charmer]

There is chemistry going on in a dog when it is young and growing. I have come to understand that you should wait to they have at least one cycle before spaying. With males I have come to understand that waiting two years is best so that can finish growing.

 

[A Team]

Your pup , your choice but if you were to get a puppy from me having the pup spayed or nuetured before 26 months would void your health gurantee.

Spaying or nueturing pups too early impededs both their physical and mental growth , especially males.

My personal choice is unless it's a medical need my dogs and bitches stay intact. I now this can be tough for some individuals , some counties make it very difficult to register intact animals , most vets will alter puppies ( less than 6 months) .

Whatever you choose to do , for the pups sake wait at least 26 months.

If you wish to call me and discuss in detail please feel free to PM me and I'll gladly go over it with you.

 

[Shadowlawnskysthelimit]

Thanks to all for your feedback !
I know practices change ! When I was a kid Doctors were removing kids tonsils asap; but now they don’t want to citing some studies how kids need their tonsils to build a proper immune system.
Never thought about the whole
“Voids the warranty “ aspect!
Thanks again !!!