To spay or not to spay

Hi everyone, I'm after some advice. I have a young friend who is enjoying her first dog. She's a stunning 19 month( approx) labradoodle. I have to say considering she is her first she is doing an outstanding job. She has decided not to breed from her labradoodle but is confused about whether to spay or not as some people have told her that her dogs lovely personality will change. They also enjoy agility together and she has been told that her girlie will probably not enjoy that as much. I've mentioned to her that I've spayed all my girls and seen very little or no change and none of them have stopped enjoying agility. I also mentioned that the health risks to an unspayed bitch who hasn't had a litter are a cause for concern. Plus it would be worth her having a chat with her vet. Am I right on thinking this? If anyone has any advice I could pass on I would be very grateful.

You are definitely better spaying IMO... Here are some of the benefits

No males annoying her when she is on heat.
No spotting around the house during heat.
No chances of having false/ghost pregnancies
Will not get mammary tumors.
No uterine infections.
Eliminates risk of tumors of the ovaries or uterus.
Dog is less likely to be stressed due to less hormones.

Benefits definitely outway the cons... Well IMO ! No reason in not spaying your bitch unless you are planning to breed.

As for changing personality... Well it will ever so slightly change but not much, as in I noticed NO change whatsoever when my two got spayed! If anything it makes them more placid and less stressed (as mentioned before) as they don't have lots of hormones rushing around their bodies!

And the agility thing? Well I don't know who gave you that information but biologically that makes no sense at all? My two girls are spayed and love love love their agility, I don't understand why that would change her drive for agility. I have certainly not met a bitch that loses her drive for agility because she is spayed and most bitches in my club have been spayed.

So in short I definitely agree with you! Spaying is the way forward imo

I have not yet had a spayed bitch, but will be having our two girls spayed in the new year. One thing I can definately say in advice to your friend is that if she enjoys agility the dissapointment of missing training and shows due to your girl being in season is awful and totally pointless.

I know lots of spayed bitches that do really well in agility and would definately say get her spayed. Well done to your friend too for not breeding from her first dog. Too many do that too in my opinion.

Totally agree with what you said! It frustrates me the number of people who have litters from their first ever dog or who have 'accidental' litters, think of those poor pups, there are too many unwanted doggies .

Spaying is the way to go, there is a bitch at my club who is 7 and only got spayed a couple of months ago because the owner was disappointed with missing important competitions as her dog is v.good.

very interesting question and responses I have seen on a few threads (cant remember if it on here or elsewhere) that it is reccomended that you spay AFTER their first season - is this true? Does it make a huge difference in allowing them a season before spaying? I would have thought that it would have caused more issues with hormone imbalances?

I am amazed that you have an entire labradoodle bitch, most breeders of labradoodles have their puppies spayed before they leave the breeder!

The sex hormones affect more than just the ability to conceive. They influence when the growth plates close and so neutering prior to maturity can delay this so that dogs grow taller which, in a performance dog, can adversely affect the joints so that for example there appears to be moe incidents of cruciate ligament rupture in dogs neutered early.

I compete with my dogs and all of my bitches are spayed but NOT until 2 years old when they have physically and mentally matured.

There are no adverse effects from spaying in general (apart from a coat change which, in a x breed as in this case is totally irrelevant as of course you will not be showing it) and a slow down in metabolism which means you tend to feed less.

When considering spaying a bitch a number of factors need to be weighed up and of course the health risks are RELATIVE, not ABSOLUTE.

And remember as touched on above there are health risk TO spaying as well, and the risks of spay related incontinence appear to increase the younger this operation is conducted.

Certainly if you wish to compete year round with a bitch it makes life a lot simpler if they are spayed but I would certainly delay this until at least 18 months if possible.

http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html
HTH

Like my thinking...if you have a cross and you aren't breeding it (as you shouldn't) - get it done

Louie will be done at about a year old, bless him - he is blissfully unaware he's getting done because he has the ESS ignorance at time so I dont want him sniffing a bitch in heat and getting away from me.

Benjie was done at 9 months. Before the neuter - he reacted well with dogs, afterwards and still - he has behavioural issues with dog aggression. (He was a rescue)

Sadie - a cross but never done and because of her lovely temperament her owners wanted a good pup out of her so picked a male who also had a good temperament - she decided never to have pups and has always chased off any dog coming near her whilst in season - she's a spinster she has been tried with 3 males and nothing she wont even let them hump her or anything - she is now 9 - she made her mind up, she obviously didnt want to ruin her gorgeous figure .

If she isn't breeding her and she can't show her - why let her keep those things that cause problems every 6 months for 3 weeks at a time

Some people are idiots You're freind should have her dog speyed it's the only responsible thing to do if she is not going to breed and IMO far too many people are breeding dogs now anyway. I doubt her personality will change and her ability at agilty will not change either, but it is usually recommended that speying is done after she has reached maturity.

I just highlighted two items in that list.

Both our girls have been done but Rianna still has phantom pregnancies So it's not 100% guaranteed to prevent phantoms. She was also the one that our vet said had a tumour on her ovaries and if she had not had the operation that would have been life threatening in about a years time. That was four years ago (When she was two) and she just had her sixth birthday. I don't think she would be with us now if we hadn't had her speyed.

The only reason I get my bitches spayed is to prevent Pyrometra, I've had bitches that have had Pyrometras that have had litters & that haven't have litters & now if I am not going to breed from a bitch or she has had all her puppies than I will spay.

Mammary tumours can be hormone related however spaying only reduces the occurence & doesn't prevent it.

As for the reasons above regarding unwanted males & mess in the house-sorry they are purely selfish. Never had any unwanted males hanging around & mess in the house is part & parcel of having dogs

I would never spay before a bitch has a season & have never experienced any bad behaviour changes

You're freind should have her dog speyed it's the only responsible thing to do

I get really tired of statements like this! There are PLENTY of responsible dog owners who choose NOT to have their dogs neutered.

Just having a dog neutered is not synonymous with being "a responsible dog owner"; and being " a responsible dog owner" and having entire animals are not mutually exclusive.

It is only "irresponsible" if you allow your dogs to procreate irresponsibly!