# Spaying and all that good stuff



## IliamnasQuest (Aug 24, 2005)

*Spaying and all that good stuff*

Tazer's nearly nine months old and has just come into heat for the first time. So far she's keeping things pretty clean and since I have a tarp down in her pen I don't worry too much about it. She's definitely on-leash outdoors now though!

It's been a long time since I've had a shepherd pup and I don't remember now how old the others were when I had them spayed. Tazer's not going to be a very big girl (maybe 60# full grown - she weighed in at 46# at the vet's last week). I want her to reach normal growth but I also want to spay her before she comes into heat again (preferably). Will she be developed enough by the age of 12-13 months to go ahead and spay without running into the long/lanky problems some dogs get?

I'm also going to see if they can find her energy dial and ratch it down a couple of notches while they're in there .. *LOL*

Melanie and the gang in Alaska


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

*Re: Spaying and all that good stuff*

The information that my vet gives 99% of his customers -- all dogs should be spayed/neutered around 6 months old. 

What he tells me and a few others -- If at all possible, wait till dog is a full 24 months old unless medical reasons make it necessary before then. This last is a relatively new thing with him as he now sees more reasons to wait. The difference in what he tells owners is because of knowing that the majority of pet owners would not be able to be reliable in keeping their animals from breeding.

My current 3 (GSD) males are: 1 still intact at age 7 and my two 5 year old males were neutered one at 24 months and one at 25 months of age. My current female (poodle) was spayed at about 7 months old because at that time I moved my terminally ill mother into my home to care for her and we were in and out with doctor visits and stays at the hospital, etc. that I could not rely on others to care for and monitor an in-heat dog as would be needed. 

When my kids were young, all of our companion dogs were spayed/neutered before sexual maturity just because of the amount of kids in and out of my home and I tend to lean more to earlier S/N for family pets with children. 

At this time I don't see any change to the wait till 24 month old for any future dogs that I will keep for myself. If you can wait till 12 -13 months old as you are planning, I feel that your girl will benefit over being spayed earlier.


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## tibvixie101 (Nov 26, 2007)

*Re: Spaying and all that good stuff*

My is going on 3 and is just falling through her last week of heat. The worst week when you have a young intacty male in the house as well!! My days are long here and keeping them seperated is driving everyone crazy! Bear just turned 1 the end of january so i'll be making his appt to be neutered sometime before fall i figure somewhere around 18-20 months is safe enough time to have them neutered. When i got Mya (boyfriend got her from a pet store) they told us she was spayed.... Yea, long story short, she wasnt! I've been holding off on doing her spay but then losing track of time, and having the other 3 dogs just kinda fall into our laps i just never got around to it. Altough this last heat cycle has reminded me just how much i want to have her spayed (my hardwood floors and tile are in desperate need of a mopping) and the whining and screaming of the boys in the downstairs rooms are makng everyone in the house go mental! 

If she is in heat now, then she wont fall back into her cycle until late fall, i would make the appt closer to then just to give her a few more months of maturing, but at this point once she's been through a cycle if you really wanted to do it now, i dont think you would run into any health problems.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

*Re: Spaying and all that good stuff*

I ran out of time to come back to add on your question of 


> Quote: the long/lanky problems


. 

Since GSDs continue growing in height until 18 months or older and filling out could be even longer, I think waiting till a year will be better than say at 6-9 months but not as optimum as waiting till more mature size is reached. 

But the degree of body shape and size must be put into relation with the reasons of your not wanting to go through another heat or two. With your knowledge of training and care I'm not even considering the problem of keeping your female safe from an unplanned litter, but only if the difference in body or leg shape and size is worth the extra care of a dog in heat to you personally.


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## IliamnasQuest (Aug 24, 2005)

*Re: Spaying and all that good stuff*

Thanks for the responses. I don't have any problems keeping my dogs from being accidentally bred, I just don't really enjoy dealing with them being in heat! So I fully admit it's just that I don't want intact females around if possible. I already have an intact chow bitch (who I may still show in conformation and who has passed all six OFA tests to be only the sixth chow ever to do so, and I'm waffling on the breeding of her). Having two intact bitches is just more than I want to deal with. Khana just came out of heat in January and now Tazer's in heat! At this rate, they'll be trading off every few months .. *L*

Well, I'll wait and see. I don't have any males here so that's not a problem. It's inconvenient having to keep Tazer on-leash outdoors all the time only because it's hard to exercise her enough that way (typically I take her out at least 2-3 times a day and throw a toy for her to retrieve until her tongue is hanging out). But we deal with what we have to do!

Thanks again - 

Melanie


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## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

*Re: Spaying and all that good stuff*

I think that hormones also play a lot in the mental development. I read some place that dogs that are S/N at an early age can get locked into puppy behavior in their brain, since hormone levels play a large part in maturity.

DeeDee was spayed when she was 2, Chey when she was 4 and Lakota was Neutered when he was 5.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

*Re: Spaying and all that good stuff*



> Originally Posted By: Wisc.TigerI think that hormones also play a lot in the mental development. I read some place that dogs that are S/N at an early age can get locked into puppy behavior in their brain, since hormone levels play a large part in maturity.
> ...


I've noticed this with a couple of the Hooligans of the past - I've always called it the PETER PAN SYNDROME ... I WON'T GROW UP!!!


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

*Re: Spaying and all that good stuff*



> Quote: I think that hormones also play a lot in the mental development. I read some place that dogs that are S/N at an early age can get locked into puppy behavior in their brain, since hormone levels play a large part in maturity.


I've been told the same thing. Perhaps there is nothing medically to back it up, but all the dogs that I had for my children and were S/N before sexual maturity remained more puppylike all of their lives. I never knew for sure if it was the fact that they did not mature with their hormones in full force, but from experience I believe that this is often (not always) the case. And from this experience, reading reports and doing some research and speaking to others on the topic, I have always recommended that the average family pet should be S/N around 6 - 8 months if possible.


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## IliamnasQuest (Aug 24, 2005)

*Re: Spaying and all that good stuff*

Oh man .. I do NOT want her to stay in puppy mode! *LOL* In the past I had my dogs spayed/neutered relatively early (before the age of one) and I really haven't had any problems, but with the more recent information out it all seems to indicate that waiting is a better idea. Trick was spayed before her first heat (don't remember her exact age) and she matured nicely. But Tazer still looks very immature and is small (about 46# at nine months) so I would like her to mature more before she's spayed.

We'll see how it goes after she is through this heat cycle. She's much more vocal and reactive to noises right now than she's ever been. I don't remember any of my other dogs going through that. Khana (my chow) doesn't change a bit when she's in heat. 

I will admit that it's easier to take care of a shepherd than a chow during a heat cycle. All that hair on the chow makes a huge mess! I've become very good at using undies on Khana, and combing the furry britches to either side to try to keep them from being matted with blood. Tazer's coat is so short that she keeps herself pretty clean. 

So can I still call Tazer a puppy now that she's sexually mature? *L*

Melanie and the gang


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