Most people will agree that spaying or neutering your Labradoodle or
Goldendoodle is a good idea.  Many times, neutered animals are far
better pets because their focus is on you, their pack leader, instead of
on finding a mate.  They are more compliant......85% of bites are by
unneutered dogs. And they are healthier, with a much lower risk of
reproductive disorders.  The question remains in some minds though,
"What is the best time to spay or neuter a pet?"

A Labradoodle or Goldendoodle, from Westwood, and from many other
breeders, will arrive at it's new home already neutered, with the surgery
usually having been done at 8 or 9 weeks of age.  This is done for
several reasons.   Most people assume the reason is to prevent people
from 'stealing' breeding lines, or breeding without permission.  While
breeders who do pediatric neutering are painstaking in their choice of
breeding lines and  breeding stock, and protecting those lines is
certainly a consideration, the prevention of additional puppies in animal
shelters is their real concern.  

Between 4 and 6 million animals are euthanized in shelters in the US
each year.  It is the number one cause of death of pets in the United
States.   A recent study in Australia showed that, while 39% of
Australian dogs are unneutered, 79% of dogs in Australian
shelters are unneutered males.  No one adopts a pet with the
intention of giving it up to a shelter, and few people adopt dogs
expecting an accidental breeding.  Despite people's best intentions,
these things happen.  So good breeders do their best to screen a
puppy's prospective home to make sure they are truly  a forever home,
and desex the puppies before they leave to make sure those forever
families never have to handle an 'oops' litter.

Another reason is that, while reputable breeders do their best to screen
families to make sure their puppies are going only to the most loving of
homes, it is a risk that any puppy sold intact could end up producing
puppies in a puppy mill, with quality of life so poor it is hard to imagine.

So breeders who spay and neuter their puppies before releasing them
to new homes are doing so because it benefits the puppies AND the
new families.

A great deal of research has been done in the last 30 years in the area
of pediatric spaying and neutering. While some will point to a couple of
fairly poorly done studies claiming a higher incidence of incontinence in
dogs spayed before 6 months, the VAST body of research indicates this
is not so.  Others will also claim there is a higher incidence of hip
dysplasia in this population.  Again, the research does not support this.  
There IS a great deal of research showing pediatric spaying and
neutering requires less anesthesia, and results in much faster recovery
than traditional desexing procedures.  Breeders who do pediatric
desexing find it is easier on the pups and better for their new families.

If you are interested in research citations regarding pediatric spaying
and neutering, please ask!  We would be happy to supply them.

Search our site to find what you need to know!
Why Does My Puppy Arrive Home Already Neutered?
Westwood Doodles:
Labradoodles, Goldendoodles,
and North American Retrievers
Bookmark and Share