Even before getting a Goldendoodle, you heard how dogs would calm down when you neuter them. Neutering also helps to make their training easier. But you have to do it correctly at the right time.
You should never neuter or spay a Goldendoodle that is below the age of one, as it can lead to numerous issues down the road.
Let’s find out more about the best age to neuter a Goldendoodle and all about neutering.
How Do You Neuter or Spay a Dog?
There is a difference between the words spay and neuter. Neuter is for male dogs where a surgical procedure removes their testicles. On the other hand, spaying is a more complicated surgical procedure where the ovaries, Fallopian tubes, and uterus are removed from the female dog.
While spaying and neutering take away the ability to reproduce, it does not take away the instincts for breeding like humping. A male dog who has been neutered young may still try and mount a female dog.
The past logic about neutering is not completely correct so let’s determine the best age for neutering a dog.
Contradicting the Past
You will get to hear a lot of stuff about neutering that you have not heard before. Modern research in veterinary science reveals that many past assumptions were incorrect. While people think “the older, the better,” it’s not true in this case. Newer discoveries and facts are more accurate.
Let us first take a look at the reasons why people neutered their dogs previously.
The reasons above.
People neutered their dogs in the past for these four typical reasons:
- Birth control.
- Convenience.
- Behavioral issues, and
- Health concerns.
While there were other reasons, those were just hot air and antics. With time, many things have changed when taking care of a Goldendoodle’s health and training.
Typical Reasons to Spay or Neuter Your Goldendoodle
Of the four reasons previously followed, only two seem to be legitimate. Neutering will reasonably solve two of these problems. Let’s take a deeper look.
Birth Control
You do not want to find your well-trained Goldendoodle pregnant with a stray dog’s baby during the hunting season. Several predicaments come with pregnancy, and most pet-owners want to avoid these. So, one of the main reasons for neutering is birth control. You can take your dog out for hunting and also leave them be without the worry of having to deal with grand-puppies.
Convenience
While the result of a dog’s pregnancy is adorably cute – the process is not. There are little things to like about your female dog getting pregnant if there is anything to like at all. Firstly, you have to worry about other male dogs, and you cannot easily leave your Goldendoodle alone.
Further, there is the case of vaginal discharge that may stain your carpets or sofas. While you can use diapers for the cause, it is not an activity you will be very fond of. Having to deal with children’s diapers is bad enough – dogs? The absolute worst.
Service Dogs
You may get a dog to serve a particular purpose. It could be to calm someone with anxiety or to guide the blind. When a female dog goes into heat, its ability to serve gets hindered for a long time. Dogs should be able to fulfill their purpose, so this is why many people neuter their dogs. On the other hand. A female dog in the heat outdoors can be a cause of a lot of worries.
Breeders
Breeders neuter or spay their dogs to preserve the integrity of the breeds. They do not want the dogs to inherit certain undesirable traits like anxiety from their kennels. Furthermore, Goldendoodles that can develop diseases that obstruct their ability to enjoy life are ‘fixed’ so that they do not pass such traits to the next generation.
Prevent illnesses and cancer
Spaying a female dog will remove the risk of uterine infections, problems, and also the chance of developing breast cancer. Similarly, neutering a male Goldendoodle will take away the chance of Testicular cancer and other problems related to the prostate.
Other Random Reasons
If these reasons are not good enough for you, here’s a list of a few more taken from Pets.WebMD.com.
- Female Goldendoodles will live longer.
- Reduced unwanted litters.
- Spayed female Goldendoodles won’t go into heat.
- Male Goldendoodles will look for a night of passion in the neighborhood.
- It is a cost-effective method more efficient than having to raise a litter.
- Fights overpopulation and problems related to spaying.
All the reasons for the site have not been included because some of them were outdated.
Reasons Not to Neuter a Goldendoodle
You may come across neighbors who tell you to neuter your dog because it will stop humping or that it will grow to mean if you do not.
These are just old maiden tales to convince you to neuter the Goldendoodle. You could cause more behavioral changes BY neutering your Goldendoodle.
Not Everyone Agrees With ‘Fixing’ Pets
As is the case with everything that occurs naturally, many people are against the idea of neutering or spaying a Goldendoodle. For example, in some countries like Norway, it is frowned upon to neuter a Goldendoodle unless there is a medical cause behind it. Just the aim to control overpopulation is not good enough.
Again, there are places (Los Angeles County) where spaying or neutering your Goldendoodle before the age of four months is a must.
Does Neutering A Goldendoodle Work?
Whether neutering will work depends on why you are doing this to your Goldendoodle. If you aim to control unwanted litter, then it will work.
But, if you want to fix behavioral issues, you may be disappointed, or worse, it could even worsen the issue.
Neutering Dogs DOES NOT Fix Behavioral Issues
One of the main reasons, as mentioned, for neutering dogs is considered to be fixing behavior. Neutering could achieve the exact opposite. Neutering your Goldendoodle may make them more aggressive, excitable, and fearful. Training them may become even harder than it was before neutering.
Neutering Dogs at a Younger Age Can Increase the Risk of Cancer
You may have wondered why the age at which the dog is neutered is a matter of concern. Neutering a puppy too early can lead to many other cancers. While spaying and neutering can prevent cancer for the related organs- it’s only applicable when done during the right time.
Some of the issues a dog neutered too early can develop are:
- Lymphoma
- Mast cell cancer
- Hemangiosarcoma
- Fear of storms
- Behavioral disorders
More Evidence That Neutering a Goldendoodle Cause Damage
A Veterinary Medicine and Science study on 1170 German Shepherds claims that dogs that have not been neutered are less likely to develop joint disorders like hip dysplasia.
It was found that only 7% of dogs that had not been neutered, tracked in 14 years developed one or more joint disorders. On the other hand, 21% of dogs neutered before 12 months developed a joint disease.
Although the study was conducted on German Shepherds, it turned out to be true for Golden retrievers and Goldendoodles. In 2014, a study revealed that Retrievers were twice as likely to develop such a disease after being neutered and Goldendoodles were four times as likely.
It seems, the longer you wait to neuter your Goldendoodle, the better chance they have against joint disorders.
The Limitations of this Study
As with any study, this study, too, has limitations, biases, or errors. The key limitation here is finding the ‘correct’ age that works for all breeds. As each dog is different from the other.
For example, the study Vizslas may not work equally for Goldendoodles, just like the study on German Shepherds. It is also essential to be aware of any biases. A dog owner may want to justify his decision to neuter a Goldendoodle and downplay the researcher’s behavior issues. So, the truth of the information collected can too be questioned.
What can we learn from these studies about the best age to neuter a Goldendoodle?
The studies show that the result of the researches being done is becoming more consistent. This means that even though there are different dog breeds, the correct age for neutering can be around an average for each breed. Furthermore, it has been proved that there is a certain age before which it is not safe to neuter the Goldendoodle.
While some areas remain unconfirmed yet, some facts have been established for this particular canine group.
My Conclusion on the Best Age to Neuter a Goldendoodle
As you can guess from the studies, there seems to be no ‘best’ age for the different dogs for neutering. However, it is best to neuter the Goldendoodle as late as possible. Or at least, wait until the Goldendoodle is a year old.
You will find that there are always exceptions in different studies, and your pet may be the exception. So, it is best to consider specific circumstances as well.
Final Summary Regarding Females
Waiting too long before spaying a female Goldendoodle could lead to some complications. For example, the dog could get pregnant during its first heat, which could lead to a condition called pyometra. While it is dangerous to the dog’s health, it can be cured too.
If you use your Goldendoodle for various services like hunting, then know that a female in heat cannot serve you well. You are not allowed to enter them in competitions either.
On the opposite end, if you spay your dog too early, it could lead to other health conditions.
Final Summary Regarding Males
Taking your time to neuter a male Goldendoodle does not have many risks. There are not many reasons you should have to neuter because it won’t deal with their behavioral issues. Moreover, neutering can lead to more troubles involving the joints. But, even if you do neuter, remember to do this after the one-year mark.
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