Thanks to the research, we now know that early spaying or neutering dogs can have a negative impact on their health. While there are many valid reasons to spay or neuter our dogs, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of the timing before making that decision. In this article, we’ll discuss how dog breeders are impacting the lives of dogs by forcing dog parents to spay or neuter their dogs at an early age. We’ll also explore ways breeders can protect their bloodline AND also put dog’s health first.
Full disclosure: Although this post is specifically addressing doodle breeders, my plead is to all dog breeder alike.
Dog Breeders Spay/Neuter Clause
Most Goldendoodle or Labradoodle puppy breeders have a clause in their contract requiring you, the dog parent, to spay or neuter the puppy by 6-8 months of age (some even sooner!). Refusal to do so can lead to various consequences including the termination of the health guarantee and a possible lawsuit for breach of contract.
Breeders argue for this spay/neutering requirement by stating a number of reasons, one of which is reducing the risk of mammary tumors in female dogs. Unfortunately, this remains a theory. A UK Study published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice whose objective was to estimate the magnitude and strength of evidence for any effect of neutering, or age of neutering, on the risk of mammary tumors concluded that:
Due to the limited evidence available and the risk of bias in the published results, the evidence that neutering reduces the risk of mammary neoplasia, and the evidence that age at neutering has an effect, are judged to be weak and are not a sound basis for firm recommendations.
2012 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.
Research based on the Veterinary Medical Database from 1982 to 1995 identified 1,383 dogs with tumors of the heart from a total population of 729,265 dogs. In their review researchers concluded:
“The risk for castrated males was slightly greater than that for intact males, which had 2.4 times the relative risk of intact females. Thus, neutering appeared to increase the risk of cardiac tumor in both sexes. Intact females were least likely to develop a cardiac tumor, whereas spayed females were most likely to develop a tumor. “
Cardiac tumors in dogs: 1982-1995 – PubMed (nih.gov)
Current research is showing that dogs who are spayed or neutered at an early age are more likely to develop health problems, including:
- Abnormal bone growth
- urinary incontinence
- Hip Dysplasia
- Bone Cancer
- Immune related issues
- Obesity
So what is considered an early age?
A study was recently conducted in UC Davis to “offer readers some evidence-based information on breed-specific differences with vulnerability to neutering, including suggested guidelines for neutering ages to avoid increasing long-term health risks of neutering, if any. A secondary, unforeseen, purpose was to document breed-specific differences in the increases in some cancers associated with removal of gonadal hormones, as an area for possible research on genetic aspects of cancer occurrence.” You can find a link to the guidelines for 35 dog breeds here.
They determined that vulnerability associated with neutering is generally related to body size; with larger breeds being most at risk.
Since we are specifically discussing Labradoodles and Goldendoodles in this article, let’s take a look at the dog breeds that comprise these mixed breeds and the recommended spay/neutering age.
Golden Retriever males should be neutered beyond 11 months; while females should be left intact.
Labrador Retriever males should be neutered beyond 6 months, while females beyond 11 months.
They are no recommendations for Toy Poodles as the study was unable to find any association between the age of the desexing with the risk of joint disorders and cancers.
Miniature Poodle male beyond 11 months. No recommended age for females.
Standard Poodle male beyond 23 months. No recommended age for females.
Cocker Spaniel male beyond 6 months, and females beyond 23 months.
Puppy Contracts
The above is just a few of the many research studies done on the subject. Yet we still see in many Goldendoodle and Labradoodle breeder contracts a spay/neuter clause requiring puppies to be spayed/neutered within six-eight months of age. Below are some examples of the spay/neuter clauses you’ll find online today.
Note: Breeder names are redacted to protect their identity.
Some breeders are requiring desexing as early as eight weeks of age, making this absolute insanity!
At the end of the day, I’m just a passionate dog mom looking out for the health of my dog. But it is precisely this that makes me scream to the rooftops to anyone that would listen. Dog breeders first responsibility should be to the dogs they are bringing into this world. And although I understand that dog breeding is a business, just like doctors and veterinarians, breeders must first do no harm. They need to focus more on dog health than their bottom line and protection of the breed.
I plead to all dog breeders to put the health of their dogs first and re-think their spay/neuter contract clause. It can be done. Let’s take Dreamy Doodles as an example of how we can make this right:
The Spay and Neuter Agreement
This is a “Pet Only” puppy sale. Breeding rights and AKC/CKC registration paperwork are not offered or included with the price of this puppy. With the signing of this contract the Buyer(s) agree and understand this puppy is not to be used for breeding. If this puppy is ever used for breeding without Dreamydoodles Northwest knowledge and written permission, this would be considered a breach of contract. A breach of contract would result in Buyer(s) being charged an additional $3,000 to equal the price of a Dreamydoodles puppy sold with breeding rights.
This spay/neuter agreement is meant to protect our puppy/dogs health, as well as the integrity of our Dreamydoodles Northwest bloodlines.
Health Risks of Early Spay/Neuter
Buyer(s) agree NOT to spay or neuter this puppy before the age of 1 years old. Desexing a dog prior to a year old can impact their overall health, bone growth and also increases the risk of cancer and hip/elbow dysplasia. Spaying young females significantly increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer), a common cancer in larger breeds with a poor prognosis. Bone and ligament diseases in spayed female dogs are alarmingly increased.
The risk for hip dysplasia in dogs who are “fixed” before 5 1/2 months old is increased by 70%. Their increased risk for patellar [knee cap] luxation rises by 3 fold. Cranial cruciate ligament rupture increases 2 fold. Given the increased risk for cancer in females spayed at 1 year of age, the most recent recommendation is now to delay spaying females until after they’re 2 years of age.
Dreamydoodles agrees to leave the age up to the buyers discretion, however if the Buyer(s) decide to de-sex this puppy before 1 years old, they’ll no longer be covered under the 2 year genetic health guarantee for hip or elbow dysplasia or any joint/bone diseases that could be directly linked to their early spay/neuter. While hip dysplasia can be genetic it can also be environmental. Weight management, appropriate exercise and proper nutrition are all important factors in avoiding hip dysplasia.
I urge owners to do their own research on the risks of early spay/neuter. If you have access to a vet who’s willing to perform a tubal ligation or vasectomy instead of spay or neuter, please consider that. And remember, you vote with your dollar. Look for breeders that put dogs first.
And to all the amazing dog breeders out there, the ones that are keeping up with the research, the ones that are sacrificing money and time over health, the ones that are admitting when a practice is outdated, thank you!
