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Original poster

Whats a good age to get my Labrador male snipped?

15 replies

Totallyfloaty35 · 30/03/2010 12:56

He is 5months at the mo,but i also have an unspayed bitch (she is a chihuahua) i know i should get my girl spayed but my fave pet almost died being spayed years back and the very thought of that happening to my best girl sends me into shivers of horror.
Getting boys done seems a much easier option.

OP posts:

AnAngelWithin · 30/03/2010 12:59

i think vets usually say about 6 months of age?

thighsmadeofcheddar · 30/03/2010 13:42

We did our german shepherd at 8 months. He didn't get humpy before then.

Joolyjoolyjoo · 30/03/2010 13:44

Anywhere after 5 1/2 mths usually.

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 30/03/2010 13:45

You and the hound in question need to read this thread - it doesn't have much relevant advice to answer your question, but is utterly hilarious!

midori1999 · 30/03/2010 14:02

Vets will do it from around 6 months, but IMO, (and most breeders agree with me) once they are fully mature is best, so around aged two for a lab. Humping is behavioural and can almost always be 'nipped in the bud' if you catch it early on.

FAR more health reasons to spay a girl. If you leave her unspayed later on she will be at risk of pyometra which will result in an emergency spay which is far more risky, not least as the dog will be much older then. Or, the pyo may kill her.

If you only want to get one done, get your girl done now and then you can lave it longer to decide on your boy.

Romanarama · 30/03/2010 14:22

midori how do you stop them?????? My goldie is passionately in love with my thighs. It's so annoying.

midori1999 · 30/03/2010 14:28

Tell him not to do it!

Teach him 'off' (distract him with a treat when he does it and then say 'off' the second he does come off, giving him the treat) and once he has learnt the command just use it lots. Or 'no' in a very firm voice works quiet well for most puppies if the 'off' doesn't work well, especially fi combined with clapping of hands. (goes back to 'dark ages' training methods... )

Most young pups, girls or boys, hump anything and everything, but they do grow out of it. Our 'foster' (coughs..) puppy humped everything like mad when we got him, but has now stopped. I had hoped my girls would help discourage him, but sadly, after the intial teaching of manners re: his biting, they let him get away with murder...

izzybiz · 30/03/2010 14:29

Sorry for the hijack but midori what is the best age for a female? My Satff is just over 5 months now and I have recently read that this breed come into season quite early, like 6-7 months sometimes. Do I let her have a couple of seasons first or wait till she is older? TIA

izzybiz · 30/03/2010 14:31

That should say Staff!

midori1999 · 30/03/2010 14:45

IMO, midway between the first and second season is best for health benefits alone.

If you spay prior to the first season you negate the risk almost entirely of mammary tumours, but possibly increase the risk of urinary incontinence in later life and may increase the risk of bone cancers. Some peopel also feel there is an increased likelhood of long term 'puppy like' behaviour in dogs and bitches that are neutered too young. Certainly our breed rescue alone has seen a number of cases liek this as vets increasingly will spay prior to a first season.

If you spay between the first and second season, the only real negative is the risk of mammary tumours then goes up slightly but the increased risk is not signifigant and by spaying prior to the second season you are still reducing the risk hugely. All other benefits are equal wether you spay prior to the first season or between seasons 1 and 2. Obviously you need to be very careful how you manage her if sh eis allowed ot have a season.

Obviously discuss it with your vet, but most vets still suggest between first and second season for bitches.

izzybiz · 30/03/2010 14:51

Thanks for that

beautifulgirls · 30/03/2010 17:02

Actually that is not true - there is no scientific evidence that early spaying increases the risk of urinary incontinance. The risk appears about the same as speying after a season.

I for one am happy to spey early and will be doing so with my own new puppy between 4-6 months of age. The surgical procedure itself is a lot easier and therefore in my opinion safer when they have not had a season first.

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 30/03/2010 17:09

We were strongly advised to have ddog spayed before her first season, because of the negation of the risk of mammary tumours. The vet didn't say anything about the risk of urinary incontinence later in life, or the possible increase in the risk of bone cancers or the likelihood of long term puppy behaviour.

But it is done now, so I'll just have to hope for the best.

Original poster

Totallyfloaty35 · 31/03/2010 15:16

Thankyou all.Will book my girl in.

OP posts:

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 06/04/2010 13:12

We had our choc lab bitch done earlier on in the year, and she recovered very quickly - she seemed pretty much back to normal the next day, though we did have to be careful that she didn't overdo things, and she wasn't allowed off the lead for a fortnight or so - until her stitches were healed.

The vet put a big bandage round her middle to keep her off her stitches, and suggested we put her in a t-shirt as a second level of protection, rather than the Cone of Shame, and that worked well. Initially she borrowed on of ds3's t-shirts, but I have to confess that I went out and bought her a more girlie one from ASDA.

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