Spay before first heat?

[BertBert]

Our vet recommended spaying our puppy before her first heat but I've also been told by our dog trainer that we should let her have her first season.

Vet said there are health benefits from spaying before her first season but the dog trainer said that spaying before her first season can cause behavioural problems.

As a first time dog owner, I haven't got a clue. Can anyone please help?

On the question of spaying/neutering and when, I'm reading so many articles about the negative consequences and now realize that many of them happened to my Jack Russell at 12 years old. Now we have a stray who the vet thinks is about 20 weeks old. Very much second-guessing having her spayed at all now, but don't look forward to the cycles. Not feeling there is a happy alternative now.

Please research this, there is info for and against on-line (a google search will find it). I did, years ago (hence can't remember most of it!) when my dog was a puppy and I was being told that it was 'the right thing to do'. Several things I do recall (apart from the lack of physical and mental maturity mentioned above) one being risk of incontinence (although apparently this can be medicated - so comforting!) and secondly it could make a dominant bitch's behaviour worse, both of which contributed to my decision not to neuter my bitch (she never had puppies either). I'm not a great fan of neutering anyway, it has to be said, but obviously it does make life a lot easier, particularly if you don't ever intend to breed your dogs. And I'm not really saying its not the right thing to do - just do your research!