Spaying ...your opinions , please .

[Cagedbirdsinging]

I have a beautiful , healthy , sturdy , muscular , sweet-natured six year old Jack Russell terrier .
She has no behavioural issues or complexes .
Her seasons can be quite intense (I always know when they are imminent) ; she had dysmenorrhoea last time and experienced a false pregnancy three years ago .
Her seasons aren't a problem to either of us , she tidies herself up and I do an extra wash each day .
All my previous dogs , also rescues , had been spayed before I brought them home or were spayed soon after- as was considered the done thing , but I'm having a rethink this time .
We women need our hormones for our physical and mental health , especially our bone and reproductive health(whether we choose to reproduce or not) so is it not the same for bitches ?
Incidentally , I considered letting her have a litter of puppies but I have not been well enough .
Any thoughts , please ?

Get her spayed and don't add to the over population of dogs in this country.
The main reason for spaying now is lowering the risk of pyometra. If she has an 'open' pyo at least you know about it but they can have 'closed; pyo and you have no clue until the bitch is very ill and needs urgent surgery.
Spaying young bitches can cause problems with bladder issues and metabolic and bone issues but at 6 years the risk of all that is past anyway. I would get her spayed.

I would get her spayed for health reasons. Pyometra can be fatal if it isn't caught early enough.

Puppies - you need to be prepared to give up 8 weeks of your life and it is possible to loose the bitch and all the pups and have a huge bill.
Pyometra - 25% of unspayed bitches over the age of 8 get a pyo every year. This is a life threatening condition that we are good at treating now, but some dogs still die.

Please do not let her have a litter. She does not need one for her health, and there are enough dogs in the world.
Yes, get her spayed to prevent life threatening problems.

She's probably too old for a first litter.

I'm not sure how high the risk of pyo is, but it's the one thing that I worry about, and the risk would encourage me to spay a bitch.

Get her spayed.

More positive reasons for spaying that not spaying. I always spay any bitches that I have but at the appropriate time 6 years is fine

Why would you “let” her have a litter? Dogs don’t have a desire for offspring.
If her seasons are an issue then yes spay. Also then no risk of pyo.

She doesn't "want" a litter. Please spay her. She'll be happier and healthier

She's too old to have a litter.
Pyometra becomes more likely the more seasons she has and could kill her.

Spay your dog.