Dogs have learnt and cemented most behaviours by 3 ½ years old. It is best to get your dog de-sexed earlier than this, to prevent behavioural issues.
Bonus: after you de-sex your dog, they don’t need as much energy in the form of food, which saves you money!
PROS
- Increases life span
- Eliminates risk of testicular cancer (males)
- Reduces risk of prostate cancer (males)
- Reduces risk of mammary tumours/cancer (females)
- Prevents pyometra (pus-filled uterus, very expensive to treat)
- Prevents heat cycles in females (messy)
- Reduced risk of developing urinary tract infections
- Reduced risk of developing disease due to hormone imbalance (e.g. bad skin)
- Prevents males and females roaming due fertility and hormone cycles
- Urine smells less
- Reduces urge in males to ‘mark’ objects
- Reduces urge to ‘mount’ things
- Reduces hormone output/aggression
- Makes training easier
- Prevents unplanned pregnancy
- Reduced registration/council fees
- Skin is less oily – less smelly
CONS
- Prone to obesity (preventable with strict feeding)
- Unable to reproduce
- Increased risk of developing urinary incontinence.
- If a dog is de-sexed too early, it may affect their growth plates and increases risk of hip dysplasia.
Generally, smaller dogs can be de-sexed earlier than big dogs.
Talk to your veterinary team to decide when the best age is to de-sex your dog.