| Why Does My Puppy Arrive Already Neutered? |
| Information about Westwood Labradoodles |
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| Most people will agree that spaying or neutering your Labradoodle or Goldendoodle is a good idea. Many times, neutered animals are far better pets because their focus is on you, their pack leader, instead of on finding a mate. They are more compliant......85% of bites are by unneutered dogs. And they are healthier, with a much lower risk of reproductive disorders. The question remains in some minds though, "What is the best time to spay or neuter a pet?" A Labradoodle or Goldendoodle, from Westwood, and from many other breeders, will arrive at it's new home already neutered, with the surgery usually having been done at 8 or 9 weeks of age. This is done for several reasons. Most people assume the reason is to prevent people from 'stealing' breeding lines, or breeding without permission. While breeders who do pediatric neutering are painstaking in their choice of breeding lines and breeding stock, and protecting those lines is certainly a consideration, the prevention of additional puppies in animal shelters is their real concern. Between 4 and 6 million animals are euthanized in shelters in the US each year. It is the number one cause of death of pets in the United States. A recent study in Australia showed that, while 39% of Australian dogs are unneutered, 79% of dogs in Australian shelters are unneutered males. No one adopts a pet with the intention of giving it up to a shelter, and few people adopt dogs expecting an accidental breeding. Despite people's best intentions, these things happen. So good breeders do their best to screen a puppy's prospective home to make sure they are truly a forever home, and desex the puppies before they leave to make sure those forever families never have to handle an 'oops' litter. Another reason is that, while reputable breeders do their best to screen families to make sure their puppies are going only to the most loving of homes, it is a risk that any puppy sold intact could end up producing puppies in a puppy mill, with quality of life so poor it is hard to imagine. So breeders who spay and neuter their puppies before releasing them to new homes are doing so because it benefits the puppies AND the new families. A great deal of research has been done in the last 30 years in the area of pediatric spaying and neutering. While some will point to a couple of fairly poorly done studies claiming a higher incidence of incontinence in dogs spayed before 6 months, the VAST body of research indicates this is not so. Others will also claim there is a higher incidence of hip dysplasia in this population. Again, the research does not support this. There IS a great deal of research showing pediatric spaying and neutering requires less anesthesia, and results in much faster recovery than traditional desexing procedures. Breeders who do pediatric desexing find it is easier on the pups and better for their new families. If you are interested in research citations regarding pediatric spaying and neutering, please ask! We would be happy to supply them. |
| Information about Labradoodles |
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| Westwood Labradoodles: Dogs and photos |