Should You Wait to Spay or Neuter Your Dog?

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Looking Beyond the Usual Conversation

Most conversations about spay/neuter focus on physical health and population control — both important factors. But timing also plays a role in behavior, brain development, and emotional regulation, and this side of the equation is often less discussed.

Even within the veterinary community, opinions differ. Some recommend early spay/neuter based on public health goals or longstanding protocols, while others favor waiting until after maturity. Neither approach is inherently “wrong” — but both benefit from being tailored to the individual dog.

With over 20 years in veterinary medicine as a licensed veterinary technician — including shelter experience — and certified professional credentials in canine behavior and training, I work in the rare intersection of two worlds that often operate separately. My role is to help you navigate where medical science and behavior science meet, so you can make a choice that serves your dog as an individual.

Defining “Early” vs. “Waiting”

Early Spay/Neuter

• Usually performed before 6 months of age, often between 8–16 weeks in shelter or rescue settings.

• Main goal: prevent accidental litters and reduce shelter overpopulation as early as possible.

“Waiting” or Post-Maturity Spay/Neuter

• Typically means delaying surgery until after physical and hormonal maturity, which can range from 12–24 months depending on breed and size.

• Large and giant breeds often benefit from the longer end of this range to allow growth plates to close and hormones to complete their developmental role

Key Developmental Milestones

Puppyhood (Birth–~6 months)

• Rapid brain development and critical socialization period.

• Hormones present but not in full effect.

• Early surgery here removes hormones before adolescence, influencing confidence, stress recovery, and growth patterns.

Adolescence (~6–18 months, breed-dependent)

• Surge of sex hormones shapes secondary characteristics and social behavior.

• Brain regions for impulse control are still developing.

• Growth plates closing (later in larger breeds).

Mature Adulthood (~18+ months, breed-dependent)

• Skeletal maturity reached; hormonal cycles stabilize.

• Behavior less volatile, but habits now ingrained.

How Spay or Neuter Can Influence Behavior

Effects aren’t one-size-fits-all. Across studies, neuter most consistently reduces certain hormone-linked behaviors — but these are often misunderstood by owners. Here’s how they show up in real life:

• Humping: Often sexual in intact dogs, but can also be excitement, anxiety, or play-related in both intact and spayed/neutered dogs.

• Mounting: May be directed toward dogs, people, or objects. Unlike humping, it can simply be placing forelegs on another dog’s back without thrusting.

• Roaming: Strong urge to escape the yard or dash off on walks in search of a mate. In veterinary practice, when a dog presents after a hit-by-car, it frequently turns out to be an intact male — a pattern reported alongside higher roaming in intact dogs. This doesn’t mean an intact dog will be hit; it means risk is higher if roaming isn’t managed. Think “teenage boy, one-track mind.”

• Persistent urine marking: Especially indoors or on high-traffic outdoor spots, often triggered by scents from other animals.

• Social tension with other dogs: Posturing, hard staring, or quick “drive by” challenges toward other intact dogs of the same sex.

Potential Benefits of Waiting

• Orthopedic health: Allowing growth plates to close may reduce certain joint issues (breed- and sex-dependent).

• Behavioral stability: Hormones can support confidence, impulse control, and learning during adolescence.

• Better individual data: Waiting lets you see your dog’s temperament, health, and behavior pattern before deciding.

When Early Spay/Neuter May Benefit Behavior

• Severe hormone-driven behaviors: Repeated humping of dogs/people despite training; escaping/roaming to find a mate; intense same-sex tension in multi-dog homes.

• Household management needs: Heat cycles in females are unmanageable or create ongoing stress.

• High-risk living situations: Multi-dog homes with intact males and females, or environments where accidental breeding risk is high.

The Behavior Connection

Spay/neuter is not a magic fix for behavior problems. Surgery alone won’t stop, start, or erase behaviors. Hormones influence behavior — but structure, training, enrichment, and consistency are what create lasting change.

Key Takeaways

• There’s no universal “right age” — it’s case-by-case.

• Know the physical, cognitive, and behavioral milestones your dog is moving through.

• Early spay/neuter may help in certain high-risk or unmanageable situations.

• Surgery is never a replacement for behavior modification.

Closing Thoughts

Your veterinarian is an essential partner in your dog’s medical health. My role is to help you bring the behavioral and developmental picture into that same conversation. When you combine these perspectives, you can make a confident, informed decision that supports your dog now and for years to come.

Next up: I’ll be sharing an article on ovary-sparing spay and vasectomy for males — exploring what the science says about whether these alternatives offer behavioral or cancer-prevention benefits compared to traditional spay/neuter.

Check out our free download Quick Reference Guide: Spay/Neuter Timing Considerations

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Research & Citations: Spay/Neuter Timimg

1. Hart, B.L., Hart, L.A., Thigpen, A.P., Willits, N.H. (2020). Long-Term Health Effects of Neutering

Dogs: Comparison of Labrador Retrievers with Golden Retrievers. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7,

570912. doi:10.3389/fvets.2020.00570

2. McGreevy, P.D., Wilson, B., Starling, M.J., Serpell, J.A. (2018). Behavioural risks in male dogs with

minimal lifetime exposure to gonadal hormones may complicate population-control benefits of

desexing. PLoS ONE, 13(5): e0196284.

3. Zink, M.C., Farhoody, P., Elser, S.E., Ruffini, L.D., Gibbons, T.A., Rieger, R.H. (2014). Evaluation of

the risk and age of onset of cancer and behavioral disorders in gonadectomized Vizslas. Journal of the

American Veterinary Medical Association, 244(3), 309–319.

4. Spain, C.V., Scarlett, J.M., Houpt, K.A. (2004). Long-term risks and benefits of early-age

gonadectomy in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 224(3), 380–387.

5. Salmeri, K.R., Bloomberg, M.S., Scruggs, S.L., Shille, V.M. (1991). Gonadectomy in immature dogs:

Effects on skeletal, physical, and behavioral development. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical

Association, 198(7), 1193–1203.

6. O’Neill, D.G., et al. (2020). Epidemiology of road traffic accidents in dogs under primary veterinary

care in the UK. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 61(6), 354–362