When to spay a Giant Breed Dog?

**lute** · 05-04-2006, 08:24 PM

it's really up to you. if you want the lower risk of breast cancer i would spay her now. a lot of dane owners wait until after a year because they aren't fully developed yet. i personally would spay her now, but that is just me.

**Lori Jordan** · 05-04-2006, 08:57 PM

My Newf was done at 9 months old!

**Crazy-Cat-Lover** · 05-05-2006, 05:30 AM

Bailey won't be neutered until he is at least 12 months old. Your breeder knows best, so I would ask him/her what the best age to spay her is.

**Pam** · 05-05-2006, 07:36 AM

My daughter has a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. The vet wanted to spay her at six months but the breeder insisted that she wait until she was a year old. My daughter went with the breeder's suggestion because he has been raising Swissies (large breed dog) for many years.

My co-worker has a lab. Her breeder also said to wait until her puppy was a year old. Once again, the vet disagreed but she followed the breeder's advice.

**wolfsoul** · 05-05-2006, 10:03 AM

My vet prefers to do large/giant breeds at 1-2 years old. Spaying and neutering affects the growth of the dog. The earlier you do it, the longer the growth plates stay open. This doesn't let the dog grow properly. In a study done on large breed dogs, there was a higher risk of bone cancer developing on dogs spayed at six months than the chance of uterine/testicular etc cancer developing after two years. I would wait until atleast a year. Being around dogs that aren't spayed/neutered everyday, I have to say that these dogs have a much better body structure because they were allowed to grow properly. A great dane, being a giant breed with alot of bone/joint issues in general, should have that extra time to grow properly, in my opinion.