Here the dog or cat can be spayed/neutered as early as 9 weeks (as long as the testicles have dropped). It's alot easier on the dog's body because puppies heal alot faster. There are quite a few other benefits as well.

My vet doesn't like to neuter/spay large breed dogs less than a year. She realises that this increases the chances of certain cancers, but neutering beforehand increases the risk of bone cancer by even more. Alot of giant breed owners are starting to realise this, so it is becoming more common to wait until your large or giant breed is a year before spaying and neutering.