Found this thread useful, but would like to hear more of your opinions:
http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=51139&highlight=dog+spaying
We have a 6 month old retriever and intend to spay, we live in rural area where there are lots of dogs about and our garden not 100% fenced in. We have to decide when to spay i.e. asap, before first heat, or afterwards.
Our vet suggested waiting until after the first heat is over if we wanted to enable the dog to 'mature and develop adult sensibilities'. In other words, if you spay her before heat it will prolong/perpetuate puppy-hood in the animal and make it harder to train her etc. Has anyone heard this opinion before? Is it credible? I have to say the vet has been very good in dealings we've had over the years.
We have a young family and Mrs Igloo is not in a position to watch the dog 24/7 while she (the dog..) is in heat. So do we keep her indoors and take her out on the lead for toilet breaks? Do we get ear-plugs to keep the neighbouring mutts from preventing us sleep? Is there any kind of 'product' to prevent anything more than casual sniffing.. if you know what I mean..??
http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=51139&highlight=dog+spaying
We have a 6 month old retriever and intend to spay, we live in rural area where there are lots of dogs about and our garden not 100% fenced in. We have to decide when to spay i.e. asap, before first heat, or afterwards.
Our vet suggested waiting until after the first heat is over if we wanted to enable the dog to 'mature and develop adult sensibilities'. In other words, if you spay her before heat it will prolong/perpetuate puppy-hood in the animal and make it harder to train her etc. Has anyone heard this opinion before? Is it credible? I have to say the vet has been very good in dealings we've had over the years.
We have a young family and Mrs Igloo is not in a position to watch the dog 24/7 while she (the dog..) is in heat. So do we keep her indoors and take her out on the lead for toilet breaks? Do we get ear-plugs to keep the neighbouring mutts from preventing us sleep? Is there any kind of 'product' to prevent anything more than casual sniffing.. if you know what I mean..??