I've heard recommendations each way. I'm inclined to "after" but if there's a contrary consensus I'm willing to do whatever is best for the little setter.

I like to wait until a year old to either spay or neuter. By then all the hormones needed for growth and development are in place.

Just my humble opinion

Everyone has an opinion on this... I wait until they are at least 4 to do it... due to allowing them to fully mature.

I have heard several times to wait until the dog is fully mature. I am going to let my Catahoula have a litter of puppies her 2nd or third heat before I have her spayed.

What they said. Another reason besides letting her fully develop is reducing the chance of incontinence Look up the opinions and stats, some by veterinarians on incontinence developing in female dogs that are spayed too young. We've had two female Labs. One wasn't spayed until she was over three years old and had a litter of pups. She lived to 13 years and never had a problem with incontinence. The other was spayed as a pup before her first heat. She also lived to be 13 but was incontinent before she was four years old. Did some research on this and found out it doesn't always happen but happens often enough to not take a chance on.

My vet said at least one heat cycle to make sure all the growth is complete. After that, the risk of mammary cancer goes up quite a bit from 8% to 25% and stays there. My understanding is the risk for mammary cancer is less than 1% if spayed before the first heat cycle. My dog went through one heat cycle, and then I waited until before I thought she might get her next one to make sure she was fully grown.

It's a pet peeve of mine, as spaying has sooo many negatives -- weight gain with all the associated problems, coat problems, incontinence, the list is long. But all you hear from the vets is "mammary cancer, mammary cancer, mammary cancer". The redhead spayed the Doberman, and sure enough, fat and incontinent. Thanks, Doc! Swell advice!

Thanks for all the opinion contributions so far.

One thing I wish I would have done was a laparoscopic spay. Less damage to the body and faster healing time. It costs more, but I would have done it had I known.

Good to know. Thanks.

I can promise you if you poll any number of vets, breeders, trainers, expert handlers etc, you will not get a consensus of opinion.

Ive done it both ways and never really noticed a difference.

You may be correct, but the learned Fire members seem to lean towards waiting. I would hate to have her come in for the first time when I'm on the road.

“Current research suggests optimal timing of spay or neuter is after the growth plates of the growing skeleton close. In most dogs this is finished at 18 months of age. Estrogen and testerone influence bone development and growth and removal of those hormones by spaying or neutering alters growth plate closure.”

“Studies show that early spay/neuter does affect the growth plate, delaying its closure and causing dogs to grow taller than they should have.”

My Mountain Cur was spayed at 18 months of age after one heat cycle.

Have two GSP, male and female, fixed the male at 8 months old and spayed female at about 6 or 7 months old. They are now 9 years old for the male, weighs 74 lbs, washboard stomach and all muscle, the female weighs 68 lbs also thin and long and all muscle, she did develop incontinence her 4th year. I give her cranberry supplements and it seems to work most of the time unless she is extremely tired and hot after she has been running a lot, when she cools down she's dry. I also feed them turkey low sodium hot dogs for dinner every day unless we have table scraps or game liver, heart, kidneys and scrap meat which they love.