97 Tips for Raising Labs
Following are approximately 97 questions readers of BigYellowDog.com submitted in recent years. They were answered by a licensed veterinarian on the site as a general service to all Lab owners. This information is for general reference only. Always consult your veterinarian for any questions about your Lab's health. We hope this information is somewhat helpful. At this time, we are not accepting any more questions.
Question
At what age do you suggest having a male pup neutered? My vet has told me that if I have my dog neutered too soon, his head will not grow to full size and that the size of the head is hormone related. My dog is eight months old now and I would love to know if there is any truth to this theory. I would truly appreciate your opinion. My husband is an orthopedist and he thinks this sort of makes sense and if this is true at what point is the head full grown?
Answer
The size a dog grows is not related to whether he is neutered. It is determined by the dog's parents and genes. The problem with waiting to neuter your puppy is that bad habits such as marking territory and other dominating acts such as hunching my occur and become a behavioral problem. If he is neutered before this behavior starts, chances are there will not be a problem. We suggest puppies be neutered after their last set of vaccinations - or the age of 4-6 months of age. This is a very individual decision and varies from veterinarian to veterinarian.
