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Should I neuter my puppy early or wait until he's 6 months old?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Goldendoodle | Male | unneutered | 2 months and 2 days old | 10 lbs

I live in NYC. I was told my puppy can't be neutered until 6 months of age, but I know several owners who's pup was neutered before they got him at 8 wks of age. Is it accurate that I should wait until he is 6 months? Do you recommend waiting longer to give him a chance to feel more masculine while he develops (I have also heard that is a good thing). Please let me know, thank you!

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Stacey Anstaett, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 21st, 2018

By convention, the general recommendation often 4-8 months, though early spy/neuter is common especially in shelters. A male dog who reaches sexual maturity before being neutered will grow into a “stalkier” build typically. There are also studies suggesting that waiting to neuter decrease the risk of knee problems and some types of cancers. However, he is also more likely to develop behavioral problems. With ages over 2, unneutered dogs are at a MUCH higher risk of overall health problems. I’d recommend talking to your vet about what their thoughts are. I don’t think there’s any significant difference in early neutering and neutering at 6 months of age. Here’s a couple of articles to consider: http://www.vrcc.com/oncology/does-early-castration-increase-the-risk-of-cancer-in-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/early-spays-neuters/ For what it’s worth, I don’t think it’s wrong to do it at 6 weeks and I don’t think it’s wrong to do it at 2 years. I DO think it’s wrong to just decide to NOT do it all together. I hope that’s helpful... I realize it may just muddy the waters more for you, and I apologize! Talk to your vet about what he or she recommends and the two of you can come up with the best plan for Diggy.

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    Answered By Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 18th, 2017

    Early neutering is of more concern in large and giant breeds and the increase in any risks is actually quite small so in your situation, early neutering at 6months may be advisable. Monitor body condition and weight management as this is a significant factor in many complications in older dogs

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    Answered By Dr. Kristin DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 13th, 2018

    This is a controversial topic. Many veterinarians still recommend around 6 months of age, as this is when a female dog typically comes into her first heat cycle. In recent years however, there has been more of a push to spay and neuter after 1 year of age when growth has stopped. Based on research, this might be more of a concern with larger breed dogs. For Jazzy, I would likely still recommend 6 months of age.

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