Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

What's the best age to neuter my male Golden puppy if I might breed?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Golden Retriever | Male | neutered | 3 months and 8 days old

What's a good age to neuter a male golden puppy? Hes still too young right now, but I wanna get some feedback early because I've gotten mixed answers. My brother (who's owned multiple goldens) said never before 2 years. I've seen on the internet a year, and some people never get it done! We've been considering breeding him with my cousins golden, but we're not sure yet. Any advice?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 23rd, 2018

I personally recommend neutering around a year of age. The dog will be almost fully grown at that age. If you want to breed Jasper, wait until he is at least a year old before breeding him, but if you are undecided, having him neutered is best for his health. Neutering him prevents testicular tumors and prostate problems. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
New Pet
I am getting a Golden retriever puppy this weekend! He will be 8 weeks old but my husband and I wanted to know when we would be able to neuter him? I know we have to wait for him to physically mature but don't know what age is best.
First of all, Oliver is absolutely adorable! I generally recommend neutering dogs around 5 to 6 months of age before negative hormone-fueled behaviors have a chance to develop. However, there is a lot of controversy even amongst veterinarians as to the best age to neuter dogs. Good, controlled studies are lacking as to the risks/benefits of neutering younger versus at full maturity. I hope this helps and that you enjoy your new furry addition!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have an eight month old golden doodle and wanting to know when the right time to get him neutered? He is 50lbs. Now or wait? Thanks
This is one of those controversies in veterinary medicine right now. You ask 10 vets you are likely to get 7-8 different answers (opinions). My personal opinion is to wait until he is at least 18 months old to have him neutered. There have been some studies done that show that early neutering in large breed dogs may cause laxity in tendons/ligaments which may increase the chances of cruciate ligament tears in the knees later in life. My only caveat to that 18 month rule is if the dog is having behaviorial issues. In those cases I would neuter sooner. Hope this helps. Best wishes.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have been advised by several well meaning individuals that the ideal age for neutering a dog like mine is 2 years old as neutering before then can interfere with his growth & cause possible health issues like joint problems. So at what age should w
There are vets who advocate neutering male dogs around two years of age, and that's fine. In female dogs, it's best to spay them before their first heat to lower the risk of developing mammary tumors, but there isn't that worry in male dogs. You can wait until Bo is two to have him neutered. Personally, I recommend around now, but it's your decision. I hope this helps.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
We have a 6 mth old male lab that we are not planning to breed. What recommendations on neutering do you have?
This is an awesome question! Personally I recommend not neutering Gus until he is at least a year old. This allows him to grow and mature, and some vets will recommend waiting until he is two years old. There will be no health risks associated with waiting until he is two to neuter him. The only concern is that he gets free and mates with a female in heat. If you can keep him away from all intact females, it's fine to wait until he is a year old. Now there isn't a concern if you want to neuter him now, but I personally recommend waiting until a year of age. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I wanna see about neutering Heisenberg. But im facing a delima of doing it or not. Some are for and the rests are against and claim not having any problem with their boy and his health condition. He’s now sometimes showing his lipstick and even havin
I recommend neutering all male dogs. It reduces the incidence of prostatic cancer, testicular cancer and venereal cancer. Usually it will improve the roaming, fighting and sexual behavior you are seeing. I think neutered dogs tend to be better human companions since they are more focused on their owners instead of being hormone driven. Since you have a larger breed dog it’s best to neuter them when they are mostly full grown. That varies by breed but I’d have him neutered between twelve and sixteen months. If his behavior worsens then I have it done regardless of age. Thanks for using Boop by Petco to help you care for Heisenberg.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My pet was 8 months old how can i know he was ready to mate?and is it ok to not mate him entire his life? It’s not ok then is it ok to get him mate with any dog which was not vaccinated?and how many times in a year I suppose to do him so??
Henry is still too young to mate. It’s recommended to wait until a male is at least 2 years years old to breed. Also, if there is a problem with pet over population, it is not recommended to add to the problem by breeding dogs who are not purebred and registered. If there are not enough homes for dogs, then adding more dogs is not the solution. Males will be fine not breeding ever. It will not affect their health but it is recommended to neuter dogs. Neutering dogs has many health benefits and decreases behavioral problems such as aggression and dominance issues. Henry is old enough to be neutered. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Should giant breed dogs be neutered or does early neutering cause health problems?
Thank you for posting this question. The current recommendation is to wait until these large and giant breed dogs are skeletally mature prior to neutering. This occurs somewhere between 12-18 months depending on the size /breed of dog. This is thought to help limit the amount of arthritic change as they age. Thank you for using Pet Coach.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, I have a male Queensland Heeler and I am wondering what age I should have him neutered. There is a lot of conflicting information online. My parents told me that their vet recommended 6 months, but my vet told me that for larger breed dogs, you c
Great question! There are pros and cons to neutering at different ages, so ultimately it comes down to your personal preference. The biggest advantage of neutering around six months or so, is that this will normally prevent the development of problematic "boy behaviors" such as urine marking, wanting to mount other dogs, not getting along with other intact males, and wanting to roam constantly in search of female dogs. There is some evidence that early neutering (before the dog is finished growing) can increase the risk of certain orthopedic issues like hip dysplasia or cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures later in life, especially in large-breed or very athletic dogs. So, this is something to take into account as well. Personally, I have always neutered my male dogs at around 10-12 months of age, when they're still fairly young but finished growing for the most part. Most of my clients choose to neuter around 6 months of age to avoid the behavior issues mentioned above. But ult
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
185# and not even 2 yrs old. Will neutering at this age encourage hi- displacia or other bone problems?
In large breed dogs (i..e Golden Retriever, Labs, Rottweilers, etc) the newer recommendations is to wait until the pet is 2-3 years of age before neutering to decrease the chances of inadvertently causing bone cancer. So I would recommend waiting a bit longer.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I recently got a golden retriever puppy He's 85 days old. I got to know that one of the testicles didn't descend down to the place. Should i be worried? What should i do about it? Is neutering safe for my puppy? When should i get it done and does it
Neutering is safe and is very highly recommended. Simba likely is cryptorchid, which means one testicle is retained in the body and hasn't descended. Leaving it leads to a higher incidence of cancer and testicular torsion later in later. You can wait until he is a year old to neuter him.
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Dog Supplies Dog Food Dog Toys Dog Health & Wellness Premium Dog Food Dog Food With Grain Dog Medicine and Prescriptions Large Breed Dog Food Pet Pharmacy Puppy Food Puppy Puppy Naturals Nutro Puppy Food Solid Gold Dog Health & Wellness KennelMaster Dog Helios Solid Gold Dog Supplies Puppy Go Potty Nutro Large Breed Dog Food Natural Choice Puppy Food
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored