while i prefer to not spay and neuter at all, i would wait until they are mature for males and females if i am going to do it.
Why is that? And what about mutts and poorly bred dogs. Do you keep them all intact?
yes. my reasons are:
1. i don't like putting my dog through major surgery and removing internal organs.
2. the link posted by BoxMeIn21 references the same information i have seen, which i had posted here recently in another thread. it outlines the
increased health risks associated with spaying/neutering,
some of which may be less of a risk if at least waiting until maturity.
3. while i understand the reasons for spaying/neutering, i believe there are other ways to prevent unwanted breedings (leash, fence, supervision, training), other ways to prevent temperament problems that may or may not be affected by spaying/neutering (training, exercising), other ways to minimize the risks of developing cancer (nutrition, stress reduction).