Best Age To Neuter a Male Golden Retriever

The best age to neuter a male golden retriever is after one year old – at least, that’s what recent studies suggest.

Early fixing has many potential health implications for golden retrievers, so it’s best not to rush with the surgery.

Unfortunately, many breeders and owners aren’t aware of the consequences of neutering large breed dogs too early, only caring about overpopulation. Some also believe neutering reduces unwanted behaviors.

Research proves otherwise. In fact, it’s better to neuter a five-year-old dog than a six-month-old puppy. You can fix your dog even at old age, assuming it doesn’t have contraindications to surgery.

Consulting a veterinarian to determine the best age to fix your dog is always a great idea because they will evaluate your pet’s overall health state and developmental progress.

Joint Issues

Consider the implications of early neutering when thinking about the age to fix your dog. The primary risk of early neutering for golden retrievers is incorrect joint development leading to mobility issues in the long term.

Join issues can occur in female and male dogs from early fixing and are particularly common with medium to large breeds. You might struggle to see the relation of the reproductive system to joints, but there’s a simple explanation.

Growth plates, the cartilage zones at the ends of your dog’s bones, are responsible for bone growth. At first, growth plates are soft and vulnerable to injury. Eventually, they harden and become a solid part of the bone.

Golden retriever growth plates close between 12 and 18 months old, depending on the dog’s genetics. When the dog goes into puberty, its body begins producing sex hormones, one of which is crucial for bone growth regulation.

Neutering affects these hormones, thus depriving the growth plates of a vital regulatory input. Fixing postpones growth plate closure, making the bones grow longer than they should and increasing the strain on joints.

In other words, early neutering can make your golden retriever larger than it should and make its bones and joints more fragile. Numerous studies have proven that early neutered dogs are several times more likely to develop joint problems than those fixed after one-year-old.

Joint issues cause the dog pain when moving, making it lose interest in exercise, affecting the posture and gait, and, sometimes, causing behavioral changes like aggression or lethargy.

The risk of hip dysplasia in early neutered male dogs doubles. Some dogs also experience canine cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture, a condition that costs over $1 billion annually to treat.

Cancer Risk

Golden retrievers are prone to cancer as a breed. Over 60% of all golden retrievers in the U.S. develop cancer at some point in their lives, and it’s the most common cause of death in the breed.

Unfortunately, early neutering can contribute to cancer risk. Studies show an increased likelihood of lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma, and mast cell tumors in dogs fixed before one year old.

In 2013, veterinarians from the University of California examined 769 golden retriever records, striving to find a link between early neutering and cancer. They concluded that early fixing increased cancer risk by three times on average.

The results depend on the dog’s neutering age and gender. For example, fixing at the age of under one-year-old increased lymphoma risk in male golden retrievers more than in females.

Interestingly, the study also found other breeds, like Labrador retrievers, weren’t at such a high risk of cancer due to early fixing as golden retrievers.

Another study from 2020 concluded that early fixing increases cancer risk in golden retrievers and German shepherds more than in any other dog breed.

An interesting observation is that early fixing can decrease mammary cancer risk in female golden retrievers, but early neutering has no such benefits for male goldens.

Hypothyroidism

Another common golden retriever health problem is hypothyroidism or a lack of thyroid hormone. The thyroid gland responsible for hormone production is located on the dog’s neck and regulates metabolic function.

When thyroid levels get too low, the dog’s metabolism slows down, causing rapid weight gain, lethargy, exercise intolerance, dull coat, dry skin, and behavioral changes. You can manage the condition with daily hormonal medications.

Studies show that early fixing increases hypothyroidism risk by 60% in female golden retrievers and a whopping 80% in male goldens. Unless you want your dog to be on medications daily for the rest of its life, consider postponing the procedure.

Behavior

Apart from the physical health state, neutering can affect the dog’s behavior. Many owners fix their dogs early to reduce humping and make the dog calmer. However, some studies suggest early neutering increases behavior disorder risk in golden retrievers.

Problems found in the study include storm phobia, separation anxiety, timidity, aggression, excess excitability, hyperactivity, and fear-biting. A 2010 study also found that neutered dogs are less trainable than intact dogs.

The results contradict a popular belief that neutering reduces aggression in male dogs. Neutering helps reduce mating aggression, but it can lead to fear and anxiety aggression.

Other Risks

Joint disorders, cancer, hypothyroidism, and behavior changes aren’t the only early dog neutering risks. Sex hormones play a role in regulating many functions in your dog’s body, including cholesterol levels, muscle tone, cognition, homeostasis, body condition, and urinary continence.

Reproductive hormones also play a role in the immune system. We still need more research to determine all the cons of neutering a dog early, but we can already conclude it isn’t a good fix for the overpopulation problem.

Contrary to popular belief that neutering makes dogs fat, your golden retriever can easily maintain its weight if you adjust its diet. Neutered dogs need about 20% fewer calories than intact dogs.

Benefits of Early Neutering

If there are so many risks associated with early fixing, why do some vets insist on neutering dogs under one year old? The reason for this is population control. Roughly 650,000 dogs in the U.S. are euthanized each year.

Shelter workers and veterinarians are concerned about overpopulation, often neglecting the health risks early fixing poses to a particular dog. However, this point isn’t convincing enough for a responsible owner who won’t let their dog mate with strays.

For female golden retrievers, the early fixing can reduce the risk of mammary tumor development, which is a major point in favor of the procedure. However, early neutering doesn’t have such benefits for male golden retrievers.

The Ideal Age

The best age to neuter a golden retriever is after one year old. The dog will already be fully grown, with an established immune system and proper function of all bodily systems.

If your dog doesn’t show excessive humping or mating aggression, you can postpone neutering until 18 months old because bone growth plates don’t close as soon as your dog turns one year old.

Ideally, you should track your dog’s development and consult a vet to determine the perfect time to neuter your pet.

If your contract doesn’t specify you must neuter your dog and your golden’s reproductive instincts are moderate, you might not even need to fix it. Golden retriever neutering benefits are far less convincing than risks.

Can You Neuter a Senior Dog?

If you took in a rescue golden retriever or never thought about fixing before, you might wonder whether you can neuter a senior dog. The primary risk of neutering an old dog is anesthesia.

However, your dog should be ok at the hands of a competent veterinarian, assuming they conduct a complete blood count and other necessary tests beforehand.

A senior dog won’t get lazy or fat after neutering if you provide it with sufficient exercise and adjust its calorie intake. It also shouldn’t change the behavior as much as young dogs.

However, most senior dogs don’t need to be neutered. Any surgery is risky, and if your dog has lived for years without neutering, it is unlikely to cause you problems further.

What If the Breeder Insists on Early Neutering?

Despite the risks of early neutering, some breeders insist owners fix their dogs until six months old. Some do it to prevent owners from breeding competition, whereas others aren’t aware of all the consequences.

If your dog breeder insists on early neutering, have a talk with them first. Inform them about all the risks and ask whether you can postpone the procedure. Often, a simple dialogue is enough to resolve the problem.

If the breeder is still insistent, check your contract. Many breeders specify the time frame you can fix the dog in the papers. If the contract explicitly says you must neuter the dog before one year old, it’s best to look for a different breeder.

Don’t breach the contract because you might fall under legal investigation. You might also ask your veterinarian to talk to the breeder. However, this solution might not be effective if the breeder’s veterinarian sees no problem in early fixing.

Remember that the breeder won’t live with the consequences of early neutering – you will. If you cannot convince them to postpone fixing, it’s best not to risk it and get a puppy elsewhere.