I am horrified, one of my friends work colleagues has just bought an 8 week old mongrel (labradoodle) which was neutered before being sold!!!!!!  What vet in their right mind would do that and what breeder who loved their dogs would put a baby puppy through that at such a young age!!!!  I am struggling to justify a vet putting a puppy of that age through that.  I told my friend to tell him not to buy the poor wee soul (as it only encourages the breeder to carry on breeding) but unfortunately he already has the pup.  His own vet was apparently not too pleased to find out what had been done.  The only saving grace is that the poor pup now has a fabulous home.  Has anyone else heard of this being done?

no but the new designed cat (cross bred with a serval) is sold nutered. They are worth about £1300 a piece.

The Australian Labradoodle 'code of ethics' (there's a contradiction in terms) requires breeders to neuter pups before sale. I'm sure it's all purely for the health of the animal and not to limit supply and keep prices high for these crossbreeds ...

M.

Yes, sorry to say I have.  A litter of crossbred pups (Australian labdoodles) were sold for £1200.00 at 9 weeks, keyhole surgery neutured at 8 weeks - I nearly wept!

Maybe the 'breeder' assumes that because these puppies can't reproduce she will have more of the market, I can't think for the life of me why she would do it otherwise.  And for the vet who did it 'shame on you'.

> And for the vet who did it 'shame on you'.

Absolutely - Thats awful

no but the new designed cat (cross bred with a serval) is sold nutered.

The majority of cat breeds are sold early neutered these days -they are done at around 13 or 14 weeks of age. The GCCF and FAB even recommend it. Personally I had it done once and never again as it nearly killed the kitten. However neutering cats early does not have the same effects as neutering dogs early -there are far more negative effects with dogs.

I believe it has become popular in the usa ?

> I believe it has become popular in the usa ?

It's pretty standard in NZ as well. When I was looking for a kitten I only found one pet shop that didn't neuter at 6 weeks, even the SPCA did it as standard.  It was done to keep down indiscriminate breeding and to reduce strays.   I can kind of understand that but why should the animals suffer because people can't be responsible?

I knew someone that bought a labradoodle from wales. her pup was neutered b4 she got it. she said she had been told by someone that it would be so the 'breeding' was kept for the 'breeders'
Also a local recue do neuter all pups before they are 8 weeks old.
I remember in the early eighties reading that pups were being neutered in the USA at this age.  I thought then this will come to the UK, what happens there always ends up here.

Gosh I knew it happened in the US but didn't realise that it was happening here.

The rescue centres in the US neuter young puppies don't they but thats a bit more understandable considering the huge number of unwanted dogs out there but for a breeder to do it is just disgusting,those poor puppies,this person should not be breeding.

> but for a breeder to do it is just disgusting

Totally agree.   While I always discuss neutering with new puppy owners, I do make sure that we talk about the pros and cons.  And always make sure that they know not to have it done too early.  8 weeks is unbelievable!

I'm appalled that it is more common than I though

I have no problem with early neutering and as long as the rescue centres are as full as they are and there are still thousands and thousands of dogs put to sleep in the UK due to lack of homes, I am all for it!

Research shows that medically there is no difference in neutering at 7 weeks and neutering at 7 months! (There is a difference between neutering before maturity and after, but that's a different discussion). However, puppies neutered at 7 months old recover a lot quicker from the surgery than older puppies/dogs! The only problem there is is people's perception and moral opinions.

If I was a breeder (which is never going to happen), I am afraid I would do the same. I could never take the risk that one of my pups would be indiscriminately bred from by the owner or even worse end up in a puppy farm... which is not unheard of! By neutering puppies early, breeders and rescue centres can do the one thing that is a 100% guarantee that no further offspring is produced that might end up in rescue centres or in unvetted homes!

Vera

However, puppies neutered at 7 months old recover a lot quicker from the surgery than older puppies/dogs!
Sorry, I need to correct myself here as I have just realised my mistake: it should say

However, puppies neutered at 7 WEEKS old recover a lot quicker from the surgery than older puppies/dogs!

Not that I've every had a puppy spayed at such a youthful age (nor ever would) but I've seen puppies who've had abdominal surgery (for other reasons) at that age and they recover no more quickly than adults.

dont know what to say, that poor puppy, it will be put off the vets for life, such a big thing at a tender age!

> If I was a breeder (which is never going to happen), I am afraid I would do the same. I could never take the risk that one of my pups would be indiscriminately bred from by the owner or even worse end up in a puppy farm...

As a breeder I feel the opposite, often people decide to show and perhaps go on to breed from a lovely specimen bought purely as a Pet.

I sold a lovely male pup who became a champion after his owners started showing when he was nearly two, they now also have a champion bitch, both are veterans and they were never in a position to breed but could well have done.  the husband is now judging the breed at Open show level.

My two younger champions would never have been had I had my girl back already spayed as has sadly happened to friends of mine (what a waste), and she would perhaps not have developed as well had she been spayed.

A senior member of our breed went abroad to mate their bitch, but she only had male pups and they couldn't keep a male.  At over a year they had to take one back, and he had sadly been castrated.  He looked as if left entire he would have developed well (he had no masculine traits sadly) and could have been an asset to the breed, as he could have been placed in a home where his attributes could have been utilised.

When I breed a litter I breed it with the breed and it's gene pool in mind and hope that some of the new owners may well become involved in furthering the breed.

At 7 weeks old you can not tell for sure which pups are of breeding/show quality.  Many an Ugly duckling develops into a Swan and many a potential hope fails to reach the breeders expectations.  If only it was so easy each one the breeder kept would be a champion, and the owners of the ones you sold would never have the pleasure of beating you;) .

The small risk (if your vetting is good) of one being used to farm pups is worth it.

The small risk (if your vetting is good) of one being used to farm pups is worth it.

Wow, I am amazed that any breeder is prepared to potentially sacrifice a puppy to a life of hell just to get a chance for a good show dog...

> Wow, I am amazed that any breeder is prepared to potentially sacrifice a puppy to a life of hell just to get a chance for a good show dog...

We are not talking just a good show dog, but the breeds gene pool.  As the pedigree bashers point out our gene pools are too small.

Surely condemning all puppies we sell to abnormal physical and mental development and potential health and behavioural problems is worse.

One would hope that most peoples puppy buyers are not scum.  Maybe in a breed as numerically small as my own where someone breeding out with the KC breed club arena will find pups not easy to find homes for so not very commercially profitable (sadly it does happen occasionally), as those looking for one of the breed tend to know what they should be looking for.