While I'm definitely pro-desexing, and definitely like it to be done at 6 months for pet dogs that are at risk of breeding (obviously not breeding dogs), there's actually quite a bit of literature that shows that 6 months is not always the ideal time to desex. A study in 1991 found that a number of factors including the sex hormones are what promote the closing of the growth plates in dogs. So it's actually the opposite of what is believed; dogs desexed early are actually more likely to be bigger than late-desexed or non-desexed dogs because the growth plates take longer to close and their bones continue to grow for longer. This can cause a higher incidence of things like hip displasia and damaged cruciate ligaments later down the track. This obviously makes it a difficult choice for some owners as to when they should desex their dog as they have to balance the risk of changing their dog's natural growth with the risk of sex hormone based behaviours. A 2004 study actually found that early desexing can increase the incidence of sexual behaviors in males and females...
While that seems a little off-topic, I just wanted to put it out there in case anyone was thinking that the OP was negligent in not desexing yet.
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