We are now recommending to our clients that their puppy SHOULD NOT be spayed or neutered until around the age of 1 year old. There are arguments to be made for a bit earlier and arguments to be made for later, but based upon the latest research and weighing risks and rewards we have decided that 1 year is about the right time to take the health risk of the surgery, confine the drag of hormones on the body, and yet utilize the importance of hormones for the proper development of the skeleton.

This is a great article referred to me by my friend and fellow breeder April Fulk from a UC Davis study on early spay/neuter. As we have been hearing for a brief while now, the recommendations to wait until 1 year of age for the spaying or neutering of dogs due to cancer risk studies . This article is now showing that later neutering (1 year) will also provide for a better hip joint conformity, or conversely that early neutering can increase hip dysplasia ocurrence. We are slow here in America to understand the Environmental implications of hip dysplasia - but this certainly adds to the building consensus behind that critical component of skeletal formation. See study: here!

This worthy organization trains and provides service animals for a variety of assistance uses. GCI dogs purchases the animals and then spends two years in their training only to give them away for service to their human partners. Tim and Ramona have an amazing dedication to this work and rely solely upon charitable support for their program.

To find out more: www.gcidogs.org

Or to support this worthy cause: http://www.gcidogs.org/help.htm