Will spaying affect drive? - Page 1

I recently got my first Malinois. She is very high drive and very focused. At 5 months she's already showing to be a great working dog. I was wondering if I spay her will it affect her drive and personality? I don't want to deal w/ her going into heat and everything so I want to spay her but I don't want to change or tone down her drive at all. 

From what I have seen females have only developed their full drive when they are matured, and I saw this in my dogs too (only one of them had to be spayed for medical reasons.) Unless absolutely medically necessary, don't spay her before she is at least 2 years old. In my opinion, and I know there are other opinions out there, it is very unhealthy for the dog to have her either spayed or pregnant before the age of two. All their hormones are necessary to develop body structure and personality.
Be aware that there are different opinions on this topic., especially from the veterinary side.
Here is an interesting study on health effects of early spaying:
http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf

i feel you need, to wait out atleast one heat cycle for her to get those hormones in to help regulate her system.

I'm going to agree with T&T - MOST vets will try to force or belittle you into spaying your dog at 4months. I know mine does this CONSTANTLY. It's irritating as hell, but if you can just hold on till at least 2 years old, any drives your girl will ever have will have surfaced by then, she'll have reached her growth potential and hormones will be about where they should at that age.

There are always going to be pros and cons of spaying/neutering a dog early. For example (just playing Devil's Advocate here)

1. No puppies. No one likes an UNPLANNED litter. 
2. Your male won't roam to find females and your female won't become a total basket case for about a month every 6months-a year.
3. Reduces risk of mammory cancer/testicular cancer.
4. Potential dominance issues.

NOW, the cons of spaying/neutering early have already been mentioned. Personally, YES it is a major pain in the arse, but I choose to wait until my dogs are 2 before altering. For 1. If I change my mind about breeding, it gives me two years to see if they are even breed worthy or not. 2. I see the health benefits of waiting, vs. doing it at a young age to avoid heat cycles and dominance issues. 3. Occasionally I like to remind my vet who's REALLY in charge here ...She who pays the bills, makes the rules!

Wow, 4 months.  Our vet said she wouldn't even consider it until the young fella was one full year old.   She said in larger breed dogs, it would be best to wait until then to ensure proper bone structure was reached.

We have absolutely no intentions of breeding him, but our vet said that there is absolutely a chance that he could father a litter at his current age of 6mo. so we have to be careful.  He was getting pretty friendly with a friends fully grown Great Dane a few weeks ago.  That would be a freakish combo to be sure.

Our friend a dog trainer said that when we do get him neurtered, there will be a very minor drop in his dominant behaviours but not to expect much.

Wildbill, want to hear something even worse? Recently, some of the local animal shelters have started spaying and neutering dogs at the ripe old age of 8weeks.

Makes me want to gag. 

My GSD x was done by the SPCA before we got him at 8 weeks, scary stuff not only with everything else that can happen later in life but putting a puppy that age under is dangerous. The medical problems he has had are textbook! Please wait to alter! My female was done at 6 months and her aggression started to surface shortly after.

My female is spayed and she's still a fruit cake.  :)  She has no issues whatsoever and she does participate in Schuzhund training.