Spaying your female dog is one of the biggest surgeries she will have in her life. You need to know that you are doing the right thing. So should you spay your dog, and if so what is the best age?Known benefit of spaying a female dog include: eliminate pyometra risk, massively reduce mammary cancer risk, spayed dogs live longer lives, reduced roaming and trauma risk, and eliminate pregnancy risks (such as c-section, eclampsia)Potential risks of spaying: risk of anesthetic and surgery, increased risk of developing urinary incontinence, increased obesity risk, increased potential of joint problems in larger breed dogs, and there may be an increased risk of certain cancers (especially in Rottweilers)From all of the available evidence, it is impossible to make any sweeping generalizations.Simple, one-size-fits-all rules are much more appealing and far easier to apply than a subtle, complicated decision based on various risks and benefits that are not fully understood.What is right for one individual may be wrong for another, because of the breed of your dog, or because of the different risks that people are comfortable living with.For small breed dogs, I would still recommend spaying when they are around 6 months old before their first season.For larger breed dogs, however, where there is no risk of them becoming pregnant and where they can be successfully managed while on heat, I recommend delaying this operation until they reach 1 year of age or a little older.Full show notes and links to several related articles can be found here