Sarah Rmb's Limb October 19 at 1:35 AM **Edit ** This is relatively new research and not posted with the intention of trying to change your view. Please feel free to share. INFORMATION ON EARLY SPAY ING/NEUTERING "For those who wonder why we do not advise neutering your dogs before they are fully grown... this diagram shows you when growth plates close. The sex hormones in both dogs and bitches, control when these growth plates close, ie when these bones stop lengthening. If you neuter BEFORE they are closed, they keep growing longer, resulting in a taller, thinner, narrower dog but more importantly, in a dog who has some bones the right length and some not, which puts unnatural strain on ligaments, tendons and muscles and the joint itself. Some of the notations on this diagram give a pretty big window, this is because small breeds will close sooner and larger breeds like the GSD will close much later. Many people worry that early neutering will stunt ...