Desexing
In Australia today it is accepted that all companion dogs will be desexed prior to sexual maturity. This is the cornerstone of any control program of stray/unwanted dogs. When you take your pup to the vet for their last vaccination at about 12 -16 weeks, the vet will in all likelihood, suggest that you make an appointment for a couple of months’ time to have them spayed/neutered (although in the face of mounting scientific evidence, many vets are now changing their approach). In a lot of local government areas, it is compulsory for dogs that are not registered with ANKC state bodies to be desexed.
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Neutering (including spaying) of male and female dogs in the first year after birth has become routine in the U.S. and much of Europe, but recent research reveals that for some dog breeds, neutering may be associated with increased risks of debilitating joint disorders and some cancers, complicating pet owners' decisions on neutering. The joint disorders include hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear or rupture, and elbow dysplasia. The cancers include lymphoma, mast cell tumor, hemangiosarcoma, and osteosarcoma. In previous studies on the Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd Dog, neutering before a year of age was associated with increased risks of one or more joint disorders, 2–4 times that of intact dogs. The increase was particularly seen with dogs neutered by 6 months of age. In female Golden Retrievers, there was an increase in one or more of the cancers followed to about 2–4 times that of intact females with neutering at any age. The goal of the present study was to expand and use the same data collection and analyses to cover an additional 29 breeds, plus three varieties of Poodles. There were major breed differences in vulnerability to neutering, both with regard to joint disorders and cancers. In most cases, the caregiver can choose the age of neutering without increasing the risks of these joint disorders or cancers. Small-dog breeds seemed to have no increased risks of joint disorders associated with neutering, and in only two small breeds (Boston Terrier and Shih Tzu) was there a significant increase in cancers. To assist pet owners and veterinarians in deciding on the age of neutering a specific dog, guidelines that avoid increasing the risks of a dog acquiring these joint disorders or cancers are laid out for neutering ages on a breed-by-breed and sex basis.
[Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00388/full]
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After reading widely, I have formed the opinion that it is advisable to wait until the dog reaches the age of about 18 months before desexing. This holds for both males and females - in a female Labrador, this age would probably be just after her second season. Depending on your domestic arrangements, caring for a bitch in season may pose difficulties for you; making suitable and safe arrangements for your girl is of the utmost importance.
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https://www.akcchf.org/research/research-portfolio/1840.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6940997/
https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.therio.org/resource/resmgr/docs/spay-neuter_basis.pdf
