My mixed Dutchie pup is from a working line, but is being raised as a house pet with her training more in the style of a working dog rather than a pet dog.

My vet tells me one thing, the internet consensus varies from that, and my trainer who has been breeding and training working lines of Dutch and other Shepherds for over a decade is now telling me something completely different.

The trainer is saying to wait until 1 year of age after the first heat. That if done earlier than that estrogen levels will drop and testosterone will increase which could make her more hyper and aggressive. That when they train police military dogs they require early spaying because they want those traits increased, but a house pet it could work against us.

My vet says to do it before 6 months, and before the first heat to reduce the risk of certain cancers, which would increase if it is done after the first heat.

My girl is now 5 months, and I need to make a decision soon. It does seem in everything I do so far that even though she has a soft drive and calm temperament that dogs from working lines need special considerations that differ from typical pet dogs. Hopefully some people here have first hand experience or knowledge they can share on this topic.