Updated July 28, 2022
Whether you call it neuter, spay, castrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering in Bernese Mountain Dogs.
While the paper isn’t perfect (more on that later), it does provide the first evidence for Bernese Mountain Dogs on choosing a time of desexing with the fewest health problems. The study compared dogs neutered at different ages for their rates of:
- hip dysplasia (HD), cruciate ligament injury (CCL) and elbow dysplasia (ED)
- lymphoma (LSA), mast cell tumour (MCT), haemangiosarcoma (HSA), osteosarcoma (OSA)
- urinary incontinence (UI)
All of these have been suspected to be linked with the age of neutering. Here’s what they found (only bold values are significant, my summary to follow):
| HD | CCL | ED | At Least One | |
| Male < 6 months | 0/13 (0) | 2/15 (13.33) | 2/14 (14.29) | 3/13 (23.08)† |
| Male 6 – 11 months | 2/26 (7.69) | 3/28 (10.71) | 2/26 (7.69) | 6/25 (24)† |
| Male 1 year | 0/16 (0) | 2/17 (11.76) | 1/14 (7.14) | 3/13 (23.08) |
| Male 2 – 8 years | 0/11 (0) | 0/11 (0) | 1/11 (9.09) | 1/10 (10) |
| Male Intact | 0/54 (0) | 0/57 (0) | 2/48 (4.17) | 2/46 (4.35) |
| Female < 6 months | 0/8 (0) | 1/11 (9.09) | 2/8 (25) | 3/8 (37.5) |
| Female 6 – 11 months | 0/20 (0) | 2/22 (9.09) | 0/21 (0) | 2/19 (10.53) |
| Female 1 year | 0/10 (0) | 0/9 (0) | 0/9 (0) | 0/7 (0) |
| Female 2 – 8 years | 0/20 (0) | 0/19 (0) | 0/19 (0) | 0/19 (0) |
| Female Intact | 2/35 (5.71) | 1/37 (2.7) | 1/35 (2.86) | 4/36 (11.11) |
| LSA | MCT | HSA | OSA | At Least One | |
| Male < 6 months | 1/14 (7.14) | 0/15 (0) | 0/15 (0) | 0/15 (0) | 1/14 (7.14) |
| Male 6 – 11 months | 2/28 (7.14) | 0/30 (0) | 0/30 (0) | 1/29 (3.45) | 3/28 (10.71) |
| Male 1 year | 0/17 (0) | 0/17 (0) | 0/17 (0) | 0/17 (0) | 0/17 (0) |
| Male 2 – 8 years | 0/11 (0) | 1/12 (8.33) | 1/12 (8.33) | 0/12 (0) | 2/11 (18.18) |
| Male Intact | 2/56 (3.57) | 3/58 (5.17) | 0/57 (0) | 0/59 (0) | 5/53 (9.43) |
| Female < 6 months | 1/10 (10) | 1/11 (9.09) | 0/11 (0) | 0/11 (0) | 2/11 (18.18) |
| Female 6 – 11 months | 0/23 (0) | 1/23 (4.35) | 0/23 (0) | 0/23 (0) | 1/23 (4.35) |
| Female 1 year | 0/11 (0) | 0/10 (0) | 0/11 (0) | 0/11 (0) | 0/10 (0) |
| Female 2 – 8 years | 2/19 (10.53) | 2/18 (11.11) | 0/19 (0) | 0/19 (0) | 4/16 (25) |
| Female Intact | 0/36 (0) | 2/37 (5.41) | 0/36 (0) | 1/36 (2.78) | 3/35 (8.57) |
UI was not reported in any of the spayed females.
Summary: The Best Bernese Mountain Dog Spay & Neuter Times
There is minimal evidence that female Bernese health problems are influenced by the age of neutering. Males, however, show an increased risk of joint problems with desexing before 2 years of age.
Recommendation: 1 year of age for females, and 2 years of age for males
This is so far the only science we have for the best desexing age in Bernese Mountain Dogs. Your vet, breeder or online group may have a different opinion based on their experience or personal beliefs. It’s perfectly reasonable to take their advice into consideration as well.
The decision may be based on other factors such as:
- local neutering legislation
- risk of male dog aggression to children
- risk of pregnancy or reluctance to manage a female in heat
- health problems associated with intact dogs
Problems With This Study
In the original paper, the authors appear to make some recommendations based on very limited evidence. I have published the original study data so you can see the actual numbers involved and decide for yourself.
The authors also do not mention the well-known increase in lifespan associated with desexing male and female dogs, which tends to counteract most concerns about specific cancers. The following comment in the paper is a clue that it might also have been true for this population:
Across all breeds the mean age of last entry in the record for neutered males was 5.5 years (range 3.71–6.54), for neutered females 5.7 years (range 4.21–6.97), for intact males 4.9 (range 4.15–7.11), and intact females 4.7 (range 3.41–6.32)
The study tries to also look at the rates of mammary cancer & pyometra in females, but cannot give an accurate assessment for two reasons:
- the mean ages listed above are far too young to pick up most cases
- pyometra and mammary cancer are rarely referred to university hospitals
Regardless of any concerns, the authors are to be applauded to bringing into focus one of the most common questions from dog owners. For the Bernese Mountain Dog at least, they’ve made the decision a lot easier.
Related: Best Desexing Age For 35 Breeds | Desexing Choices For Dogs | Costs Of Desexing
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By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.