Important information on getting one of our puppies.

Spaying and Neutering - We at Iron Hill Retrievers want to ensure to educate our families on our policy here, is part of our guarantee. 
We do place our puppies stating in our contract that they will be spayed or neutered,  will be voided in  your contract if its done before your new  puppy reaches 18-24 months of age (girls must go through at least one, possible 2 heat cycles and be 2-3 months past that heat cycle in addition to the age requirement) to allow all growth plates to close (see chart at bottom of page). This allows your puppy to physically mature and gain the look and size they were bred to be.
When a dog’s reproductive organs are surgically removed, the sex hormones they produce also disappear. The sex hormones are responsible for more than just sexual behaviors and one of their responsibilities is regulating growth. 
 

Links to help provide information on our policy. 

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/spay-neuter-and-joint-disease/

http://veterinarytechnicianguide.com/spaying-and-neutering-a-dog/

http://www.dogs4dogs.com/blog/2015/02/03/spaying-and-neutering-new-warnings-about-health-problems/

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/three-reasons-to-reconsider-spayneuter/

Traditional
Spay	Spaying is the removal of the uterus and ovaries
Neuter	Neutering is the removal of a male dog's testicles
Concerns	Evidence indicates that in at least large dogs, the health benefits of keeping the ovaries may outweigh the health risks (the risks being mammary tumors and pyometra, which is infection of the uterus).
	A more recent publication from U.C. Davis (de la Riva, Hart et al, 2013) looked at two joint disorders and three cancers– hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear, lymphosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma and mast cell tumor– and showed that, for all five diseases analyzed, the disease rates were significantly higher in both males and females that were neutered either early or late compared with intact (non-neutered) dogs.
New Alternatives
Ovary Sparing Spay	Sometimes referred as a "partial spay" which is to  remove the uterus and leave the ovaries
Vasectomy	The health pro and cons tip even more strongly in favor of keeping the male hormones than in females, since the only health conditions prevented by neuter are benign prostatic hyperplasia in older dogs (which is treatable by neuter or PEMF), and testicular cancer (which is also a disease of old age and treated by castration, which is usually curative).

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