[107barney]

I wanted to add that my older dog Barney was neutered at 12 weeks of age. He is 9.5 lb yorkie with solid bones. The only skeletal issue he has is a unilateral grade 1 LP.

My other dog Teddy who was neutered at 6+ months old has Leggs Calves Perthes, bilateral grades 2 and 3 LPs, epilepsy, intention tremors and learning disabilities. All due to breeder issues (genetics or at birth injuries) based on the opinions of all the many vets who have seen Teddy in his very short 3 years of life and read his 5 inch thick chart.

I just can't conclude that either dog was neutered too young. Neither one of them are small dogs - and both have adequate bone structure - in fact, Teddy's neurologist commented that Teddy's skull bones were large enough for his brain, something he sees a lot of issues with in yorkies and the cause of a lot of hydrocephalus. So in my experience, it's all about the genetics. And, disappointingly, my puppy mill dog has better bones and teeth than my breeder dog.

ETA: Can't conclude either was neutered too young in terms of how they turned out and grew - still would not neuter today before 6 mos.