Spaying/Neutering

Lilly was spayed at around 4 when she came from a shelter.
I had Ben done at 19 months because of an undecended testicle and my couch was taking strain from being used as a p*ssing post.
My family has always spayed at 6 months. My next bitch will be spayed at 2 if I can help it. I like to keep dogs intact for as long as possible too, but I cannot stand the smell of intact male urine! Blergh!

For your typical healthy, happy male dog I think 6 months at the minimum is ok. I don't know about females, I have never had a female dog perhaps that would wait til later or be the same. I'm not sure about that. Any earlier then that is too soon IMO. But some cases are different and most will be. If the dog is healthy enough whether you wait until 6 months or 2 years I think it should be done, why take any chances?

I know most shelters will require the dogs to be speutered later in life or the can be seized and some even offer a rebate as a sort of hope people will actually follow through.

Thanks for all the input! It was very informative. When talking with a few people yesterday, they were appalled that I was planning on waiting until the dogs were two before getting them spayed. As we started debating about it, I found myself rather unprepared with no numbers to throw at them. They, on the other hand, were armed with percentages of pyometra and cancer and whatnot.

Lucy was spayed at 6 months and Juno will be, too. I don't want to deal with a dog in heat and I know my family wouldn't, either. To be honest... I know I'm a responsible owner and my dogs have never ran off, but I still worry about myself!