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False pregnancy? Possiblity?
Serenalambe, there are many good reasons to not spay till after at least the first heat and some wait till the second or third. Yes, it does increase some health worries but it decreases others. In large breed dogs there is good research to show that pre-pubertal spay allows the long bones to grow longer and is thought to be the reason neutered and spayed dogs have more joint problems than intact dogs do, just as one small example. Some cancer risks are greatly increased by neuter and spay. PM me if you want, I have a huge list of links to this research.
In the U.K. and some other countries neuter/spay is not the only method of birth control, responsible ownership is also key. Sounds to me that the OP is a very responsible owner.
OP, have you checked out the Champdogs website? It is in the U.K. and you might find there more like minded dog owners who live happily with intact pets their whole lives. It really is common here for Vets to be very pushy about spay/neuter and on this site in particular it is a favoured form of birth control.
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