When to neuter?

[Jenny and Teddy]

I have a 7 month old goldendoodle boy. I am planning on neutering him, but am not sure when is the right age to do so. My husband thinks he is too young, but has no real reasoning to back it up. He has humped my leg a few times but not often. I have two female dogs (both spayed) that he does not really try to himp, just plays with. I don't want to wait too long, but also don't want to do anything too early. Any advice?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

We've had several discussions on this here. If you do a search, you'll find a lot of information. There are some health risks associated with neutering a male dog before he's completed his skeletal growth. The veterinary literature suggests that the larger the expected adult size of the dog, the longer you may want to wait. 

Of course, there are lifestyle issues that have to be balanced against that. It's a risk/benefit issue, like everything else.

So how big is your puppy, and what does the vet think he will weigh at maturity?