Don't want to get rabies shot yet.

[Suzy Rowe]

The vet at the shelter estimated Ruffie's age at 2 months; Our current vet estimated his age at 4 months, which means we are expected to get him a rabies shot.

Is there a reliable way to figure the age of a puppy you know nothing about? I don't want to give him his rabies shot until I am certain he is at least 4 months. He still has his puppy teeth.

The shelter will not release any dog that is not spayed/neutered, so Ruffie was neutered a couple of hours before we brought him home.

I am also wondering if he was neutered too soon, and if it might affect his health down the road. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I would go with your vet's estimate, and recommendations on vaccines. Your vet has more knowledge about judging a puppy's age than the shelter does, and it would be extremely rare and very odd for a 2 month old puppy to already be in a shelter, considering that they normally don't leave their mothers until they are 2 months old. When you first posted about him, that seemed odd to me. Four months makes more sense to me. 

I would not worry about the early neuter affecting his health at this point; it's done, and it is what it is. Many of the ALD breeders neuter/spay puppies at 6 weeks, and many people here have dogs who came to them already desexed. It's not ideal, but since there's nothing you can do about it anyway, I'd hope for the best.

You will want to get pet insurance anyway, because any doodle from any where can have health issues, as many of us can attest.  

[Suzy Rowe]

Got TruPanion insurance on the Vet's recommendation.  

Have to have all shots to start obedience training, so was trying to get everything arranged.

Wondering if whoever had him used pee pads. We have him going out to potty, but I got a pad for his crate, laid it on the floor to check it out, and Ruffie ran right to it and started to pee on it. I stopped him and took him outside, but guess I'll avoid putting any cushions on the floor.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Don't worry about the neutering - it has to happen or you can't 'spring' them from the shelter so there is no use worrying about it.  Our son's Junior, was maybe 3 months when he was rescued and the shelter insisted on neutering him.  He did fine with the surgery and seems fine now at  about 10 months.  I would more believe the vet for age than the shelter, but you can always compromise and make him 3 months.

Perhaps put a pee pad outside in his potty spot????

[Suzy Rowe]

Losing track of where I'm posting things.

The Vet set a birthdate of August 7th, 2014 for Ruffie. He still has his puppy teeth, and still looks like a puppy.

Will be getting his third set of puppy shots plus rabies this week.