Found this article on another site and found it interesting but kind of a scare tactic because no hard numbers are used, just generalizations. What are your thoughts.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hal-herzog/the-ethics-of-neutering_b_2790315.html

I was just coming on here to post this.
If anyone is interested in the research methodology and statistical analysis and all that, here is a link to the original peer-reviewed research http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0055937#s2

Based on their results, it seems that early spay for females and later neuter for males is the healthiest option. I'm curious to hear what others think about this too.

Edited to add: Huskydad, I wonder if we were on the same other online site?

I've heard so much from both sides and from what I remember it's better to get females done early (before their first heat) which gives them no chance of getting mammary tumors and it's better to not neuter males. BUT I really don't think the health risks on both sides area all that different. Heck, my mom had to get her 8 year old setter neutered, cause he started getting cancer. From what I've seen with all the rescue dogs that have gone through my mom's rescue and all the dogs we've owned, it doesn't really seem to matter much health wise. There are so many other factors that can affect their health. But I do think getting either sex spayed early will help them stay in their homes. So many males are dropped off at shelters, because they pee every where. And having your female go through heat is not much fun either. Just really messy and you have a moody dog on your hands.

My SIL got a 7yr old golden and he was a humping and peeing machine. She got him neutered and it completely stopped. Completely! My mom has rescued some males who mark every where and hump every dog they see and gotten them neutered with no change in their behavior. So many people say spaying your female will make them fat and Siku is spayed and I can't get her to gain a pound! So all I can say is that there is so much on both sides, good and bad, but IMO if your dog is not a dog fit to breed, just get it spayed/neutered.