Comments on: Spaying Make Aggressive Female Dogs MORE Aggressive?

By: Cathy

Cathy — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 23:40:56 +0000

I got a female JR. She was spayed about 2 months ago. She’s always been of great temperment, apart from when she’s sleepy, then she’s always been a little grump, and would growl if touched, until we told her “no” and then it was kisses all around.

However, since getting spayed her grumpyness has actually become a problem. She’s allowed to sleep in bed with us, and on the sofa with us. If we now move at night she’ll growl and jump out of bed. No apologies or kisses anymore. One the sofa it’s the same behaviour, and she’ll growl and jump off to go to her basket, instead of wanting to cuddle us.

Not only to I miss my dog’s company, but I miss the happy girl she used to be. It breaks my heart seeing her this grumpy. She will also snap at us (and today she bit me, so the situation is clearly not improving… altought she was quick to cover me in kisses when she realised she’d hurt me). She’s being fed the same food and she’s getting the same amount of excercise, so nothing has changed apart from her temper.

I didn’t actually want my dog to be spayed (as I think it’s a little selfish of me to spay my dog due to MY worries of her ending up pregnant), but after the vet gave me the whole scare story about cancer if not spayed I gave in. I wish I hadn’t. I’d much rather be alert and on my toes while my girl was in heat twice a year (to make sure there would be no unwanted preganancies) than having what used to be my little cuddlegirl turned into a snapping and growling dog.

By: Crystal

Crystal — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:56:12 +0000

I have a female lack lab that has the sweetest temp with the family but she never allowed visitors or dogs. So we took the advise to spay her cos everyone telling me that she would be more mellow after that.
I am not sure if there is anything related cos she has been even more aggressive with dogs passing by, my husband was saying he was having a hard time walking her cos she noW not only pulling the leash to charge at other dogs,she does that to anything that is around us.
Now I am not sure if I should neuter my male pup.

By: Julia

Julia — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:42:24 +0000

I have had the same problem, loving beautiful 4-Year old English Bully Girl, got along with EVERYONE, all the cats & dogs. After spaying I have to keep her separated from the other female canines — my happy loving family is now on pins and needles because of this behavior; and only after spaying! Even on walks now she is aggressive — whereas before she loved everyone, just wanted pats and sniffs — now she growls and jumps at other dogs & cats. It is heart breaking — I do not see a solution on this page, but can see this is definintely a problem in the FEMALE CANINES!!!!!

By: Char

Char — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:24:37 +0000

I am the full-time, main caregiver to 6 dogs. 1 mixed 13yr fem. 1 mini doxie 7yr fem. 1 boxer 5yr male. 1 stn. poodle 2yr male. 2 boxer 1yr fems from different litters. None are “intact”. Bella, 1 of the 1yr old fems, is my problem child. She was with me from 7wks and was spayed at 4 months. Arlie came to us as a rescue at 10 months and was spayed then. These 2 girls are 2 weeks apart in age. I do know that Bella was an assertive puppy, would this have grown into aggression as she matured? Hard to say. Bella’s aggression started when Arlie came into the house but isn’t always directed at Arlie. A few times she has gone after the 13 yr old mellow mixed breed. Just shortly after i had Arlie spayed 2 months ago, i saw an articale on the physcological affects of spay/nueter. This was found on “Life with dogs” link through Face book. Around the same time i had a chance conversation with the manager of a rescue ranch in our area. He was in the process of training a new cattle dog and mentioned that he only wants females for this work. When the subject of spaying came up, he explained that he has had a hard time finding a vet willing to take only his dogs uteres. He insists that the overies be left in tact because then they don’t get, his word “bitchy”. No worry of unwanted puppies, and no worry of what looks for all the world like “surgical menopause”. I cant help but think that this makes sense. I will NEVER allow one of my dogs to reproduce, however, i am rethinking the traditional methods of spaying.

By: Robin

Robin — Wed, 18 May 2011 21:20:57 +0000

Please help me! We have a female miniature schnauzer and a female mix that got along fine until the female mix got spayed at age 5. Now they literally try to kill each other. It is so bad that we have to keep them apart 24 hours a day. Yesterday one broke out of her kennel and attacked the other and I had to break it up and now I’m literally bitten and eat up on both hands and arms and bruised all over. It is a miracle I got them torn apart. The larger one would have killed the smaller one. Why did they start hating each other after one was spayed? Please help. This is tearing our family apart. One dog is mine, and the other is my husband’s. We’ve all been a family for over a year, and this has been happening for 2 months now. I’m desperate for help.

By: jackie

jackie — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 18:34:32 +0000

Hi, this is my experience. Our little Yorkie was speyed at 12 months, after her first season. Before, she got along with our other bitch but has not been the same since. She fights with the other dog and it does not bother her that she comes off worse. She can be grumpy with us and my husband got bitten breaking up afight. She really has not been the same since. We got the other girl speyed on the vets advice to calm things down and it has helped a little. We have got her on 75mg of Zyklene a day on vets advice. This has calmed her but she is not the same dog as she was. I know what the statistics say but think very carefully about speying, I love her dearly but she can be difficult. I wish I had never got her done and am wondering if there is such a thing as dog HRT, anyone out there know?

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 10:15:07 +0000

To Carla and Abril,

We had our one year old boxer/lab spayed yesterday and today the aggressive behavior has started out of the blue… She was the sweetest dog I had ever met. She tolerated our two kids, 6 and 9 years old, our two cats and all the neighborhood dogs. Today she seemed like the same dog but showing no body language at all would suddenly begin growling and actually snap at me and my family while being pet or just being near us. I am hoping that it is from the unnatural feeling of post-surgery and pain and will improve with healing and time, but it is alarming and rather painful that our loyal companion is acting this way towards us. Please if anyone has experienced this let me know if it WILL improve or not… It would break my heart to take her to the pound or even worse if she injured one of my children!
We love our dog and she is a member of our family, this is an extremely sudden, dramatic change in behavior, I don’t even want to pet her anymore because of the constant thought that she might bite. Was it abuse at the vet’s office (My business will never be there again BTW) or could it be a hormonal imbalance?

Please someone help before we have to remove our beloved family member!!!

amandelx@gmail.com

By: Melissa

Melissa — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 01:08:18 +0000

I have a 1 1/2 year old dane we resqued 10wks ago we had her spayed 5 days ago. She has become very aggressive the last couple of days. She is going after my older dog and cats. She thinks she had puppies. She has a tshirt that she carries around like a pup, she puts it in her crate and lays with it for hours, she also has milk coming from her nipples. She wont allow anyone near the crate. We took her to the vet today and she thinks it is postpartem depression. Has anyone heard of this?

By: Eileen

Eileen — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 18:37:03 +0000

OK, Need a quick response here. Have a scheduled spay tomorrow. Not truly wanting to, for her Mom (a Newfie) now spayed is my heart, yet I have a Heard of spayed /Neutered Newfs here, which is why I have not bred her. YET, she is the only girl from the one who WILL one day be gone. I also have One unneutered Male. It is a game of hide and seek during heats, and have irt worked out during the every 6 month heat. BUT there were 3 reasons I was opting to spay her. She is nearing 4 years in 4 months and sound as they come. She is The ONLY non spayed girl here, They are well trained and have 3 acres of playground / woods to run and play. BUT the past few months she has become very alfa and occasionally has started a fight with 2 girls. One understandable also trying for thhe alpha role, and has now opted to avoid her, and 2 days ago went at a VERY non alpha girl. She latches on to the scruff of their necks and won’t let go until I put her in a arm/neck grip raising her up. These are Big dogs and I am not, but all see me as the leader. BUT she becomes focused as if I were not there. Seeing this behavior, I called the Vet to schedule a spay, but also felt this may create a worse situation, which is why I went on the PC search (spay/aggression) . Also reading about a litter calming this behavior. Makes sense, BUT this would be her 1st AND last litter if this would help YET, I am concerned how old is too old, for I am REALLY not ready to have a litter until our Newfie heard lessens . AND than my concern would be allowing my boy who has never bred, and is a true gentleman, now developing non acceptable behavior. I question if he had a taste of breeding, would HIS behavior now change toward the other dogs and overall. VERY torn and have little time, for if I WERE to spay I want to catch her before her next heat which is nearing.

By: Jeff magoun

Jeff magoun — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 05:27:11 +0000

Hell I’ll throw my bit in here, I’ve literally spent my entire life around animals ranging from typical cats n dogs, to horses, cattle, wolves, and a varying range of wild animals that my family has taken in from time to time. I can actually say I was raised with wolves, I was I was two when we took in our first. Animals can be aggressive and dominant for varying reasons for different situations and different animals. Anyone who spends time with animals know that they all have personalities like we do. So there is no clear answer but more times than not it’s not a hormone issue it’s not because it’s just a bad animal therefor it must have it’s balls chopped off or put down. It the owner! You must train them you must stimulate them, a bored dog will find something to entertain itself and most of the time that involves chewing and chasing that’s what they do. Be a responsible adult and if you don’t take your dog out on walks multiple times of day, regular exercise, and encourage the good things and repremanded them when they do wrong then find it a home where it can get those things it needs. They need structure and a leader not just a bowl ofwater and food.