Does Spaying a Dog Change Their Personality?

Spaying is a type of neutering, meaning it results in permanent sterilization of the animal. There are other forms of sterilization, but they are not as effective and often temporary. This is the case with chemical contraception with the use of drugs such as synthetic progestins and GnRH agonists. Spaying stops the female dog's ability to become fertilized and bear puppies.

The most common form of spaying is known as an ovariohysterectomy. This surgical procedure consists of the removal of both the uterus and ovaries of the dog. These are the sexual organs which are responsible for producing the vast majority of the dog's sex hormones. Removal of these organs means they will no longer produce these hormones which can influence certain behaviors.

In forms of sterilization which do not require the removal of the sex organs, these sex hormones are still produced. For example, tubal ligation can prevent pregnancy, but the ovaries will still produce hormones which will cause the female dog to go into heat.

The heat period in dogs caused various behavioral changes:

• Escapism: because the dog wants to reproduce, she may try to leave the home to find a mate. She can easily become disorientated and lose her way, so becoming lost is also a concern.
• Vocalizations: females need to signal to males that she is available, so she will often bark, howl or whine to try to attract them. This can happen for prolonged periods at any time of the day.
• Presenting: she will often present her rear to the air to signal to males.
• Affection: dogs in heat will often become overly affectionate and demand attention from their guardians. This is because they are unable to receive they attention they want from males.
• Aggression: being in heat can be very frustrating for the dog and her increased sex hormone production can make them more surly or aggressive.

In this way, spaying will prevent or reduce this behavior related to sexual reproduction. Since she no longer produces significant amounts of sex hormone, she will not try to find a mate. However, it is important to know that when a dog is neutered will have an effect on her behavior. Dogs should be spayed before they go into heat. If not, they may carry out some of the above due to learned behaviors, rather than direct hormonal influence.

Neutering in this way will also have various health benefits on the dog. Removing the sex organs means the dog cannot develop the various diseases related to them such as uterine cancers. These are more prevalent in older animals, so spaying can help improve the dog's life expectancy.

As we have seen, the behavior of a dog after spaying can change. This is due to the removal of reproductive organs. They will not go into heat and other related behaviors can change. However, this is not the same as the dog's personality.

The personality of dogs is not directly related to their reproductive status. It is influenced by many factors, including the following:

• Genetics: although it is not as influential as many will have us believe, the dog's breed and other genetic factors can influence their behavior.
• Socialization: much more important is how the dog is socialized, especially during the ages of 3 to 14 weeks. During this time, dogs learn how to interact with other animals, people and environments, establishing boundaries and creating their own personality.
• Education and training: the type of education they receive will greatly influence personality, especially whether we use negative or positive reinforcement in dogs.
• Experience: for example, traumatic experiences can influence a dog's personality, especially how they relate to others.

These are only some of the factors which influence a dog's personality. There are others which we cannot determine since every dog is an individual. Spaying will not change these fundamental factors. Removal of sex hormones can reduce certain behaviors, but the fundamental aspects of the dog's personality will not change.

This doesn't mean a dog's personality cannot fluctuate. For example, they often become less active or even less affectionate as they enter old age. However, some can become more affectionate, so it will depend on the individual. Learn more with our article on why a dog's personality has changed.

Aggression should never be considered normal behavior in dogs. There is always a trigger which will result in aggressive behavior, whether it is from poor education, lack of socialization or even a traumatic experience. For this reason, the context of the dog's behavior needs to be analyzed so we can address the problem.

In the case of female dogs, it is necessary to observe whether or not they present any type of aggressive behavior before they are spayed. This is particularly important with intrasexual aggression toward other female dogs. In this case, we can find two possible manifestations of aggression:

The dog is aggressive towards other females

If the dog tends to show threatening or aggressive behavior towards other female dogs, it is important to work with a canine ethologist or qualified dog trainer. Such aggression can manifest in growling at other females, baring teeth or even trying to bite them. We need to do this before we spay them.

As we have seen, the dog's personality will not fundamentally change after spaying. However, going into heat can exacerbate or provoke existing behavioral tendencies in individual dogs. In this case, it is often competitive behavior for mates which causes the female to be aggressive. Spaying can help reduce or eliminate this competition and, therefore, aggression.

If the aggressiveness has another cause and/or is directed equally towards females and males, spaying may not eliminate the problem. There is a small chance that the elimination of estrogen in the dog might affect testosterone levels which influence aggression, but in the vast majority of cases, this will not cause the dog to become aggressive. In very rare cases, the veterinarian may suggest they should not be spayed, but this is unlikely.

Most often, the veterinarian will still recommend spaying for all of the other benefits it will provide. The aggression will need to be addressed by education and training. These can be quite complicated processes and will usually require the assistance of a professional.

Learn more with our article explaining why a female dog humps after being spayed.

The dog does not show aggression towards other females

If the dog has never had an aggressive attitude towards other dogs, in principle there is no impediment to its spaying. As long as the veterinarian and the ethologist consider it appropriate to subject the dog to said surgery.

In summary, spaying does not cause aggression in female dogs, but it can influence it in certain cases in which said aggression was already present in the animal. In most cases, the aggression will be reduced, but not necessarily. For these dogs, it is important to address the aggression with other practices, especially education, training and socialization.

Although it is a very safe procedure, any surgical intervention on an animal produces certain risks. In the unlikely case something does go wrong, you should be aware of the possible warning signs after spaying a dog.

This article is purely informative. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain.

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