Spaying and sudden aggression

[goin2disneyagain]

I have a female dog that just turned 1 last month. A week before she turned 1 I had her spayed. She has never really shown aggression at all before other than 2 brief incidents where someone woke her up and she growled briefly but she was pretty young when those incidents happened. I wouldn't really consider those to be aggressive because she didn't try to bite anyone or even act like she was going to. I have always been able to reach in her mouth and take something from her when she would grab something she shouldn't have. Ever since she had her surgery she has played with our other puppy more aggressively. She gets a little too rough with him sometimes like pulling him by the ears or the paw. Tonight we took them both in the car and she slept most of the time while we rode around looking at Christmas lights. She was laying in my lap until she wanted in the back seat with my niece. She layed in her seat and when my niece went to move her to sit back she growled at her. I haven't seen her do that since she was about 4-5 months old. She then went and snuggled up next to my niece. I was startled that she did it though. Then she growled again at the puppy a few minutes later in the car. I don't know if she became disoriented because it was dark in the car and she had been sleeping and didn't know what was going on or what caused it. Then she got up and went to lay down in the floor by herself. She sat up and I reached back and touched her mouth because she grabbed a napkin that had fallen to the floor and it didn't faze her. She didn't bite anyone and never has. I was just stunned that she even growled because that is so unlike her. I thought she was supposed to become more calm after she was spayed but she has been really hyped and now after tonight I am a little concerned too. Has anyone ever had a dog become more aggressive after being spayed or neutered? Should I be concerned? Do you think she just became disoriented or startled? She does play rougher with the other puppy now but I don't think she is trying to hurt him. She is a Shi-poo.

 

[cruellababy]

My mom had a dog w the same issues; it turned out the dog was in pain-at least that's what the vet thought; so a baby aspirin in the am really helped. Just a thought; but it does sound like pain to me.

 

[mfd25wife]

I have a female dog that just turned 1 last month. A week before she turned 1 I had her spayed. She has never really shown aggression at all before other than 2 brief incidents where someone woke her up and she growled briefly but she was pretty young when those incidents happened. I wouldn't really consider those to be aggressive because she didn't try to bite anyone or even act like she was going to. I have always been able to reach in her mouth and take something from her when she would grab something she shouldn't have. Ever since she had her surgery she has played with our other puppy more aggressively. She gets a little too rough with him sometimes like pulling him by the ears or the paw. Tonight we took them both in the car and she slept most of the time while we rode around looking at Christmas lights. She was laying in my lap until she wanted in the back seat with my niece. She layed in her seat and when my niece went to move her to sit back she growled at her. I haven't seen her do that since she was about 4-5 months old. She then went and snuggled up next to my niece. I was startled that she did it though. Then she growled again at the puppy a few minutes later in the car. I don't know if she became disoriented because it was dark in the car and she had been sleeping and didn't know what was going on or what caused it. Then she got up and went to lay down in the floor by herself. She sat up and I reached back and touched her mouth because she grabbed a napkin that had fallen to the floor and it didn't faze her. She didn't bite anyone and never has. I was just stunned that she even growled because that is so unlike her. I thought she was supposed to become more calm after she was spayed but she has been really hyped and now after tonight I am a little concerned too. Has anyone ever had a dog become more aggressive after being spayed or neutered? Should I be concerned? Do you think she just became disoriented or startled? She does play rougher with the other puppy now but I don't think she is trying to hurt him. She is a Shi-poo.

We have had one that had a personality change. She ended up more stubborn and difficult. She was a lab so we were really surprised. She was not aggressive with us, though. She just would listen only when she wanted to and try to run off. She became an escape artist from her pen where DH put here when working in the yard and not able to watch her. Our vet said it happens sometimes that a female will start trying to be leader of the pack after being spayed. I would still always do it since it does not happen often. I hope she will be better for you soon.

 

[goin2disneyagain]

About the pain, do you think she would be in pain almost a month later? Her surgery was Nov. 19th.

I plan on calling the vet in the morning to ask what they think. I'm wondering if she is developing another ear infection too. I know they can become aggressive when they are in pain so that could be the problem. Maybe it could be her ears and not the surgery??!! She's asleep right now so I don't want to bother her to check her ears. That growling just really stunned me.

 

[mfd25wife]

Could be ears. have two cockers. One gets very snappy if someone touches her ears. We are always fighting infections in her. She won't bark but she kind of yelps and snaps to warn them. She's good with us, but not people she does not know as well.

 

[goin2disneyagain]

I asked my niece if she touched her ears and she said she didn't but she could have and not realized it. I just called an animal clinic to ask their opinion on it. She also said she might not feel well or could be in pain. She didn't seem to think I should be too concerned about it. I guess I shouldn't since it seems to be an isolated incident at this point. I am going to check her ears in the morning. I guess I will just keep an eye on it and see if she does it again.

I find it hard to believe it could really be aggression. She and the puppy eat out of the same food bowl at the same time and neither one of them minds sharing with the other. They have their own bowls but they prefer to share.

 

[Judy Judy Judy]

We had a beagle that growled all the time for 11 years until she died, people were afraid of her, she never did ever bite anyone, but growled all the time.