How will spaying change my dog?

Mel Blacke

Mel Blacke

Well-Known Member
"They" say that spaying calms your dog down----that seems to be the common wisdom anyway....does anyone care to weigh in on whether this is true or not? Will Fiona lose her drive and change into a different personality? I can say with absolute certainty that it made no difference with my plott/dobe/lab mix's drive but he was male and my beagle was already spayed when we adopted her. Any thoughts on this?
 
Most of the females I have had thru the years, I adopted directly from the Animal Shelters so I can't say if it changed their personalities since I didn't get to bring them home till they were spayed, Pye I got as a pup and NOPE no change in him when I had him neutered. Pogo was neutered when I adopted him.
 
Neither Hoshi or Gabby were neutered so I've had no experience with this.
 
I've not seen any change in activity/personality, but Bella was spayed prior to her first heat.
I have heard from breeders that they had a positive change in their females who were noticeably "hormonal" throughout the year.
I was also told that fixed females won't blow their coats. There might be some truth to that.
My old cocker who wasn't fixed used to completely blow her coat twice a year.
The 2 I have now don't shed nearly so much.
 
After some mulling, I contacted Fiona's breeder and she said that it is okay to go ahead and spay her. The biggest change will be to her coat. The breeder said it will cause nasty neuter coat---probably because she won't blow her coat any more like Bella Rose said--but she doubts that it will change her disposition one iota. I love her just the way she is and I am used to training a very motivated dog. We have done a lot of early work to enhance that motivation. It would be disappointing to see that change. While it is unfortunate that she will lose her pretty feathery coat, I would prefer to get this done. The vet said that I can probably expect another heat cycle in the spring. We are not looking forward to that at all. She does not like the little pants that she has to wear and we don't like the mess.
 
Farley is fixed and Ki isn't. Both blow their coats. My daughter's Eloise is fixed. She also blows her coat and it is a soft beautiful coat. I think that might depend on the climate and the dog.
 
Come to think of it my beagle was spayed quite young, about 6 months old. She came to live with me when she was two. Her coat has always been kind of dry and ugly really. I keep it shed out through lots of regular and committed brushing--partly out of self-defense (she sheds like a fiend) and partly to keep her looking good. I use a Mars Coat King, a Furminator and a pliable soft rubber horse curry comb (for the underbelly, legs, head and ears--where the hair is thin). Everybody gets and oil supplement at our house and is fed a good diet so it isn't that. The beagle sheds much, much more than Fiona. I am going to make that appointment in the next couple of weeks.
 
I just got my sweet Finley at the end of May, she is 4 and hadn't been spayed. She was spayed at the end of June, maybe her fur will change, but right now (about 7 wks after) her coat is beautiful- glossy and soft.
 
Fi's coat did get a little fuzzier since she has been spayed. The texture of the coat changed. Oh, well.....it had to be done. I watched a video on grooming and they suggested lightly running a stripping knife to take off the little hairs that stick up after a session with the Mars Coat King to take off the fly aways which makes the coat lay flatter and it takes only a couple of minutes so that is a new procedure added to her coat care regimen but it seems to work pretty well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top