Spaying older chow will it make her more aggressive?
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Spaying older chow will it make her more aggressive?
I have a 5 year old chow who has not been spayed. She had one litter of puppies and we had considered breeding her again, but chose not to. I know there are major health benefits of spaying, but am wondering if it is to late? I am also wondering if spaying her will help her aggressive behavior? I have read some post that say that SPAYING WILL MAKE HER MORE DOMINANT AND MORE AGGRESSIVE, WHICH IS A BIG CONCERN, So I really need your take on it.
She is not aggressive to humans at all, but she has a very strong prey drive and she is aggressive towards our male chow over food.
I have given both of my chows treats after having them sit or lay down. The female swallows hers whole and the male takes longer to eat his. If he happens to spit it out in order to chew it slower she will growl at him and steal his treat or attack him if he does not give it to her. I am worried about this because I don't want to end up in the middle of their fight. From other post I have figured out that I simply can not give the, treats together anymore.
Also, a few times my employees have let her out and it was NOT GOOD, we are talking attacking, cats, small dogs and very large goats and horses. We put up and extra fence, but one time the outer gate was open and she actually dug through gravel in order to dig under a section of the inner fence and escape the first fence in order to go through the second one via the open gate. So now we have to take even more precautions. I am very well aware that she CAN NOT EVER GET OUT AGAIN!
So my question is, will spaying her help with any of the problems or will it in fact make things worse?
She is not aggressive to humans at all, but she has a very strong prey drive and she is aggressive towards our male chow over food.
I have given both of my chows treats after having them sit or lay down. The female swallows hers whole and the male takes longer to eat his. If he happens to spit it out in order to chew it slower she will growl at him and steal his treat or attack him if he does not give it to her. I am worried about this because I don't want to end up in the middle of their fight. From other post I have figured out that I simply can not give the, treats together anymore.
Also, a few times my employees have let her out and it was NOT GOOD, we are talking attacking, cats, small dogs and very large goats and horses. We put up and extra fence, but one time the outer gate was open and she actually dug through gravel in order to dig under a section of the inner fence and escape the first fence in order to go through the second one via the open gate. So now we have to take even more precautions. I am very well aware that she CAN NOT EVER GET OUT AGAIN!
So my question is, will spaying her help with any of the problems or will it in fact make things worse?
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Rory's Dad
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Re: Spaying older chow will it make her more aggressive?
Spaying her will absolutely not add to aggressive behaviors. It may help, but at her age, already having had a litter, probably not that much.
The treat aggression is not related to having her parts intact. It is actually a pretty easy training excercise. Ration the treats. If she finishes 1st on a regular basis, then only give her a portion. When she is finished, give her the rest so she is not looking for the remnants from the other dog. Practice the sam routine at feeding time. Make sure they both know that reaching in to grab the bowl/treat isnt a negative and they will get more if properly behaved and allowing the pack leader (YOU), to provide them with additional food/resources.
The prey drive is much more difficult. It is ingrained into their behavior and genetics. The only option there is to train them for recall or heal type commands. Not so easy to do with Chows, but again, if they can be taught that they get rewarded for either staying at your side (easier), or returning to it when they wander off. Try to find a motivator (treat, toy, belly rub) and practice that.
The treat aggression is not related to having her parts intact. It is actually a pretty easy training excercise. Ration the treats. If she finishes 1st on a regular basis, then only give her a portion. When she is finished, give her the rest so she is not looking for the remnants from the other dog. Practice the sam routine at feeding time. Make sure they both know that reaching in to grab the bowl/treat isnt a negative and they will get more if properly behaved and allowing the pack leader (YOU), to provide them with additional food/resources.
The prey drive is much more difficult. It is ingrained into their behavior and genetics. The only option there is to train them for recall or heal type commands. Not so easy to do with Chows, but again, if they can be taught that they get rewarded for either staying at your side (easier), or returning to it when they wander off. Try to find a motivator (treat, toy, belly rub) and practice that.
Re: Spaying older chow will it make her more aggressive?
Rory's dad is right, it will not make her more aggressive. Spaying will remove the risk of her getting Pyometra . http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... 09&aid=918 It is a good idea.
Laura
Laura
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Re: Spaying older chow will it make her more aggressive?
Thank you both for your replies. I am really thankful for this forum and for all the wonderful advice I have been able to get from others with way more experience than I. Rorys dad, you have commented on several of my questions and your answers are always soooooo helpful. Thank you for taking the time to respond, I really appreciate your insight!