The answer to this question depends on your dog’s personality before she’s spayed. As spaying a dog does affect their hormones, it will impact hormonally-driven behaviour. This can mean a reduction in aggression, irritability or overt sexual behaviour. The reduction of these traits can mean your female dog will be more relaxed, calmer and could be a lot happier.
While a female dog’s behaviour will change after spaying, the main benefits are usually more health-related. These can include a reduced chance of some cancers or potential tumours, and spaying a female dog can also result in the likelihood of theft. However, the main reason to spay a dog is to remove any risk of pregnancy, rather than to manage challenging characteristics.
If your female dog experiences phantom pregnancies, these can be distressing. In these cases, your dog believes she’s pregnant, so she can begin to nest and prepare for motherhood. She can be extremely unsettled, have increased anxiety and even show signs of depression. She can fixate on her toys as though they’re her puppies, which can lead to aggressive behaviour. Physically, she may have a reduced appetite, be lethargic or have signs of lactation.
Spaying will help rebalance the hormonal issues your dog is experiencing, so it could be beneficial for your dog’s overall behaviour and wellbeing.