Dog castration is highly recommended by veterinary medicine professionals. However, many guardians are still very afraid to perform the surgery due to changes in the behavior of the castrated dog. It is no myth that some behavioral changes occur after castration, for both males and females. But after all, what changes in the castrated dog? To answer these questions, the Paws of the House gathered information on the subject. What are the real changes after surgery? Does the neutered dog become calmer? See what we found out!

Castrated male dog: what are the most common behavioral changes?

It is important to know that behavioral changes can be different between male and female dogs after castration. Mainly because hormonal changes occur differently in the body of each one. In the case of the castrated male dog, the animal's body stops producing testosterone, causing the hormone to leave his body completely. In this way, the dog begins toshow changes in behavior related to sex hormones. If your dog used to run away from home in search of females in heat, this will probably no longer happen. It is worth mentioning that unsupervised walks are strictly discouraged, mainly because they can result in accidents, fights with other animals and even poisoning.

The neutered male dog may also stop peeing around the house to mark territory and let go of some more dominant behaviors. And many people wonder if the neutered dog becomes calmer. Although it is a very individual change, it is possible, yes, that the dog becomes less energetic over time - and consequently calmer. Now if dog has behaviorsaggressive before being neutered, it is important to consult a behaviorist to understand what is behind it - as the reason is not always hormonal.

Castrated dog: before and after females are usually different from males

The change in the way neutered bitches behave is often different from that observed in males. Castrated bitches no longer produce estrogen (female hormone), but unlike males, they still produce testosterone. Because of this, unlike males, bitches may start to pee with their paws upright and become more risky with strangers and others.On the other hand, the possibility of psychological pregnancy and the behavior of riding on people, other animals and objects are reduced.

What happens if you don't neuter your dog?

Now that you know what a neutered dog looks like, you may wonder what happens when the animal does not undergo the procedure. Castration is recommended mainly for health reasons. Unneutered dogs have a higher risk of developing problems such as prostate cancer, breast cancer, uterine diseases, glandular diseases, pregnancy complications and communicable diseases. Byso make sure your vet appointments are up to date and opt to have your dog neutered as soon as possible.