# Spayed Dog Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 11, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spayed-dog-question/154470 "2003-02-11T23:53:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spayed-dog-question/154470/1 "2003-02-11T23:53:23Z")
Tonight, my shuband let our six year old female dog outside. (We had her “fixed” as a puppy.) To his shock, he went to let her in and found her having sex with the neighbor’s dog. Perhaps this is stupid, but I thought female dogs only wanted to mate when they went into heat, unlike humans who have sex for fun. I know that other animals, such as apes, are willing to have sex at any time, but for female dogs I thought that the urge only came on at certain points of their cycle. She has always been hostile to male dogs. When my grandmother’s male dog has tried to mount her in the past, she would shake him off and bite him. I used to laugh and say she didn’t find him attractive, but now I’m wondering if I was right all along. She must have thought the neighbor’s black retriever mix was “hot.” So, what happened? Do female spayed dogs still have the urge to mate, even though nothing can come of it (no pun intended)? Why would she suddenly, after all of this time, decide to mate, when she has spent six years growling at males who made a pass at her? I did a search on the 'Net, and also in the Archives, but found nothing pertinent. Do any of you know? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spayed-dog-question/154470/2 "2003-02-11T23:58:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Why does my spayed female accept a male for copulation? > > I have a 2 yr. old Golden Retriever that I had spayed about 3 months ago after her second litter of pups. I also have a male Lab. Today I came home to find them copulating! Is this normal for a spayed female? I was always under the impression that a spayed bitch would not allow this unless she was in heat. Is there a chance the spaying was unsuccessful and how? Can they be in season although there is no chance of pregnancy? – Kenny N., Patrick Springs, VA > > Spayed females are not expected to have an estrus cycle or to accept a male for copulation. If there is any remaining ovarian tissue (which can happen because some was left at surgery or there was “extra” ovarian tissue from birth) the female dog can have a hormonal cycle with all the effects on her behavior as before surgery. But because the uterus was removed, she cannot get pregnant. To check for ovarian tissue your dog can have vaginal cytology performed at your veterinarian’s office. At the appropriate time, as determined by the cytology, a progesterone assay can be submitted. If the progesterone is high, then luteal (ovarian) tissue remains. From [this site.](http://www.snaptx.org/ask_the_vet/spay-neuter-behavior.htm) ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spayed-dog-question/154470/3 "2003-02-12T00:04:42Z")
But there 's a big different between a dog that was spayed 3 months ago and a dog that was spayed over 5 years ago. It seems pretty odd to start exhibiting the behavior now. I’d think that if part of an ovary was missed, it would have been apparent sooner. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spayed-dog-question/154470/4 "2003-02-12T00:24:25Z")
Well, I know she’s not getting her “normal” hormones, because we had a problem with, uhm, leakage. She started leaving wet spots behind on her bed, and our vet said that it sometimes happens to spayed females, because they’re not getting enough estrogen, and thus become a little incontinent, especially when sleeping. We had to put her on hormone pills which cleared up the problem. However, she only gets one pill every two weeks, and she’s been taking them for almost two years with no behavioral change, so I can’t imagine that this could be what led her to suddenly accept the neighbor’s male. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spayed-dog-question/154470/5 "2003-02-12T23:47:54Z")
I’m gonna bump this, in case someone who wasn’t around yesterday might know. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spayed-dog-question/154470/6 "2003-02-13T00:42:28Z")
I suspect you may have answered your own question, **Lissa**. Some women who undergo hormone therapy experience an increase in libido. I wouldn’t be surprised that it took some time. Question is, what’s an “intact” male doing running around the 'hood? Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spayed-dog-question/154470/7 "2003-02-13T01:03:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mangeorge \* > \*\*I suspect you may have answered your own question, Lissa. Some women who undergo hormone therapy experience an increase in libido. I wouldn’t be surprised that it took some time. I guess I can see that, but two whole years? She hasn’t gone into heat, or displayed any other behavioral changes since she’s been getting the pill. > [@](#): > > \*\* Question is, what’s an “intact” male doing running around the 'hood? > Peace, > mangeorge \*\* All of our neighbors let their dogs out to roam for hours on end. He comes over to poop in our yard, and hangs out for a while. (When I let my dog out to go to the bathroom, I chain her to our porch railing with a thirty foot cable. We live near a highway, and I’m concerned for her safety.) It’s in our neighborhood rules that a dog is not allowed to run at large, or live outside, but people do it anyway. The neighborhood is strictly for members of my husband’s company, and complaining about them would make for a hostile work environment. ---
**Author:** ![richardb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/96bed5/32.png) [@richardb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/richardb)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spayed-dog-question/154470/8 "2003-02-13T03:50:00Z")
From this site: [http://www.marvistavet.com/html/the\_canine\_spay.html](http://www.marvistavet.com/html/the_canine_spay.html) > [@](#): > > WHAT ABOUT BEHAVIORAL CHANGES? > > The female dog’s reproductive tract is dormant for most of the year. It only activates for the three week period of heat. This means that from a behavioral stand point, the female dog acts spayed most of the time. It is unlikely that any change will be evident. This site goes into much greater detail about the health benefits to the dog from spaying. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spayed-dog-question/154470/9 "2003-02-13T05:28:23Z")
It could just be a dominance thing. I took our fixed male dog to a friends house the other week and their fixed male dog kept trying to mount him. Cause their dog was so much bigger than mine he could really do anything and just had to wait for the other dog to finish if we didn’t pull them apart in time. ---
**Author:** ![TwiztidAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e8c25b/32.png) [@TwiztidAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwiztidAngel)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spayed-dog-question/154470/10 "2010-10-03T14:22:24Z")
my 6 yr old rat terrier was spayed in feb 08 and last night she mated with an intact (grr) male in the neighborhood. i am just as confused as you are. and my dog isn’t on hormone therapy or anything. mating after spaying won’t cause internal damage will it? i’m taking her to her vet in the a.m. just to be sure she’s ok. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spayed-dog-question/154470/11 "2010-10-03T14:55:31Z")
[moderating] There’s no particular reason to resurrect this 7-year-old thread. I am locking it down. [/moderating]