Next week is the big day and Madison is going to get spayed! I know it's routine surgery, but I am the tiniest bit worried because she's nearly 5, she's had a litter, and that litter was a C-section, so I think her recovery might be a bit slower than it would be for a young pup. The upside is she is past the puppy crazy stage, and as long as you don't wave a ball or frisbee around outside (in which case she goes crazy for it) she is easy to keep calm. She pens and crates well, so we will simply confine her when we are not there to keep her from jumping on furniture. She's not a frapper so that's not a concern either.

But those are just the basic issues. My question is if I can expect any changes to her behavior. I know that with a young dog who does not have its mature personality, the answer is usually "no." But with an adult whose hormones are fully functioning, I wonder if anyone can tell me if they have experience with this and have seen any changes? I know that many women and quite a few female horses are affected by their changing hormones and their moods can change accordingly. I wonder if the hormone changes resulting from spay will have any impact.

Of course Maddie has only been with us a couple months and we haven't seen her go through a heat cycle, so we don't have much to compare with. She is basically a pretty easy dog with an outgoing personality and a nice energy level (always eager to go for a walk or chase a ball, but content to lie around at night if you're just hanging out). She has no real problems. She is, however, a bit sporadic when meeting other dogs. She's never aggressive, but she's a bit quick to snark for perceived slights. She also most definitely does NOT like having her backside sniffed. I had read, long before we got her, that some females, especially intact females, will not tolerate dogs sniffing their privates if they are not in season, and that is certainly true with her! With Jack she never snarks, but she lives with him and is used to him (and he has learned to stay away from her backside!)

I would appreciate anyone's experiences, with either a young female or most especially an older one who had already reached full maturity.

Thanks!