OK...this post could equally have gone in health, breeding or general, so please bear with me.....

28 month old GSP bitch has had three seasons todate.  I would like to get her spayed as she will not be bred from due to a possible inherited genetic problem.  She is generally absolutely fine with other dogs;  just prior to a season she becomes quite clingy to me and keen on affection.  However, to other bitches (including those she knows and gets on well with normally) she becomes a right mardy-arse.  This 'PMT' continues throughout her season.  I also have an entire male and one explanation that I've been given is that she's protecting her right to mate.  It has also been suggested that if I spay her, the calming hormones (whatever they may be) will be removed and she will be permanently as she is during her season. (God help us!  :-( )

The  person that has proffered these views is actually someone with canine training credentials, but I know that sometimes they hold opinions that aren't necessarily substantiated by fact.  Soooo.........what is your view please?

My experience has been that spaying does remove moodiness and "trouble making" shortly before and during a season.

Can only talk from experience, spaying will smooth out a bitches moods but it can make a pushy bitch even more so as the softening effect of the female hormone has gone and you are left with un modified temperament of the bitch 

I've had several bitches spayed and have found that their post-spaying temperament is the same as their mid-season (non-hormonal) temperament; the exact opposite of what you've been told.

I believe it depends on which part of the cycle they are spayed. If they are spayed whilst having a false pregnancy the hormones haven't reduced to a significant level (or something alone those lines. ) If spayed 3 months after her season and not during a false pregnancy she should be fine. I have to say though one of my bitches and one of my friends bitches still retain the grumpy behaviour as if coming into season on their regular cycle. My bitch only had one season but ever since she still seems to get moody around the time at which she would have come into season had she not been spayed. My other bitch doesn't have this problem.

Thank you everyone!

She (todate) has not suffered with phantoms, but will bear that in mind.  Hopefully, now in c3months time she will be spayed. 

Hi, i have a question.. my 4 year old lab is in season, she has just finished bleeding and is on the 2nd week of her season. We would like to get her spayed, so how long after the season should we wait?

You should wait untill she is between seasons - about half way is best ;)

My bitch was speyed 2 years ago as she came into season - it was an 'emergency' as far as I was concerned, she had a lump coming up on one of her mammaries - connected to her season, it might have been a harmless cyst but I was taking no chances ;)

She has gone from being a bolshy, pushy, almost grumpy, bitch who wouldn't really listen to anyone (in between seasons ;) but she never got worse during her seasons )  to a loving, soft bitch who actually listens to me, pretty much as she was while pregnant :-D  she's much easier to live with now and is much less 'tense'  as well ;) the house is much more relaxed these days :-D

>how long after the season should we wait?

About 3 months.