Hi there i have a rottie bitch aged 4.she has previously had pups and lives with young children in a busy house hold walked everyday and taught pretty good manners if i do say so myself ect ect,basically my dogs all had fantastic personalitys wonderful temprements and i loved being around them all day.the attention i got was wonderful.and im sure its vise versa.
now nothing has changed in the house accept me being pregnant she had an operation on her ears sue to the canals needing widening,and i also had her speyed and my dog castrated and now shes being a complete cow.

shes ripped down the fence panel in the back garden by wanting to 'get to' our cat on the fence.but wont chase her on our side or in the house in fact its like she don exist.she's moody with freinds and family.no one in my house but my sister who regularly visits was giving her a cuddle as she normally would do and she nipped her fingers!!!! i was horrified,i honestly cannot see why shes done that,but also now shes giving people the eye in our house.but its so confusing as she will walk over to get a cuddle and put her head in the lap like shes always done but then give a look that now i really dont like.shes never bitten never growled nor been horrible or bolshy that i couldnt understand.
i love her so much shes not spoilt shes excersized and well fed in fact nothing has changed with the other 3 in my house...so why her!?
its getting me down im expecting my baby in 4 weeks and my house will be running alive with visitors i hate having to say to people dont give the dogs attention ect ect
oh goodness can anyone help?
is it true the speying can be to blame for the behaviour change??

I would firstly get her checked out at the vets as she maybe in discomfort as are you 100% sure the ear OP worked and she is nit having issues with her ears ?

Also spaying should not cause any issues unless are any of your other three entire bicthes as this may have caused a shift in the dynamics of the group.

I think once health issues are ruled out get in tocuh with a behaviourist as soon as you can preferably before the baby comes as you are going to have a loit on your plate and I am sure you will be worrying less about her if she is happy and contented and not out of sorts as she seems at the moment.

Is this the first pregnancy you have had whilst she has been around and has it be a good pregnancy or have you had any health issues ( not being nosey but if you have been stressed it can often rub off on some dogs) ?

Well shes been discharged by the vets and given the all clear so shouldnt be a problem with the ears and trust me i make sure theyre well cleaned and shes happy.i was wondering maybe if its because theres no more pain in the ear that shes grown a pair...if u like lol...and has more confidence or energy to be naughty?
My pregnancy has been straight forward other than the usual aches and pains,scans and hospital trips although it is the first one she has expeienced by me.
My sister is here a lot and has been pregnant twice and the pair get on so well.maybe it is my baby,i dont fear for my new born at all shes not horrible she will have my 5 year old lay with her in her bed(in my living room)never alone but he can hold the lead whilst she walks ect shes not horrible at all.....its just her personality and i donot want her being a dog we have to 'watch' u know?

I would still get her checked by the vets and then if she is ok then get the behaviourist in as do think the pregnancy is a factor here.

Dogs are very susceptable to changes especially as your hormones and even your behaviour may have changed and she maybe picking up on it. Some dogs are more sensitive to changes like this than others.

behaviourist it is then because she was checked out by my vet after being discharged 'because'i thought it may be the ears again!
thanks

Have you had her tested for hypothyroidism as that is common amongst
spayed bitches and one of the symptoms is behavioural issues.
Blood test would be needed to rule this out.

ok but she dont really have any of the symptoms of that?
shes an ideal weight shes active shes got a beautiful coat hasnt suffered any hair loss i would test her for it but im not sure theres really any point.ok its worth doing to rule out but i really think theres something eles going on.her attitude towards others is really annoying cos she loves a cuddle but im now keeping her begind a gate and asking people to ignore all dogs until they've calmed down and then they can approach the dogs,THEN shes back to her old self.
im finding it stressful enough now as it is without her playin up when iv got the new baby sleepless nights ect.i just know i wont cope(emotionally)

No one, not even your vet, can say for sure that she's not in pain or discomfort. A course of pain meds will give you a good indication if she's cranky because something hurts....even if it's just to rule this out.

The hormone changes within the house, including yours, would be the next place Id think may be the cause.

I wonder how long ago she was spayed?
Spayed bitches can have phantom pregnancies and this could alter her temperament for a while. Spaying can drastically upset the hormones and if so, it should be temporary.

..

because she was checked out by my vet after being discharged 'because'i thought it may be the ears again!

'If it were me' I would be sceptical about the opinion of the vet that did the op, if he suspected something it MIGHT suggest a 'possiblity' of liability on his part, Why at 4 years old was it suddenlly decided she needed her ear chanel(?) widening? Maybe a second veterinary opinion?
.

My male dog hated me while I was pregnant at first.  He was so confused by the 'new scent'.  Then the 'pack leader is pregnant and must be protected' instinct kicked in and he was the bodyguard from hell!!  No-one was allowed to be near me or he would really get his back up.  He wasn't mr socialible before but he was 100 times worse during my pregnancy.  After baby came along, he returned to his old self.

she did need the ear channel widening yes!it was quite invasive as he went through the ear drum too,so we were expecting some if not all the hearing loss in that ear but thankfully shes not too bad and can still hear and is still very alert.

She was speyed because i wanted to minimise any risk of unwanted pregnancy and phantom,which she tend'd to have!

i am hoping its just a pregnancy thing but dont want to just assume and its not!.BUT i will say i have been having some uncomfortable braxton hicks contractions the last two days and shes followed me everywhere,even from one sofa to the other sofa,which are joint at the corners!

maybe it is a protection thing?
iv booked her in to see the vet monday anyway so ill have a chat with him and see what he thinks.......thanks all its nice to be able to air how im feeling and get some answers.x

no hang on iv read ur post wrong,she needed it doing at 4 years old because was on medication for a while because of an ear problem.the previous vet said its a life long thing THEN i got a second opinion! this new vet suggested the op! thats why.

> ok but she dont really have any of the symptoms of that?

The personality change could be a symptom of it.  Dogs don't necessarily show the classic signs such as hair loss, weight gain etc but temperament changes and aggression in particular have been noted as symptoms of a thyroid problem.

I have a friend whos lovely placid calm friendly dog changed overnight having been spayed - tablets for a few months to sort out the hormones and she is back to normal

so it could be the spay

ok but she dont really have any of the symptoms of that?
shes an ideal weight shes active shes got a beautiful coat hasnt suffered any hair loss i would test her for it but im not sure theres really any point.ok its worth doing to rule out but i really think theres something eles going on.

My spaniel didn't have any of these symptoms either (though with hindsight his coat did get a bit thinner, but it wasn't very noticeable at the time) and he was only 18 months old, he did however show unexplained and unreasonable aggression. He has autoimmune thyroiditis! So it would be worth checking it out if nothing else can be found.