Why is my dog suddenly aggressive and barking after neutering?

Neutering can help with aggression, so I strongly recommend getting that done for Regan. But he also needs behavioral training as soon as possible. He needs an expert to work with him on his aggressive behaviors to prevent him from hurting another person. I never recommend owners work with aggressive dogs on their own, so speak to his vet about a recommendation to a professional behavioral expert. I would do this today. Best of luck.

Hi there. Actually, yes! To reasons not always know to us-changes in the hormonal makeup of our animals (i.e. a recent neuter) can make them smell different. Many theories have been postulated as to why previously accepting partners will turn away the new "smell" and show aggression. Many think it is frustration in the change. Some think it is because they now want to show dominance. Often, we do not ever really know for sure. Normally with time the pair will acclimate again, but I usually recommend supervised playtime until then. I hope this helps!

It is amazing what can upset our dogs at times and a stay in the vets office can unsettle some dogs also. I recommend getting your son to feed and walk him on leash as much as possible, ignoring the behavior and not letting him when cowering as this may reinforce the anxiety. A calming supplement such as zylkene and comfort zone diffuser can help also

This is a very dangerous situation and depending on the trigger for the aggresion neutering may or may not help. I would not recommend this without an individual visit from a certified behaviorist to explore the triggers and patterns of behavior. Please ensure he is not unsupervised, particularly around children until he can be fully assessed

The lowered testosterone levels following the neuter could be making the pit less dominant and the lab is now trying to assert his dominance in the “pack”. There are some great resources on www.draophiayin.com that discuss aggression. You may also want to consider working with a veterinary behaviorist to resolve this issue. You can find one in your area on www.acvb.org.

Canine aggression is a complex behavior as it can stem from dominance, possessiveness, fear, anxiety, resource guarding or a combination. Most people are not familiar with reading canine body language and training. Because of this, I recommend to work with a professional trainer. Researching on your own will also be helpful. Familiarizing yourself with canine body language and dog training can help you to recognize what your pet is trying to say. You can find many books written on the topic and there is a trainer named Victoria Stilwell who I think is particularly helpful. Certainly male dogs who are not neutered are more prone to fighting and aggression. Neutering him may help but it will not likely solve all the problems. Best of luck.

Without being able to observe the behavior, it's impossible to know if this is true aggression or if this is play behavior. True canine aggression is a complex behavior as it can stem from dominance, possessiveness, fear, anxiety, resource guarding or a combination. Unless you are very familiar with reading canine body language and training, I recommend to work with a professional trainer. Researching on your own will also be helpful. Familiarizing yourself with canine body language and dog training can help you to recognize what your pet is trying to say. You can find many books written on the topic and there is a trainer named Victoria Stilwell who I think is particularly helpful. Rough play is a completely different behavior and will not generally be affected by neutering. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.