Neutering and behavior changes in dogs

[Marthe48]

My daughter and her family got a golden retriever at the end of June. He is about 2 yrs old. The vet tested him for any ailments and made sure he was all set for the surgery. About 6 weeks ago, he had the surgery and it went fine. Before the surgery the dog was a good boy, and coming along with obeying basic commands, being good in the house. He was an outdoor dog before they came to him, and they want him to be a house dog. He was getting used to that change. But since surgery, he has started ignoring commands entirely. When they first got him, they took him on a lead until he knew the geography, and he stayed reasonably close to home after they started letting him run free. If I took him out off the leash, I had treats. Their little dog loves her treats and comes back right away. I keep her in sight and pretty close to me. The golden doesn't really obey me or come back for treats, but if I go in the house, he comes right to the door. I just heard he is ranging futher from home. One of the relatives has trail cams set up, and saw that the dog was over 1/2 mile from the house, and there were coyotes nearby. So the dog is back on a lead. When I go over, I'll have him on a leash and encourage him to learn commands. He is also tearing up trash, and things like that. He isn't aggressive, just being pigheaded. We had a golden retreiver mix years ago, and he was an angel.

Is he going to mellow out? I thought when a dog got neutered, they were calmer and easier to handle. My daughter has a friend with a golden retriever and has been getting advice from them about the dog's needs.

[Polly Hennessey]

1. Don't know. I have had many dogs in my life. All were

spayed/neutered. No behavioral changes. One of my Goldens, Murphy, was always a clown. Never stopped getting into mischief.

Maybe, the change from outside to inside has confused him. He will probably adjust over time. Patience and consistency work. I now have a Great Pyrenees (Alex) and a Pittie/Shepherd mix (Scout). Scout is trainable; Alex on the other hand is not so much. He is, however, an outstanding guardian of the property. Love them both forever and ever.