Spaying=Aggression???

I have a nine month old female purebred mutt that I have not yet spayed. I have heard many people say that their female (not male) became aggressive or even began to have separation anxiety after being spayed. I know the health benefits to spaying but I also want to make sure it is also beneficial for her mentally/behaviorally.
I have two young children and I would never want her personality to change so drastically that she would become aggressive towards them.
If you have any personal experience with this or any information concerning this topic, please let me know!!!

[AdrianneIsabel]

There is a lot of debate around the topic but IME I have had more dogs altered without behavioral changes than ones with.

That said, I would alter around 1 year for a female or 6 months for a female that I could not ensure absolute safety against breeding.

[Linds]

My one female was spayed at 6 months (regret it very much) but she didn't show any turn towards aggresive behavior at all.

My family's female was spayed at 6 and her tolerance of other dogs went way down. She went from rather dog tolerant to not being allowed near dogs that are not our own house dogs or dogs she grew up with shortly thereafter and even now I watch her with my other female at all times carefully.

Well, she hasn't even had her first heat yet... I was thinking a year or a little over if I decided to do the spay surgery.
There was a website I went to once that stated that when they are spayed the testosterone in their body isn't balanced by the estrogen so essentially the testosterone dominates sometimes creating aggression. Any truth to this? I don't know where this website was.... It was a while ago...

[Laurelin]

Of my past dogs:

- Nikki was spayed at 7 years old and other than weight gain had no personality change (she was a bitch before and a bitch after lol)

- Rose was spayed at 2 and stayed the same but her hair grew a lot

- Summer was spayed at 4 and stayed the same, but grew a little more hair

- Mia was spayed at 1 year and didn't change as far as I can tell

[Laurelin]

Originally Posted by mutts

Well, she hasn't even had her first heat yet... I was thinking a year or a little over if I decided to do the spay surgery.
There was a website I went to once that stated that when they are spayed the testosterone in their body isn't balanced by the estrogen so essentially the testosterone dominates sometimes creating aggression. Any truth to this? I don't know where this website was.... It was a while ago...

Summer and Rose are both spayed and are two of the mildest mannered dogs I've ever met.

Right now her personality is very submissive towards other dogs. She LOVES them. However, she is leery of strangers and slightly fearful. She also has slight separation anxiety. (Reverse of the stereotypical pit bull-- usually dog aggressive).

*note-- she is a mutt but her momma was definitely Boston terrier and her daddy definitely had some pit appearance. The only one breed we can pinpoint for certain is the Boston terrier

[Dekka]

I think its only a worry with dogs that are ALREADY aggressive. The vast majority of bitches get altered with no adverse affects.

[RD]

Eve, who is dog-aggressive, was spayed at 4 and experienced a lot of weight gain and hair growth, but I have noticed no difference in her temperament thus far, and she's been spayed for over a year.