Can a dog get depressed after being neutered?

Question

I have a Jack Russell and I just got him neutered. He is 11 months old and he is pretty well trained. I am not able to spend every waking minute with him but he recognizes me as his master. He does several tricks and listens to my commands.

When I brought him home from the vet after being neutered a few days ago, he has been so mean. He even bit my face and drew blood. He had been growling at me and I tried to regain dominance over him because I was worried he could sense my fear. He may have been "defending" himself since he's not himself. Idk. People at the pet store said he was depressed. Others have said once a dog bites, he will bite forever. My vet said he didn't know why he was acting like that. Gave me a sedative to give him.

He is an aggressive dog and I'm worried that I will never gain control over him again. Getting a trainer is a very hard option right now financially and I am moving to another state so it's bad timing.The city I'm moving to is a large metropolitan city and I'm worried about liability.

I have found someone willing to take him although it's not confirmed. It appears as though it will be a great home for him since the guy is a professional breeder and works from home. The Dog Rescue won't take him cause he had a bad breeder and because of the bite.

Have I lost control forever of the dog?

Answer 1

But they do have emotions

Answer 2

i also have a male Jack Russell that was neutered and he was very irritable and angry for about 10-12 days after the procedure.  I called my vet, and he told me the same thing also, that he never had a dog act upset like that.  That made me nervous. But I hung in there and was patient with him because I love him. I gave him some space and just kept on with the usual routine of his feedings, walkings, petted him alot very softly, and talked to him alot, anything soothing. I tried to stay away from things that would wire him up or excite him. I just tried to keep him calm and relaxed until he came out of it on his own. It took a while. I paid close attention to cues of his mood as to when he wanted to be left alone or not touched. My Jack Russel has an issue with people putting their face up to his face also, he will bite and has bitten several times. Alot of this is behavioral and has to do with his abusive past history - he was a rescue dog. But this has changed as he has gotten older. He is now 7 yrs. Jack Russells are really smart, good dogs, and neutering a dog changes the dog's hormones, so it could take some time for their hormones to re-adjust. This is with any dog breed, and not exclusive to just the Jack Russell breed. Some patience is required. I hope this helps out.