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Why is my neutered dog still biting my ankles and legs aggressively?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | neutered | 8 months and 10 days old | 75 lbs

Why is Gizmo grabbing my ankle and biting the back of my legs? I thought that once he was neutered his aggressive behavior would calm down. Any thoughts? Thank you, Steve

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1 Answer

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on October 1st, 2019

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.

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