It is relatively common for some bitches to display strange behavior during heat. Some become more affectionate, while others may show aggressiveness, either towards their owners or towards other dogs. If you have questions about this stage, about sterilization or about handling guidelines, you've come to the right place!
In this article on our site we will give you some advice for an aggressive female dog in heat, we will resolve the most frequent doubts and we will try to help you learn how to solve this problem of aggressiveness.
The stages of heat and its influence on behavior
Before focusing exclusively on the aggressive behavior of the bitch, it will be essential to know the stages of heat to know how they affect behavior What do you know about heat in female dogs? Here we explain it briefly and simply:
Small breed dogs, such as Yorkshire Terriers or M altese Bichons, typically enter this period between 6 and 9 months of age. In contrast, large or giant breeds, such as the Rottweiler or German Shepherd, can enter heat between 9 and 12 months of age. Still, each dog may experience it at a different age.
The heat consists of four phases and in all of them we can observe some changes in behavior, we show you:
1. Proestro
Proestrus is not always easy to detect, as bleeding is not profuse. Through observation, we could detect the inflamed vulva and observe frequent licking of the genital area. In this period the female is not fertile but begins to attract males and very often rejects them, which can lead to aggressive behavior towards them It can last between 3 and 17 days.
two. Oestrus
At this time the bitch is yes she is fertile and will accept males who try to mount her. However, she may be distracted and little obedient, she will urinate much more often in the street and be especially sociable and affectionatewith dogs. Except for the bitches that already suffer from behavior problems, such as fear. It can also last between 3 and 17 days.
It is important to highlight that during the fertile stage of the bitch we must be very careful and not leave her in a park without supervision, since she could experience an unwanted pregnancy
3. Right handed
If fertilization has occurred during estrus, the bitch's gestation will begin at this stage. If not, it will enter a "rest" phase that will take us to the next stage, anestrus. However, it may happen that the dog suffers from a psychological pregnancy, which consists of a pseudo-pregnancy, which also implies an abnormal hormonal production, that is, it goes through the same processes as a pregnant dog.
During pregnancy and psychological pregnancy, it is common for the female to suffer changes in behavior such as aggressiveness, in addition, during right-handed, the female will not accept the mating, which can also lead to rejection or aggressive behavior towards males who try to copulate with her. It will last between 60 and 100 days.
4. Anestrus
It is a stage of sexual inactivity and the duration is very variable, which can reach 130 days. The time will depend on age and hormonal processes. At this time we will observe normal behavior.
What happens after the first heat?
Some bitches, after experiencing the first heat, may or may not show changes in character and this is mainly due to physical and hormonal changeswho experience.
Sometimes we have female dogs that live with another female and get along wonderfully but, after the first heat, the picture changes for one of them, she can be offended, growl and even attack her "friend, sister or mother" in certain situations.
Is it advisable to sterilize an aggressive female dog?
Neutering has many advantages, however, Neutering an aggressive bitch is not recommended, as this can lead to an increase in aggressiveness due to the pain of the operation, the decrease in estrogen and the increase in testosterone, which further favors aggressive behavior.
For this reason, most ethologists agree that it is preferable to perform behavior modification therapy to treat aggressiveness together with a specialist before neutering a bitch.
Tips for a dog in heat that is aggressive towards humans
If your dog is starting to develop a surly attitude towards you or a member of your family, it will be important to take action, especially if there are children in the home. We must be respectful and avoid disturbing her when she sends us calming or movement signals: grunting, turning her back on us, avoiding contact with us… this mode will be key to solve the problem.
Some basic tips can be:
- Provide your dog with a "nest"so that she can take refuge whenever she wants. You should place it in a quiet place in the house and not disturb her when she is there. It is a very positive tool for her to take refuge when she has the need to do so and learn to manage her discomfort
- Understanding that her behavior change is due to a hormonal process will help us empathize with her and be more tolerant We will completely avoid the punishment, as this increases stress and anxiety levels, which can cause unwanted behavior to increase.
- Reinforce positive behaviors (such as being calm or sociable) with a "Very good" or a caress, this way there will be more chances that this behavior will continue.
However, in the more serious cases it will be essential to go to a specialist, especially if the dog suddenly starts to mark or bite. Remember that the sooner we start applying the appropriate guidelines, the sooner we will solve the problem and the less likely it is that the behavior will become habitual.
Tips for a dog in heat that is aggressive towards dogs
To begin with, we must emphasize that it is not advisable to go to a place where other dogs are (especially if they are not neutered) with a female dog in heat. This is because the pheromones that the dog emits can cause disputes and fights between the males that are there. It can also happen that in the first phase of heat, during proestrus, she rejects male dogs forcefully, causing a conflict situation. Therefore, it is not advisable to go to a pipi-can with a dog in heat
Apart from this specific stage, it is common for those who observe negative behavior between dogs after the bitch's first heat to stop going to the pipi-can, thus interrupting the usual socialization. However, you must remember that this is not the solution, we must learn to identify what is happening to our dog and why she acts in this way, as well as the "trigger" that causes him to act aggressively
If we observe growling, chasing and tense attitude during heat, it is best to leave the place. However, if you see this same reaction in the female dog after she is in heat, it is best to not intervene It is recommended that the dogs communicate with each other (in the language of the dog growling is a warning signal, "hey, I don't like this") so that they learn to respect limits
On the other hand, if your dog's attitude towards other dogs is extremely aggressive or surly, it can lead to serious confrontations and wounds, it will be time to go to the professional, such as a canine educator or ethologist.
If you have any doubts about the aggressiveness of a dog in heat with other dogs, we invite you to read more about aggressiveness in "Why does my dog attack my other dog?" or in "Tips for an aggressive dog".
