Dogs tend to change their behavior a little during heat. Although the normal thing is that they become more affectionate than normal, sometimes the opposite happens. They can be aggressive towards other dogs and even their handlers, but why?
Next we will solve your doubt, but also We are going to offer you a series of tips for an aggressive bitch in heat that will be useful to know how to control the situation.
What are the stages of heat and how does it affect female dogs?
Before getting into the subject, let's see what the stages of heat are and how it affects them to better understand what happens to them:
- proestrus: lasts between 3 and 17 days. It is not always easy to identify, but if we observe them we will see that they have an inflamed vulva and that they lick the genital area frequently. During this phase they are not fertile.
- Estro: also lasts between 3 and 17 days. During this phase they will urinate more frequently in the street and will be very affectionate with dogs except if they have a behavior problem. These days they are fertile.
- Right handed: in the event that fertilization has occurred, gestation will begin. Otherwise they will enter a phase of »rest». However, it can happen that they have psychological pregnancies due to an abnormal production of hormones, and that as a result they suffer from behavioral changes such as aggressiveness.
- Anestrus: it can last up to 130 days. They do not have any sexual activity and the behavior they show will be normal for them.
Can they change their behavior after the first heat?
Bitches at 6 months of age can have heat for the first time at any time. From then on, their body will experience a series of physical and hormonal changes that will prepare them to become mothers. But this does not mean that they will change their behavior; in fact, nothing would have to happen.
However, there are some who do get to have unpleasant behaviors with other dogs in some situationseven if they are related.
Is castration an effective measure to eliminate aggressive behavior?
Castration, that is, the removal of the reproductive glands, has many advantages, including a lower risk of breast and uterine cancer. However, this is not a good solution if what we want is to eliminate the aggressive behavior of our dogs during heat. And is that due to the pain of the operation, the decrease in estrogens and the increase in testosterone, this behavior will be accentuated.
What will do, and a lot, is ask for help from a professional who works positively to teach us to modify the behavior of our furry. He will provide us with the necessary tools to know how to act when, for example, we go for a walk and they meet other dogs, or to get along with each other. Once the problem is solved, we can castrate them.
This is a very simple operation, from which they will recover quickly (more or less after 3 days they are already leading a normal life), so we will not have to worry too much. With minimal post-operative care (leaving them in a quiet room, preventing them from licking the wound by putting on an Elizabethan collar or clothing, giving them lots of pampering and high-quality food) they will be able to recover quickly.
How to prevent them from becoming aggressive towards humans?
For this the trainer will also be very useful to us. Even so, and in the meantime we find one that we like, we must do the following:
- We will provide them with a safe place where they can go whenever they need it. This should be a quiet room, with your food, water, and bed.
- Do not mistreat them. This, apart from being a crime, is of no use other than to make them fear us. In addition, you must avoid any situation of stress and anxiety, as well as loud sounds, screams and tension.
- We will reward them as long as they behave wellEither with dog treats, toys, or petting (or both). It is important to let them see that we like them to be calm and sociable.
And with other dogs?
If our female dogs become aggressive with dogs during heat avoid taking them to the dog park or to areas where these animals can run freely while this stage lasts. Otherwise, anything could become the trigger for a fight.
But when it passes, we will have to take them again so that they learn to be sociable and polite with the furry ones. Humans are sometimes very stubborn and we do not stop thinking about the bad things that happen, but with this we will not solve anything. Likewise, the advice of a good professional will help us to handle these situations, especially if our four-legged friends are reactive (more information on this topic here).
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