A female dog in heat will be very attractive to any male dog within the vicinity. This is a neat, dare we say, trick implemented by nature that ensures that dogs will always be able to procreate.
However, considering the fact that there are thousands of homeless dogs, some of them just barely finding a place in homeless shelters, it is not difficult to understand why you do not want your male dog breeding the female.
That said, because your male dog will do everything he can to get to the female in heat, the ‘how to calm male dog when female is in heat’ question is really important because you’ll have to implement really strict measures to ensure that your male dog doesn’t go near the female.
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Steps To Take To Calm A Male Dog When A Female Is In Heat
Very quickly, here are steps you can take to calm your male dog when your female dog is in heat:
- Keep male dog away from female dog.
- Remove anything that carries the female’s scent from the make dog’s perimeters.
- Walk your male dog more frequently.
- Board your male in a kennel for the duration of your female dog’s heat.
- Consider neutering your male dog.
Now, let’s expound on these:
First off, you want to make sure that your male and female dogs are not within reach of each other.
Because while the male dog wants to get to the female, the female wants to get to the male too. It is what happens when a bitch is in heat.
So, if they are in the same room, consider putting the male in a crate and allowing the female roam free.
However, it would be more effective if the two dogs weren’t in the same room.
So, if you have the rooms to spare, consider restricting your male and female dog to different rooms.
You want to make sure that neither of them has access to the other because removing the female from his sight makes it easier for him to behave.
Of course, you’ll have to make sure that those rooms are fully stocked with what each dog needs to be happy, including human presence.
If, however, you do not have enough rooms, you could restrict the female to the indoors and the male to the outdoors.
The reason you want the female indoors is so that other dogs do not pick up her scent and create a bigger problem than you are trying to solve.
However, if your male will be outside, be sure that there is a fence preventing them from venturing outside your yard.
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Also, consider weather conditions before going with this idea.
You want to make sure that nothing belonging to the female is within the perimeters of the male. This is because, just picking up the female’s scent could lead to some really destructive behavior.
What Else Can You Do?
In addition to keeping both dogs out of sight of each other, consider walking your male dog frequently, probably even more than you usually would.
If they are tired out, they might not want to bother too much about the female.
However, if after all these measures your dog is still not calm or is getting destructive; whining, growling and even scratching, you could consider boarding your dog in a kennel.
Yea, we know you do not want to get your dog out of your sight. But if you’ve tried separating them and removing anything that carries the female’s scent from your dog and things don’t get better, you’ll have to remove your male dog entirely from the scene.
Still on the issue of how to calm male dog when female is in heat, you could consider neutering your dog.
In fact, if you are not raising breed dogs, consider neutering your male and spaying your female, even before your female goes into heat.
Now, be mindful that neutering your dog does not prevent him from wanting to be with the female. However, it could dampen the libido a bit and generally remove the possibility of him breeding your female.
Finally, you might learn a thing or two about your dog’s heat cycle from this video so that you know when to take action.
Check out these other articles:
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- What To Feed A Nursing Dog
- How Long Can A Dog Go Without Eating When Sick?
- How Much Do Service Dog Trainers Make?
- What To Do If Your Dog Eats A Lemon?
How To Calm Male Dog When Female Is In Heat — FAQs
How Do Male Dogs Act When A Female Is In Heat?
When a male dog perceives the scent of a female dog in heat, he might begin to exhibit some or all of the following behaviours:
- Anxiety which could lead to him breaking out of your yard even if there is some sort of containment system.
- Urine marking to tell the female that they are interested and to tell other males that this particular female is taken.
- Aggression usually results when the male can smell the female is heat but can’t exactly get to her. It could also happen if there are two or more males vying for the affection of one female.
How Long Will A Male Dog Be Attracted To A Female In Heat?
There’s no set-in-stone length of time during which a male dog is attracted to a female dog in heat. However, most dogs usually stay attracted for between 14 and 18 days.
How Long Does A Dog Stay In Heat?
Your dog might remain in heat for between 2 and 4 weeks. So, whatever plans you are making to calm your dog should be something that is sustainable for that long.
Of course, some dogs might be in heat for bit shorter than that, so bear that in mind. What you want to look out for is her vulva; if it is back to its original size, she’s probably done.
Do Neutered Dogs React To Females In Heat?
Neutering a dog would, unfortunately, not make him not react to a female in heat or exhibit some of the behaviours associated with a male dog who has smelt a female dog in heat.
However, neutering could reduce the urgency for them, especially if you neuter your dog young (at about 6 months of age). And even if they find their way to a female in heat, they can’t get anyone pregnant.
How Far Away Can A Male Dog Smell A Female In Heat?
Your male dog could be able to smell a female dog in heat from as far as 3 miles away.
Considering that dogs can smell from far away on a normal day, this shouldn’t be a surprising thing.
How Do You Get Rid Of The Smell Of A Dog In Heat?
To get rid of the smell of a dog in heat, you’ll need to consistently clean her beddings and every other surface she stays on, especially if you intend keep away eager male dogs.
For removing the discharge from surfaces and beddings, your regular laundry soap should do. But if you need to remove the smell, you’ll need to employ the use of vinegar. Bleach is also a viable option if the surface takes well to bleach.
