Hormones As A Reason For Disobedience In Your Pets

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Owners of males of almost any breed are familiar with the situation when the pet breaks off the leash, every now and then tries to get involved in a fight, does not respond to commands, and in the worst case, runs away in an unknown direction. Experienced owners know that this behavior is usually caused by a bitch in heat somewhere in your area or walking. And since there are many dogs in the city, and the period of finding a partner for pets is not tied to a specific season, unlike their wild counterparts, this problem arises more often than we would like. Even perfectly obedient males do not remain calm, since the sexual instinct is one of the strongest in nature and determines the behavior of animals, if not completely, then in many ways.

If you are unlucky, and a bitch who lives very close to you, for example, in the same entrance with you, comes to the hunt (that is, in heat), then the dog may generally lose his appetite and lie under the door all day long sighing and whining sadly. If you still persuade him to eat, under the influence of hormonal stress, vomiting may occur, and the animal will still remain hungry. This condition sometimes lasts up to two weeks - until the bitch's hunt has passed.

In such cases, you can help your pet by increasing physical activity for him, that is, you will walk with him longer and more actively. Make him run after a stick, a ball, a bicycle, swim, try that the hours and route of your walks do not coincide with the walking of the current bitch. During your free hours, it would be ideal to take your dog for a walk as far away from home as possible so that he is distracted from his worries. And even if you are completely confident in the obedience of your dog, do not risk it - do not let him off the leash near roads, with large crowds of cars, dogs or people. Indeed, under the influence of hormones, the male begins to see a hindrance, a "rival" in strangers and can show aggression.

However, hormonal psychoses are not unique to males.

A sudden attack of nervousness, aggression, loss of control may be the first sign of hunting in bitches. Later, in the stage of estrus, these manifestations can both intensify and disappear. But it's too early for bitch owners to relax. Of course, if there was a mating and a puppy, there would be changes in her behavior, and this would not surprise anyone. But when there was no mating, estrus was over, and the dog day by day becomes more irritable and even shows aggression - here many owners find themselves at a dead end, not understanding what is happening with their pet, always so affectionate and obedient.

And the fact is that after the end of the hunt, in the absence of mating, all females have a false pregnancy. This condition is not always noticeable, its manifestations are strictly individual and usually intensify with age and the number of litters.

The reason for this is that the females in the process of evolution were "programmed" to become pregnant after each hunt, so the hormonal background of pregnant and non-pregnant females is practically the same. And since in motherhood experience is no less important than instinct, false pregnancy is most pronounced in adults, who have previously repeatedly whelped bitches. The bitch at the end of the hunting period is "convinced" that she is pregnant, and this determines her behavior. The dog becomes more cautious, less trusting, plays less, eats more, and, as it matures, begins to defend itself and future "puppies". She becomes either extremely cowardly: in every possible way she avoids busy streets, dogs, cars, she can suddenly jerk home from a sharp sound or a large dog, or, conversely,is aggressive and can attack a dog or person. After the prescribed 63 days this bitch "brings puppies" and starts feeding them. During this period, she reluctantly goes for a walk, seeks to return home as soon as possible, eats a lot and is ready, at any hint of danger, to rush to protect her "family".

In principle, the state of a false puppy is harmless - unless, of course, the bitch becomes aggressive - but due to swelling of the nipples and colostrum discharge, there is a danger of mastitis, such a dog must be especially monitored, protecting it from cold and drafts. Yet this is not the main problem of falsehood. For 15 years I was the owner of an adorable poodle - a meek, obedient creature, which regularly every 8 months, after estrus, began frantically to build a nest for her future puppies. The wolf instinct prevailed over the effeminacy, she left the bed and tried to dig a hole in the wall or floor. The sound with which the powerful dog's claws scraped the concrete wall and parquet floor is hardly pleasant, and she often scraped all night long. I'm not talking about the fact that she was hopelessly destroying wallpaper within the reach of her paws. So that,If 3-4 weeks after estrus your dog begins to behave this way, consult your veterinarian. He will recommend medications to relieve this condition. Spontaneously, the symptoms of false puberty disappear 5 to 12 days after the moment of imaginary birth.