Mary Allen
When veterinarians talk about a lovesick male dog, they don’t mean romantic lovesickness, but an excess of hormones that is plaguing your dog.
This can be very stressful for a male dog, especially during puberty – and therefore also for his master or mistress.
Symptoms of a lovesick male dog
A lovesick male is hard to overlook. He howls, squeaks and is restless.
Some dogs refuse or forget to eat when they are agitated.
Many want to prove themselves and impress bitches with it, which leads to an increased willingness to be aggressive.
It is problematic and unpleasant when a lovesick male wants to live out his sex drive and mounts people and other animals.
Dog does not eat
As with human lovesickness, a lovesick male dog can lose his appetite.
Because he is constantly distracted by his hormones and forgets his hunger.
This is especially the case if he lives with a dog or if a dog in heat in the neighborhood turns his head – and nose – at him.
Going hungry for a day or two is not a problem for a healthy dog.
However, you should make sure that he does not gobble down his food greedily afterwards, as this can lead to vomiting or, in the worst case, to a torsion in the stomach.
Macho attitude
Even males are only teenagers and fluff up properly.
In canine terms, this means excessive marking and threatening or even aggression toward other male dogs.
Being on a leash is suddenly a foreign word, much more important to him is sniffing and licking all the bitches he meets.
He completely ignores their comfort zone and body language and is therefore pinched by them from time to time.
Increased urge to move
Unrest is now your male’s middle name. He always seems on the go and ready for a walk.
He pulls and tugs on this in a very unusual way, wants to take every brand of scent with him and definitely doesn’t want to miss anything.
Even at home he has bumblebees up his ass and can rarely concentrate on anything for long – even on his favorite toy.
Sexualized behavior
When hormones take over, your dog may be tempted to climb anything that gets in his way.
This can be your leg or a sofa cushion, but also another pet.
Many males also lick their genitals penetratively, sometimes to the point of ejaculation. This is similar to human masturbation and not to be confused with the usual cleansing.
Lovesick Dog: What Can I Do?
The most important thing is not to humanize a lovesick male dog.
Feeling sorry for him and therefore tolerating his behavior does not help him and can tempt a young, pubescent male in particular to maintain his macho demeanor or his mounting attempts.
Nevertheless, there are a few ways to make the hormone period more bearable for the dog and to protect the nerves of master and mistress.
Home remedies for lovesick dogs
The best way to counter the increased urge to move is with increased activity.
Long walks in an environment with as little stimulus as possible keep him busy and thus help him to calm his excessive hormones.
Low stimulus here means free from other dogs and straight bitches.
However, do not let your male dog off the leash. If he sniffs out a potential partner after all, calling back is usually useless and in the worst case he’s father afterwards.
If a bitch lives in the house, temporary physical separation can also work wonders.
Consistent upbringing
Training a dog with pubertal hormone levels requires a lot of patience.
Practice impulse control with a lot of consistency. Be forgiving that it will take him longer than usual, but don’t let him get away with wrongdoing.
Are there medicines for lovesick male dogs?
A few herbal remedies can have a direct or indirect effect on the hormonal balance or the stress it causes.
Monk’s pepper (max. 1 g daily) and oregano (max. 1 teaspoon daily for large dogs, for small breeds max. 1/2 teaspoon daily) are well tolerated and effective for dogs.
They are antispasmodic and sedative. Monk’s pepper also has a hormone-regulating effect.
However, both remedies are only weakly effective, so try out how your dog reacts to them.
CBD oil is on the rise. It’s not intoxicating, but has a calming effect.
Since the study situation is still very thin and the variety of products still varies greatly in terms of the concentration of active ingredients, you should discuss administration with your veterinarian.
The strongest intervention is castration or a hormone chip.
Today, attempts are being made to avoid such a massive impact on biological processes.
Nevertheless, it is very helpful in some dogs against aggression or strong hormone fluctuations.
Danger!
Tips for Bach flower therapy or homeopathic remedies to combat excess hormones are constantly circulating among pet owners.
However, these do not contain any active substance and have not been proven to have any medical benefit.
Depending on the form of administration, they can even be life-threatening for dogs, for example, if the sugar globules consist of xylitol (birch sugar).
How long does lovesickness last in male dogs?
The good news is: you usually only have a lovesick male dog at home once or twice a year.
How long each cycle lasts varies. On average you can take one to two weeks.
If there are many dogs in heat in the neighborhood, this will take longer.
Age also plays a role, because the more settled your male dog is, the less his hormones will throw him off balance.
Do you also have a lovesick male dog at home that is getting on your last nerve? What helps him relax? Tell us your tricks in the comments!