Do dogs in heat attract wolves? A Complete Guide

Will A Dog In Heat Attract Wild Animals?

When a female dog is in heat, they secrete certain hormones that male dogs can sense, and this is how they are able to find appropriate mates in the wild.

So, you may be wondering – will a dog in heat attract wild animals? Well, the answer is yes and no.

Non-canine animals like bears will not be interested in your dog. However, wild canine animals such as wolves, coyotes, and foxes may follow the scent back to your dog.

Attracting wild animals is dangerous because should they be interested in mating with your dog, your dog will likely feel threatened and react aggressively, and then the animal could become violent. Your dog will likely be no match for a fox, a wolf, or a coyote and could get seriously injured.

Wild animals can also carry all sorts of contagious diseases and conditions that your dog may not be protected from, such as parasites, mange, distemper, hepatitis, and rabies. If your dog is small, the animal may even decide to try and hunt them as prey.

In addition, you probably don’t want wild animals becoming interested in your property, especially if you have a family.

So, how can you protect your dog and your property from wild animals, and what should you do if a wild animal approaches your dog?

Do dogs in heat attract wolves?

Here are the best ways to protect your dog from wild animals.

The best way to prevent your female dog from attracting wild animals is to spay them. Most vets recommend spaying female dogs at around 6 months old. If you’re not going to spay your dog, keep reading for the best tips on protecting your pets from wild animals.

Keep track of your dog’s cycle to know when they’re in heat and practice recall with them so that they come to you when called, just in case you need to retreat inside the home or away from a wild animal. You can do this by calling your dog’s name and rewarding them when they come to you.

If you live in an area with lots of wild animals that pose a threat, supervise your dog when they’re doing their business outside, especially at nighttime.

Most wild animals are less likely to approach if there are humans around, and if one does come, at least you will be there to help your dog.

The best way to protect your dog from wild animals is to bring them indoors at night. It’s a well-known fact that most wild animal attacks on domestic pets happen at night, so keep them safe by letting them sleep indoors.

To protect your dog whilst out on walks, keep them on the lead in new places in areas where wild animals are common. Keep them close when they are off the lead, and practice recall just in case of an emergency.

Guarding your home is just as important.

Foxes and coyotes can jump three feet in the air, and some wolves can jump up to 12. So, be sure to fence your yard with fences at least 6 feet high, and put some anti-climb spikes on the top to prevent them from climbing over.

To prevent wild animals from entering your property, try using deterrents, such as solar-charged infrared and motion sensor garden devices that emit flashing lights and ultrasonic sounds to scare wild animals off. The only downside to this is that it could frighten your dog, too.

Or, you could try scent repellents such as fox repellent sachets; these work by making foxes think your garden has already been territory marked by another fox. Simply mix with water and spray over the entrances to your garden. Alternatively, you could try soaking rags in ammonia, cayenne pepper spray, or vinegar and placing them at the entrances of your yard. Just make sure your dog doesn’t lick it!

Myth about menstruating women

As livesience points out, there has been a myth going around about menstruating women attracting bears. This myth was caused by an incident in 1967, because 2 women were attacked by a bear. One had her period and the other one carried tampons.

However, this really is just a myth. In a study performed in 1991 researchers exposed black bears (the most common in the US) to used tampons and menstruating women. None of the bears showed any interest in neither. They are far more attracted to food.

It might be different for polar bears, though. They are attracted to the smell of seals. Since used tampons can have a similar strong smell, they might confuse it. But polar bears seem to just consume about anything that gets in their way. Apparently, they drank beer 66 % of the time while only eating used tampons 13 % of the time. Probably just too drunk to even see what they’re eating…

When Is It Okay To Keep On Camping?

I would say the ONLY time I would keep my dog out with me is if I was the only camper around.

And, let’s be honest, when does that actually happen?

There are usually always other campers around, and the chances of another dog being around is pretty high.

The other issue with this is even if no other campers are around, there are still wild dogs that could be roaming.

While that’s not very likely to be the case in the U.S., it’s still a possibility that I wouldn’t want to risk.

If you plan to keep your dog out camping while she is in heat, you’ll want to always keep her on a leash and supervise her at all times.

That will keep her from running off and will also allow you to be close by in case any unwanted visitors show up.

Female Timber Wolf in Heat – Parc Omega Canada

Here’s another picture of her hanging out in the office in case you didn’t get to see her.

So, can you take your dog camping if she is in heat? In certain situations, yes. However, if you are in an area with a lot of other campers and their dogs, it’s best to take her home. If you plan to keep her at the campsite, be sure to supervise her at all times to make sure she is comfortable and to make sure she doesn’t have any unwanted male visitors.

There is actually quite a bit of back and forth about this topic, so I wanted to share what I found and let you decide what’s best for your dog!