Can dogs become aggressive when they go into heat, particularly their first heat?

Yes, they can. Hormone fluctuations affect them just like they affect us.

Be careful with dogs and heat, all dogs, male and female. All animals, by the way. I’ve had cows come after me when they were in heat. Big dumb cows and they go after me? Be careful with any animal. Although I got a nice kiss from a beautiful Husky today.

Guys, anyone else a little chilled by @marinelife ‘s comments?

@Adirondackwannabe I’m more chilled by your comments: “Be careful with dogs and heat, all dogs, male and female. All animals, by the way.” You’ve made me very glad that I just have a pet dog and not a pet cow! :-)

@lillycoyote Just be careful around all animals.

Looking for marauding cows . . .

Yes, hormones have a way of doing that to a lot of creatures.
Breeding season is just around the corner for the geese over here.
It lasts from Feb.- May/June.
This will be the 13th year of Marwyn doing his best to seduce me and goosing me when I am not looking. lol

Do you mean aggression towards you and other humans? If so I’ve not experienced that with any breed in a lot of years. That would worry me and I would curb that behavior swiftly and surely. If you mean aggression towards other dogs, that would be natural until she is ready to stand. And sometimes they are never ready to stand.

@rooeytoo I mean aggression towards other humans, but not towards me and or other dogs. And it concerns me very much. It’s just been recently. She’s 10 months but the behavior coincided with her first heat so I was wondering if the two were connected.

How do I curb the behavior? She almost bit someone at the pet store who tried to put a Thundershirt on her and she growled and barked at people at my aunt’s house when I was visiting her over the holidays.

@lillycoyote

Maybe she is just having issues with fear of strangers.
I’d work on her socializing more and don’t force her to be handled by strangers, put clothes on her. What is a Thundershirt?
She is maturing and her personality is still forming.
She may just not be destined to be everyones friend, but yeah, sounds like some training intervention might be in order.

Between her hormones and being subjected to strange social situations in strange houses, she might have just been fearful and agitated and acting out.

An old dog of mine was never stranger friendly inspite of all sorts of classes and work he remained very stand offish and aggressive towards those he did not know well.

OK this is different from heat-based aggression. You need to curb this behavior quickly. Have a series of strangers approach her sideways without looking at her straight on and offer her treats.