My dog is pulling his hair out

Question
We have a 1 year old Pomeranian and he has recently been pulling the hair out of his left rear leg closer to his paw. I was told that it is normal when a dog is in heat and not to be concerned.He is a naturally hairy dog and has hair missing in one little spot. I am not sure if he is in pain or not his behavior is still very playful. I have not changed his diet but considering feeding him the Diamond dog food b/c I have heard from other Pom owners that it is good for them. How long will he be in heat and what other behaviors should we expect to see? Help...  

Answer
Hi there,

I've never heard that a male dog can take to pulling out it's fur when there's a female nearby in heat. Male dogs do not have a heat cycle, if you mean how long will a nearby female dog's heat cycle last, the answer is about 3 weeks, twice a year.

You need to rule out that this behavior is not being caused by a health condition that needs medical attention. Pain and discomfort from more serious problems, as well as from minor skin conditions and flea bites, can cause a pet to chew on himself.

Many pets have excess or nervous energy and nowhere to vent the stress, so they develop a habit or pastime of licking and chewing themselves. Other pets actually learn this behavior because their owners make such a fuss over them whenever they indulge in such activities. For example: "Oh Rover, you poor, poor thing, what's wrong with your little paws? Are they itchy or sore? Oh you poor baby." Pat, pat, stroke, stroke, etc. It doesn't take long for Rover to realize this is a quick and easy way to gain instant attention and affection.

The key to stopping this habit is 1) redirecting your dog's energy, 2) distraction and 3) not rewarding the behavior.

First, be sure to provide your dog with plenty of opportunity to run, play, exercise and train. This will vent any pent up energy and relieve stress. A well-exercised, trained and happy dog will not likely have to relieve tension or entertain himself by self mutilation.

Secondly, whenever your dog begins to lick or chew himself, try making a very short, sharp, loud sound, just enough to startle him into stopping and looking around to see what happened. Try not to let him know that you caused the noise. After he has stopped for several seconds, call him over to play a game, do some training or give him a massage or special toy. Reward him for other behavior rather than inadvertently rewarding him for chewing himself.

There are health and behavioral benefits for male dogs if they're neutered. Neutered dogs are much happier when their hormone levels are not raging, he will not be as inclined to wander, and neutering nearly eliminates the risk of perineal hernias, prostatic disease, testicular cancer, sexual aggression and penile tumors.

It is a myth that neutering makes a dog fat or lazy. Neutered dogs will not get fat and lazy as long as you keep up his exercise and don't over-feed him.

Diamond Naturals is a better line of food than their regular "Diamond" line of food. Their regular line of food contains corn, which is a cheap additive, and can cause food allergies. Read the ingredients in whichever food you decide to feed your dog. Here is a website with plenty of info on finding a  good quality dog food:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=betterproducts

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti