A woman from Alabama recently noticed her dogs fighting, even though they never used to. She could hardly believe her dog trainer’s explanation for the sudden change.
“I’m on my period. So I asked the trainer, ‘Is this part of the reason why they’re fighting?’ And he goes, ‘Abso-freaking-lutely,’” said TikTok creator @alabamaradio, the host of the “Alabama Radio Show.” Her video has since reached 107,000 views, with many commenters agreeing with the trainer’s claims.
But does science actually support the idea that dogs become “territorial” because they see their owners as their “girlfriend”?
Alabama Woman’s Dogs Randomly Start Fighting
@alabamaradio noticed that her dogs began fighting constantly during her time of the month. “My period has become a problem with my dogs,” she said. “I have two very large dogs that have recently started fighting. They have lived together carefree without a problem for the past two years.”
She hired a new trainer to help correct their infighting, as she isn’t able to break up two 100-pound dogs once they’re in the middle of a brawl. Eventually she asked the trainer whether her period might have something to do with their behavior, and he agreed.
“They think you’re their girlfriend because you have not become their alpha,” the trainer told her. “So they are definitely fighting over you, and they know that you’re on your period.”
He then told her she was a “[expletive] in heat” to her dogs.
Many commenters agreed with @alabamaradio’s trainer, saying they have noticed similar issues. “My trainer told me the reason my male dog listens to me better than he does my husband is because he’s hoping to have puppies with me one day,” one commenter wrote. “It took a while to get over that comment.”
Another added, “My female Irish wolfhound will not let our male collie in the bedroom… while I’m on my period.”
Can Dogs Detect When a Human is Menstruating?
The simple answer is yes, a dog can tell when a woman is menstruating. Animals often have heightened senses of smell, making them more aware of slight changes to odors around them.
According to an animal behavior professional cited in Vet Explains Pets, that allows them to understand slight changes in their environment. “It’s possible that they can detect the hormonal shifts that occur during a woman’s menstrual cycle,” the behavior specialist said.
But, the evidence that dogs can “tell” that women are on their periods is generally anecdotal. It’s not 100% verified by studies or scientific evidence, and is more so discussed amongst professional dog trainers and the animal behavioral community.
Why Dogs are Territorial Over Their Owners
Dogs can tend to be territorial over their owners, as domestication hasn’t entirely removed their inherent territoriality.
While a dog might not necessarily consider their owner a “girlfriend,” they can be strongly bonded to their owners and consider them their “territory.” Canine territoriality can be influenced by the animal’s natural instincts, their emotional connection to their owner, their environment, and their overall socialization and training.
If dogs can truly detect and understand hormonal cycles and changes to a woman’s menstrual phases, it’s also likely that they can become more territorial during certain periods.
All Hip Hop has reached out to @alabamaradio for comment. We’ll let you know if she responds.
@alabamaradio Well… this is a first…. #period #comedy #dogmom #dogsoftiktok ♬ оригінальний звук – @aleks83best