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My dog's bark is hoarse from barking at a female in heat. Normal?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | unneutered | 2 years and 3 months old | 31 lbs

I noticed about 3 days ago that my 2yr-old lab's bark has changed it sounds like hoarse. It started when my 6mos old female golden started to have period and afraid that our female dog will get pregnant, we put them on leash and he barks almost every hour for about 10-20mins. He is completely vaccinated and he is not showing any symptoms of feeling unwell. Surely it's not rabies? Should we worry and take him to a vet or is this normal? Thanks in advance!

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 8th, 2017

It is likely that your dog is hoarse from all the barking. Having a female dog in heat near him and not being allowed to get to her, is very stressful for your dog. If you could give him to a friend temporarily until she is past her heat (about three weeks after she stops bleeding), he may be happier and not so stressed. You also may consider having him neutered in order to avoid him getting her pregnant. Unless you are planning to breed the female, it may also be a good idea to have her spayed about 2 months after her heat.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    If Zabaroo is barking a lot, he may have strained his voice from this. This doesn't sound like rabies and because he's intact, he likely is trying to get to your female to mate with her. To be safe, I would have him seen by a vet for a health check, but I would suspect it's due to with the constant barking.

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