Dogs In Heat – Things You Want To Know About Dogs In Heat

By: Sarah Bais



If you own a dog, you surely want to know more about dogs in heat. The heat, or the estrous cycle, is similar to human menstruation and it is a period when female dogs can remain pregnant in order to have puppies.

The main symptom of the estrous cycle is the bleeding. It is not exactly as it happens in the human menstruation and with small dogs, it may even pass unnoticed. Also, the female dog will have a swollen vulva and you may notice that it urinates more frequently.

Every normal female dog experience such a thing as heat. It usually starts at the age of six months, but there are other dog species that may experience the first estrous cycle even at the age of 14 months. Anyway, if you are the owner of a female dog and, until 14 months, it did not have the first cycle, take it to the vet to see what is going on.

Also, the period of the cycle varies from one species to another. The dog can be in heat for three weeks, or four, or two.

As regarding to its frequency, usually, female dogs experience heat once in six or eight months.

This is the only period when a female dog can remain pregnant. When in heat, it can be mounted by any male dog, regardless the species, but when not, it will not allow any to do that. The most fertile days for female dogs are 11-15 of the cycle.

Even if the female dog can become pregnant at the first cycle, it is not advisable to let that happen. Usually, they are not developed enough for a healthy pregnancy and to give birth because of the size of their hips. The ideal age is two years.

When you go walking a dog in heat, watch for male dogs that want to mount her. Keep it in a leash and keep your eyes on your female dog. It is best to walk her in a remote area where there are little chances to bump into male dogs.

You can also have your dog spayed. But you cannot do it whenever you like. It is best to ask the veterinarian about this. The ideal age and conditions for spaying may vary from dog to dog. You can choose to let the dog have puppies once and than decide to spay it, but it is not necessary a condition.

Another thing that you must need to know about dogs in heat is that they never experience menopause as humans do. So, even if your dog is old, when it is in heat, do not let it wander about, unless you want it to have puppies.


Sarah Bais is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com