How Do You Know When Your Dog Is In Heat

If you notice your dog attempting to mount.

How do you know when your dog is in heat. You know when a dog s heat is over if all of the signs of being in heat are absent and when she has completely lost all interest in male dogs. During the first 11 or so days the proestrus the female will first display a blood red discharge that may not initially be highly noticeable and you may miss it if you are not watching for it. To tell if your dog is in heat look for swelling of its vulva or vaginal bleeding which are both early signs. Each dog differs in length of heat discharge amount messiness and personality changes.

Watch for early signs that your dog is coming into heat. Handling a female dog in heat can be a stressful experience but there are a few things you can do to make your life easier when it happens. Protect your dog from male dogs and unwanted pregnancy. Ideally your dog should be spayed before she enters her first heat cycle.

Go out into the yard with your dog when she s in heat. The canine estrus cycle commonly referred to as the dog heat cycle occurs every 6 to 12 months. Even if you consider your dog extremely well trained walking off leash is a no no when your dog is in heat. A heat period lasts about 21 days.

If you have no plans to breed your dog consider waiting until after her heat cycle is over to spay her. A puppy can go into heat sooner than you think. If you are a professional breeder or someone considering breeding your dog you should wait until your dog is in her third heat before breeding. Dogs typically have two heats per year.

No obedience training is as strong as natural instincts. You can also test her by scratching your dog s lower back end to see if she reacts by flagging her tail or by pushing back. Also note any strange behavior that your dog is exhibiting like increased barking nervousness or agitation since dogs that are in heat will often act differently than they usually do. Your veterinarian can advise you on the appropriate age to spay your pet and will likely recommend that you wait until she is finished with her estrus phase to spay her.

Watch your dog and learn her cycle. Keep the male dogs away. Consider spaying your dog after her heat cycle is over. Estrus or heat is the stage in a female dog s reproductive cycle during which she becomes receptive to mating with males.

You might even consider using a leash.