Whether you have breeding plans, want to prevent unwanted pregnancies, or need to book your dog in to be spayed, you’ll need to understand a dog’s heat cycle. This handy guide covers it all, including how often a dog is in heat and how long their cycle lasts.

How Often Do Dogs Go into Heat?

A heat (or season) is the fertile part of a female dog’s reproductive cycle and is when she can get pregnant. Your dog will come into heat for the first time between 6-24 months of age. This varies from dog to dog, with small breeds starting at an earlier age than larger dog breeds.

Most dog breeds have two heats a year or every 5-11 months. This means she can produce 1-2 litters of puppies a year.

How Long Are Dogs in Season For?

There are four stages to a dog’s oestrus cycle:

1. Proestrus stage (lasts 6 to 11 days): oestrogen hormone is produced during this stage, causing swelling of the vulva and a bloody discharge. Male dogs will be drawn to female dogs. Your female dog may show playful behaviour but is not yet receptive to breeding.
2. Oestrus stage (can last 1 to 21 days, but usually 5 to 9): your female dog is now receptive to breeding. The oestrus stage begins with a surge in luteinizing hormone (LH), caused by decreasing oestrogen and increasing progesterone. You may notice a change in colour of the discharge.
3. Dioestrus stage (10 to 140 days): you’ll know this stage has begun when your female dog will no longer stand to be mounted. At this stage your dog is pregnant if the conception was successful. Progesterone peaks 2 to 3 weeks after ovulation and then plateaus for 1 to 2 weeks, before slowly decreasing over 10 to 30 days. When progesterone levels have returned to normal, dioestrus ends and the next stage begins.
4. Anestrus stage (4 months): this is the end stage of your dog’s heat cycle, or the stage after having a litter. The uterus now shrinks in size.

Common Behaviours of a Female Dog in Heat

To help you determine when your dog is in heat, keep an eye out for behavioural and physical signs. Behavioural signs of a female dog in heat include:

• Agitation, nervousness or aggression towards other dogs or humans.
• Becoming more friendly with male dogs; letting them sniff or lick her vulva.
• Mounting or humping.
• Nesting: creating beds in preparation for a litter.
• Roaming: a female dog in heat will have an increased desire to roam to find a male dog.

Physical signs of a female dog in heat include:

• A swollen red vulva.
• Changes in tail position: tail tucking is common at the start of a heat cycle. Your dog will move her tail to the side when she is ready to mate.
• Excessive licking of the back end.
• Vaginal discharge or bleeding (usually lasts 14-21 days).
• Weeing more than normal.

When Can I Breed My Dog?

Female dogs can get pregnant during any heat cycle, including their first. But it’s advisable to wait until they’re 2 years old as they may not be fully mature until then.

If you’re wanting to breed, keep an eye out for dog in heat symptoms. Keep track of the days so you know roughly when she’ll be in the oestrus part of her cycle.

When mating, watch your dog’s body language to know if she’s receptive to the male. If she’s not, separate them and try again another day. If you miss the oestrus stage, you’ll have to wait until the next heat cycle starts.

How to Stop a Dog in Heat from Bleeding

There’s only one way to stop a female dog in heat from bleeding and that’s to stop her from going into heat. This can be done by neutering or with birth control. Dog spaying (neutering) is a surgical procedure to remove the ovaries, and often, uterus. This prevents the production of oestrogen and progesterone.

Spaying has some health benefits, such as preventing pyometra (an infection of the uterus) and it reduces the risk of mammary cancers. But you’ll need to wait until after a heat cycle before you can get your dog spayed. Vets usually recommend waiting three months after a season before spaying.

Birth control can be used to control the hormone levels and shorten the oestrus cycle. However, there are some risks involved so it’s not often recommended as a long-term solution.

Alternatively, there are dog season pants, also referred to as sanitary pants or doggy diapers. Your dog can wear them when indoors so that any blood/discharge is absorbed by the pants. You’ll need to remember to take them off when your dog needs to wee or poo and change them regularly to keep your pooch clean. Let your dog have some regular pant-free time so that she can clean herself too.

How to Comfort a Dog in Heat

Bitches in heat may be feeling hormonal, and if it’s her first season she may be feeling confused. But don’t worry, here are some things you can do to help her feel comfortable and happy:

• Spend more quality time together with lots of cuddles and play.
• Try to walk her at quieter times so she’s less likely to be pestered by other dogs.
• Keep her on a lead during walks to stop her from running away in search of a mate.
• Avoid stressful situations like holidays, moving house or busy events while she’s in season.
• Her appetite may be affected so it may be best to let her graze rather than having strict mealtimes.
• Make sure she has a quiet place to retreat to for a rest.
• Give her lots of interactive toys to play with to distract her.

Some dogs suffer from a pseudopregnancy (false pregnancy), which is when the dog isn’t pregnant, but she believes she is or that she has given birth. It’s caused by the changes in hormones that happen during a heat cycle. Symptoms include nesting, milk production and guarding of a particular toy. Pseudopregnancies usually resolve naturally as she progresses in her cycle and hormone levels drop.

Most female dogs come into heat twice a year. This is the fertile part of their reproductive cycle when she can get pregnant if bred. You’ll notice physical changes like bleeding or discharge, and behavioural changes like becoming more affectionate and nesting. Speak to your vet if you’re concerned about your dog or if you'd like to discuss neutering.

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Additional content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Canis – www.vetlexicon.com/treat/canis 

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