Spaying a bitch before her first heat has benefits as her risk of cysts even cancers to the ovaries and womb are reduced by 99%.
First heat
Generally they have their first heat at about 6 months but in certain cases it can happen at 4 months and some cases not for most of a year.
The regularity can vary as some dogs may go into heat every 5 months and some 11 months.
Bitches coming into heat are not dictated by seasons or temperatures; they just come onto heat when the time comes for them to come into heat, those things have no bearing on it.
Your first clue will be she will start licking herself. You will see red discharge which later turns pinkish.
It is about 12 days from when you notice her discharge that she will be fully fertile between around 12 to 18 days from start of her beginning to discharge.
Her heat period lasts for 21 days.
Furniture protection
A good idea although sounds strange, is to simply slip a pair of panties or shorts on her or you could always buy dog diapers just for the time she is discharging so as to protect your furniture.
Never allow to breed early
Whether you want your dog to have a litter or not it is important to know that it is not a good thing to allow breeding on her first heat season. Her eggs are not mature.
Even the second heat is not a good idea. Ideally, the third heat would be best. This being around when she is a year and a half and 2 years old.
Obvious signs
When she comes on to heat, if you don’t know it yourself you will get the idea she may be by the amount of gentleman bowsers hanging around with bunches of flowers.
Well nothing as romantic as that but she will give off such a powerful scent that every dog Juan for miles will turn up.
She will start licking herself, and vulva will swell and soften.
But she will almost certainly have given you plenty of signs as the behavior she displays will be noticeable. She will exhibit body language that makes it obvious by the way she stands and moving her tail aside.
All girls together
If you have more than one female dog, then one coming onto heat stimulates the other to do the same and they often have their heat at the same time.
She will behave in a way that makes her defiant. At this time you are going to have a horrid time keeping her in.
But keep her in you must as she will scent mark to send word out to the local and not so local guys that she is nearly ready.
If she does get out, she is likely to mate with several males creating multi sired offspring.
Increase your security
Don’t take her for walks as you wouldn’t really want to walk in the park with her being pursued by a group of males, would you?
She will have the urge enough to get out of the house and given the opportunity she will, and her will to mate will over power any attempt to keep her in so be careful as she isn’t coming home till she is pregnant. Keep her confined.
If it is your intention to let her have a litter then the vet can give you a lot of help with choosing the exact right time. There is a pre-mate test he can perform.
Courtship
When the time is right and a stud is introduced to her, the male will become extremely excited and start licking.
She is not always responsive and can be somewhat aggressive towards the male.
Males don’t seem to have issues with as to whether she is pretty enough or not but the girls are a little more selective or can be at least.
Always ask the advice of your vet if you are intentionally breeding your dog.
For more information about dog heat cycles, read more here.
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