Il heat of the dog it can be defined as one of the most delicate periods of his life. Usually, the word cycle is immediately thought of by female dogs, but in reality the speech must also be forwarded to male dogs, because in some way they too are involved these days.
Anyone who decides to bring a dog into the house, perhaps after constant requests from children, must know that the first estrous cycle occurs around six and eight months. Mind you that these data do not include a specific date, but an indication. What swings the balance is the breed and size, because the smaller the dog, the sooner it goes into heat, while large dogs go into heat regularly.
Female dog heat: when is she fertile?
Although between 6 and 8 months, your bitch may still seem like a helpless puppy to you, bear in mind that, starting from that period, your dog is fertile and therefore runs the risk of mating and becoming pregnant, giving birth to unwanted pregnancies.
Female dog in heat at home: duration and behaviour
There are basically two phases that deserve attention in female dogs.
First stage
The first could be defined as a “preliminary phase and actual period”, during which male dogs are attracted by the smell of the female, about to go into period.
In reality, the dog is not yet ready in those days and is inclined to mate properly. Also, keep tabs on hers genitalsbecause they will tend to swell even clearly during the fertile phase. Together with the swelling, blood losses of different sizes and frequencies will be added, because they tend to lick themselves and therefore clean themselves frequently.
During this first period, the duration is 10 days on average, depending on the size of the dog. From this moment on, male dogs will begin to take an interest in the little dog, however she is not ready yet to choose someone for mating.
Characteristic changes may occur, but the increased aggression is absolutely in line with the symptoms foreseen by the period in those days.
The second stage
The second phase will come to life in the days when the blood loss of the female dogs will significantly decrease or cease completely. In case you see the speckles decrease, don’t let your guard downbecause it could still be highly fertile and at risk of pregnancy in case of mating.
Attention must also be paid to the attitudes of the bitch, because in this phase she stops being aggressive and reaches the point of encourage male dogsflicking the tail up or sideways and pregnancy could be just around the corner.
How often does a dog go into heat?
The sexual cycle of dogs usually happens twice a yeari.e. every six months, but it can also happen that they occur every four or eight.
The only thing to keep in mind is to always keep him on a leash when you take him for a ride to the park and, in the case of a dog, never leave her alone if you don’t want to become pregnant.
It may happen that during the manifestation of the cycle, the female dog shows signs of inappetence or feeding problems.
When do male dogs go into heat?
As for male dogs, some symptoms may occur around six monthswhen they reach their sexual maturity.
The behavior of the male dog in heat
Their way of acting is conditioned by that of female dogs, which means that they are always sexually active.
Non-neutered dogs, when they smell females in heat, will be especially agitatethey will have slime losses consistent, they will engage in howls and, if they scratch at the door in the house, it means that they want to go out.
Furthermore, the male dog in heat could also urinate in the house or in the surrounding ground and mimic the riding of objects of various uses, or the legs of people, to simulate mating.
However, it is possible to use the sterilizationalso to avoid serious diseases such as genital tumors, both for male dogs and for female dogs.
How far away can a dog feel a female in heat?
There is no exact answer on distance, because a dog’s ability to sense a female in heat depends on many factors, such as race, age, training and health. Some breeds, such as the Bloodhound for example, are known for their uncanny ability to track scents over long distances.
Thanks to their developed sense of smell, superior to that of humans, dogs can sense odors up to several metres, depending on their intensity and environmental conditions. The sexual odors produced by a female dog in heat, then, can be particularly powerful and attract the attention of male dogs at long distances.
—
Article reviewed by
Francesco Reina
Veterinary assistant