She can get pregnant only when in heat. Some breeders
test for progesterone levels to identify the most fertile days but the rule-of-thumb is that the most fertile days are 11-15 of her cycle.
Most female dogs have regular cycles usually every six to eight months. It’s quite typical to be in heat twice a year.
The average is three weeks or 21-days. In some dogs, it lasts only two weeks while others go four weeks.
The average female dog has her first cycle about six months of age. A few dogs start earlier and few dogs later, even as late as 14-months.
If you have a new female puppy, you should watch her and note when she has her first cycle. If she’s 14-months old and still hasn’t’t been in heat, you should take her to a veterinarian.
Females bleed from the vagina sometimes with swelling of the vulva and increased urination. Don’t expect bleeding comparable to a human female.
For small dogs, it’s usually not much and you may need to pay close attention to your puppy to identify her first cycle. Other than the bleeding, the most noticeable symptom may be
male dogs hanging around your house.
Heat is more properly called the estrous cycle. During this cycle, female dogs may get pregnant. It’s equivalent to human menstruation.
A male dog who has had both testicles surgically removed, and is not capable of producing offspring. Also known as castration.
Neutered dogs are much happier when their hormones are not raging.
Neutered males will show a decrease in the desire to mark territory. This includes inside the house.
They are less aggressive without the raging testosterone.
A dog who has been neutered young is much calmer. He no longer roams the streets in search of a female, reducing risk of being hit by a car, getting in fights with other males, getting lost or taken.
Overall, a neutered dog is a much happier dog, as well as their owners.
If you have no intentions on breeding your female, then it is best to get her spayed. The are no benefits on waiting and it is recommended that you get her spayed before her first heat cycle. Mainly for health reasons. Decreased chance of having mammary tumors. No chance of getting pyometra and metritis. And of course, the best reason is to stop unwanted litters. Overpopulation is is a large problem throughout the United States.
The heat period varies from 8 to 30 days with an average of about 20 days. Most female dogs will allow breeding around 10 to 16 days after start of the cycle.
You should consider your pet to be “in heat” for 21 days: 7 days coming into heat, 7 days in heat, 7 days going out. Though conception is most likely during the middle 7 days. If you want to ensure that your dog will not become pregnant, you should keep her confined for the entire 3 week period. Again, not all dogs follow with the norm. Watch your female and record her cycle. It will usually stay the same throughout her lifetime.
YES! First heat can vary greatly dog to dog. The youngest is about six months of age though sometimes a female will come into season younger. First heat can start as late as 12 or even 14 months of age or later in rare cases. Although it is not advisable to breed dogs until they are about 2 years old.