When will my dog be in heat?

What bitches all come into heat?

All bitches normally come into heat, but when the first time is varies. Most dogs have their first heat between 6 and 18 months of age. So the age of the first heat varies greatly and also seems to be related to the dog's breed and size. The bigger the dog, the older they often are at first heat. Bitches remain in heat throughout their lives if not spayed, so old bitches in heat can still become pregnant. It is true, though, that the chances of pregnancy do become less with age. If you are sure you do not want a litter with your bitch, then spaying after the first heat is recommended.

How can you tell when your dog is in heat?

A bitch in heat will often show different behaviour during and around heat, but there are also visible and invisible changes present physically. In Is my dog in heat? you can read what else changes physically besides the swelling of the pee-pee (vulva) and blood loss. The blood loss in some dogs seems less than it actually is because they are constantly licking themselves clean. Other dogs leak quite a lot, in which case you can put on a pair of heatpants or a Medical Pet Shirt inside to prevent the whole house from being covered in blood. With that said, it is important that you do give the dog the opportunity to wash at regular intervals to avoid getting dirty.

behavioural changes during heat

Your dog's behaviour may be different around and during heat. The degree of change and the type of behaviour is different for each bitch. You won't notice anything in some dogs and other bitches are totally upset. Sexual changes can vary from a bit more restless to much more sluggish. Some bitches become a bit moody, while others are more affectionate and need more cuddles and pats. While walking, bitches in heat are more similar to male dogs than usual, as they too will pee much more often during the walk. The bitches urinate more often then to spread their scent well, so the males can find them better. In addition, bitches in heat are more likely to run away in search of a male dog. It is therefore better to walk them on a leash during their heat in areas where many dogs walk. If you would like to let your dog run loose, choose less crowded times or walking areas where there are fewer dogs but which are very surveyable, so you can leash the dog in time. When you walk through an area on a leash, where there are many loose males, there is a good chance that they will chase your bitch, so it may be nice to walk somewhere where running loose is not allowed.

Still in heat what is that?

It is not always obvious in all bitches that they are in heat and every dog reacts differently to being in heat. In bitches where you hardly notice or see that they are in heat, they have a silent heat. So in these dogs, heat is much harder to spot, but you often notice that other dogs (both male and female dogs) take extra interest in them.

Semi-pregnant

When the heat is over, not all hormone levels have immediately returned to the level they were at well before the heat. Especially the hormone progesterone (pregnancy hormone) remains high both after a heat without a mating and a mating with a pregnancy. So when no mating has taken place, progesterone levels remain higher than normal, resulting in a lot of bitches' bodies feeling like they are pregnant after heat based on the pregnancy hormone. This phenomenon is called sham pregnancy. So this is not abnormal but a normal physical phenomenon. However, there are also bitches who do suffer physically or mentally from the mock pregnancy. Then the apparent pregnancy is no longer considered normal, but abnormal. The bitch will then start showing nesting behaviour, for example, she will start making a litter in order to give birth. They may start walking around with cuddly toys as if they were puppies and become very protective of them. They then show more dominant behaviour than they normally are. In addition, bitches can also get swollen nipples, even seeming to start milk production. If your bitch shows really abnormal behaviour, such as the nesting urge or seems to become heavier or start giving milk, always contact your vet. This to exclude that there is indeed no pregnancy and to see if it is necessary to prescribe medication to stop the ongoing apparent pregnancy.

-This is an automated translation-