Female Dog in Heat

First off let me say that I realize the word “female” in the phrase “female dog in heat” is a little silly. But I did some keyword research, and that is how many people phrase their searches, so I will use it in that form.Today is a good day for me to write this article because we actually have a female dog in her second week of heat right now. She is registered, and we plan to breed her is the reason we don’t have her spayed. This is her fourth time to be in heat, and each time has been rather traumatic. We plan to breed her next summer.

The Details

A female dog goes into heat about every 5 or 6 months, and the period of “heat” lasts about 3 weeks. The dog will start having a bloody discharge during the first week. In fact, your first sign of her being in heat may be the drops of blood you see on the floor or porch. (Having an inside dog in heat will usually require a doggie diaper system…yes, they make such a thing.) During this first week she will perhaps be a little agitated. During the first week, male dogs are only slightly interested in her.

The second week is when things really start to get going. She will be bleeding more and urinating everywhere. The urine has a VERY strong scent which I think a male dog must surely be able to smell from about 800 miles away! She will flirt with male dogs a lot during the first week, but she won’t allow them to mount her until the second week. A female dog in heat is the most fertile during the second week. And it is this week when male dogs go crazy for her. Even many males which have been neutered will be agitated by her and even be able to perform. But for a male dog which has not been neutered, this second week is either pure heaven or pure hell for him...depending on how one looks at it I guess.

We just took in an old dog about 4 months ago who is not fixed. He has always been a very lazy, easy going, laid back guy until this week. Now he won’t eat or sleep. He doesn’t even seem like himself. She is all he has on her mind…period! We keep them separate on opposite sides of a fence. She is driving him crazy. In fact, I just took her to another small pen we have away from him just to give him some relief!

Luckily we have a dog proof fence around our 10 acres. This pretty much keeps most other male dogs out, but we can’t trust it during this time. In the past we have had some dogs dig under it trying to get to her.
Finally, the third week for a female dog in heat is a little quieter…but just barely. Other dogs are still agitated by her, and she will allow a male to mount her for a few days into the third week. But by the end of the third week it is all over with. And hopefully no unintended “get-togethers” took place which you didn’t know about!