During the proestrus stage, you may notice the following symptoms: A personality change: Changes can range from quite mild to more severe. Sometimes a female dog will become more affectionate and clingy with her owner, other times she may seem a bit grumpy.
The most common signs that your female dog may be entering heat are increased urination, changes in behaviour (such as being more clingy), swollen vulva, and bloody vaginal discharge. It is important to note that these symptoms can vary depending on the breed of your dog.
If your female dog is in heat, they will need more of your love, care, and attention. If it is her first heat cycle, there are a couple of things must be done to prevent an unplanned pregnancy and help make your furbaby's heat more comfortable for the both of you.
The dog estrous cycle is made up of four stages. These are the proestrus, estrus, diestrus, and anestrus. The proestrus is the most obvious stage, while the other stages are more subtle.
After about 9-10 days, the bleeding will become more watery, or stop. It is at this time your female will, most likely, be at her most fertile. This proestrus stage can last as long as 20 days in some dogs. So the end of bleeding can be a more useful indicator of peak fertility.
Heat usually lasts between 2-4 weeks. Early in the cycle, a female dog may not be receptive to male dogs, although some are receptive through the entire cycle. It can be shorter or longer and you'll know the cycle is over when all her vulva returns to its normal size and there's no more bleeding or discharge.
Flirtatious Behavior: Once a dog enters the estrus phase of her cycle, she is receptive to the attention of male dogs and might seek it out. She might start to present her rear and flag her tail to one side when around male dogs as an invitation.
The typical heat cycle will last between two and four weeks. Your dog or puppy will be fertile during this entire time but there is a small period, 9-10 days into the cycle, where they are especially fertile.
Progesterone hormone can become higher which can lead to aggressive behaviour in a female after a season has ended. If your dog is having a phantom you will also start to see nesting behaviour. She will attempt to create a safe area for her puppies (though non-existent) picking an area within the home.
Increased vocalization: Dogs in heat may become more vocal to try to get attention, including moaning, whining, and crying. Increased urination: Female dogs may urinate more often as a way to attract a mate because their urine contains pheromones.
In this first stage of heat, your puppy's vulva will look swollen or larger than usual. During proestrus, she'll also produce a bloody vaginal discharge and may pee more often. Things change mentally too. She may show differences in behavior, like being more jumpy or on edge than usual.
Signs That Your Dog is in Heat
She will exhibit behavioral changes such as becoming more affectionate with you and paying more attention to male dogs. She will get her period. Yup, dogs get this too! She may attempt to mount other dogs or allow herself to be mounted.
Life changes can be difficult for dogs to deal with. So if your pet is suddenly stuck next to you like glue, it might be a sign that they're stressed. “Pets can be sensitive to changes like moving to a new house, a new roommate or partner, or even changes in work hours,” says Dr. Woodley.
Dogs love the heat because it helps warm their bodies and allows them to soak in vitamin D. So indulge your dog, and let them out, even if it seems crazy to want to be in 100-degree heat.
Avoid off-leash walks or taking trips to the dog park.
A dog in heat may cause aggression among male dogs and could result in fighting (even if the dogs are neutered). It's best to avoid this altogether by skipping trips to the dog park or off-leash activities until your dog no longer shows signs of being in heat.
To get to the heart of your question, male dogs have excellent senses of smell and can sense an intact female in heat up to 3 miles away. Dogs have geographic territories, and they can generally detect any intact females within those boundaries.
Even though your dog will bleed, she isn't in pain during heat. However, being in heat can make your dog uncomfortable and fidgety. If her symptoms seem to be causing her pain, consult your vet.
Female dogs cycle into heat on average every six months. But this can vary, especially in the beginning, so it's a good idea to keep track. It can take some dogs 18-24 months to develop regular cycles. Small dogs will tend to go into heat more frequently, as much as three or four times a year.
Once the bleeding stops, the second stage of the dog heat cycle, called the estrus stage, has begun. Many people make the mistake of thinking their dog's estrus is done at this point, but this second stage is actually when your dog can become pregnant.
You might be tempted to try to separate dogs when they're stuck in a copulatory tie during mating. But hold up: Pulling dogs apart can seriously injure them and doing so won't stop a pregnancy from occurring. Instead, encourage your dog to remain calm.
Many female dogs may lose their appetite during their heat. Giving extra treats, some meat baby food with no garlic or onion, may help entice her to eat. If your dog gets diarrhea during her heat, try to feed some boiled hamburger with the fat drained off, with lots of rice.
As her cycle progresses, the texture and color of the flow changes to more of a straw-color. It is this discharge that produces a unique smell that is quite appealing to male dogs. The discharge and the accompanying smell is nature's way of alerting male dogs to the fact that a female is fertile.
If your female seems particularly agitated during her heat cycle, this is normal and to be expected. To help keep her calm and quiet, indulge her a little bit. Provide a few extra treats or a special toy and allow her some additional one on one time with you to give her comfort.