The Four Stages of Canine Heat Cycles and What To Expect
(Altered from Spring Creek Labradoodle’s Info Sheet)
Females will begin her heat cycles sometime between 5 and 18 months of age. Each dog is unique, but the majority will start somewhere around 6 to 12 months of age. Most dogs will then average 6 to 9 months between each cycle, and it can vary from heat to heat. There are dogs that will fall outside of these average ages and time spans, but do not worry if your dog is one of those. It does not mean there is anything wrong with the dog. What is normal for one dog may not be normal for another.
The following are the four stages of the heat cycle, and some of the symptoms you can look for to know when a dog is coming into heat as well as what I will do if I am breeding and what is expected of a guardian home. Not all dogs will experience the symptoms below, and some will experience them all.
Just before going into heat (1-2 weeks before)
If you suspect the dog is coming into heat, begin taking a piece of tissue and pressing against the vulva every other day or so. This will help you to catch the beginning of the heat more quickly. If you suspect a dog is coming into heat, let me know ASAP.
Proestrus: Beginning of the heat cycle
This stage can last from 4-20 days, but the average is between 7 and 10 days. The signs of proestrus are:
The day you first see blood is considered “Day 1” of your dogs’ heat cycle. There are rare cases when a dog will not bleed at all during her heat cycle, but this is not typical. If you see random blood drops on the floor or furniture and aren’t sure if it is the dog, put a pair of children’s underwear or a doggie diaper on the dog and leave on for a few hours. You will see a spot of blood if she is in heat. It is a good idea to have doggie diapers for use during the bleeding portion of the heat. You can find these at most pet stores or online. Disposable or reusable diapers (that you insert a “human” panty liner in) are available. Many dogs keep themselves meticulously clean by licking, so be sure to be checking with tissue or using a doggie diaper if you are worried you might miss the first day or two of bleeding. If the dog is keeping herself very clean, you may miss the first day or two! So if you suspect she is coming into heat, check her daily until you notice blood.
It is very important that you notify me immediately when you discover a girl is in heat. I need time to work out the stud situation if I am shipping in semen, and to arrange a day and time with you to bring the dog to me for breeding. It is also critical that you do NOT allow the girl to be outside unattended during her heat cycle. Intact boys will smell her from miles away and it is very risky to have her outside even in a fenced yard or kennel. A boy intent on getting to a girl will scale impossible fences or dig holes faster than you would believe. Please keep the dog safe and observed outside at all times. I do not want any accidental breeding to occur. Sperm can live for several days, so even during the proestrus stage it is necessary to keep a girl protected.
Estrus: The Fertile Stage
This stage typically lasts 5-14 days. This is when a dog is fertile. Most girls will ovulate between day 10 and 14, and are fertile up to four days after ovulation. You may notice her switching her tail to one side if you pet her just above her tail, and she may be very anxious to try and get outside. This is her instinct telling her to become available to any suitors. It is critical if I am not breeding her that you do not allow her outside unattended.
If I am doing natural breeding, I usually attempt the first breeding on day 9 or 10. I do not need the dog any sooner than this. It is very challenging having a girl in heat in our home with intact boys as the boys go absolutely crazy. The less time a girl is here, the better. I will ask that the girl be delivered to me around day 8 or 9. Every girl may be slightly different in what day she is receptive for the first breeding. As soon as I get the first breeding, I will let you know so we can arrange a time to pick up the girl once she is done breeding.
When we breed naturally, I will do the 1st breeding, then skip a day, then do a 2nd breeding. If I am uncertain if timing is ideal, then I will usually opt to skip another day and do a 3rd breeding before the dog can go back home. Once the 2nd or 3rd breeding is done, the dog is ready to return to your home where you will need to continue to keep her safe and never outside unattended for at least one more week.
For dogs that I am breeding by insemination, I will usually request that they are brought to us by day 6 of the heat cycle so we can begin progesterone testing. Timing is critical when doing inseminations and progesterone testing is necessary.
When you bring the girl to me for breeding, there are a couple things that you need to bring with your pooch. If your dog is NOT of Life’s Abundance (All Life Stages), please bring plenty of her food with you. If you regularly use a crate/kennel, we ask that you bring it along as well. This will give your dog a safe space to retreat to while she readjusts to our home. Though we have never had a dog escape, do make sure her microchip information is up to date and she has a collar and ID tag with your contact information visible. We have a house full of treats, chews, toys, leashes, beds, and blankets here for your dog to enjoy, so there is no need for you to bring any of these items with your dog. If you do, understand that it is impossible for us to keep your dog’s items away from any other dogs that are also staying here, and therefore you are risking them being chewed or damaged by the others (and believe me, they will)!
Diestrus Stage: Begins around day 24
The diestrus stage lasts 60-90 days. The dog is no longer fertile during this stage. She may still be very attractive to other dogs for the first week or two of this stage and there may still be minor spotting for the first week of this stage.
If I have bred the dog, the first few weeks you may notice some minor changes in appetite. It may be necessary to tempt her to eat with things like cooked chicken or hamburger, scrambled egg, etc. Only use a small amount mixed in with her food so that she continues to eat a high quality balanced kibble during her pregnancy. The girl may also experience some nausea the first week or two after breeding. The only physical changes you may notice may be mild swelling of the nipples. It isn’t until the 5th week that abdominal growth will typically start to become noticeable, so do not worry if there are no noticeable physical changes.
In most cases I will want to confirm pregnancy by palpation around day 30 after the first breeding. If pregnancy is confirmed, I will set a date with you to deliver the dog to me about 3-5 days before she is due.
Around day 30 of the pregnancy, we recommend you begin giving your dog a scrambled or cooked egg every day, and increasing the amount of kibble she normally eats by 25-50% (she may not finish it all). Continue giving her Life’s Abundance Daily Wellness Supplement. The nutrients in eggs give the dog all the vital additional nutrition she needs. This combined with her high quality kibble will ensure the proper nutrition during pregnancy. No other supplements should be given during pregnancy. Her belly will be squeezed as her pregnancy progresses, so you may want to split feedings up into smaller meals 3-4x a day if she has a difficult time eating her usual portion all at once. Continuing to mix in a small amount of cooked chicken and hamburger is okay. Do NOT mix in any products that are considered calcium rich products like cottage cheese, yogurt, etc. This is detrimental to a pregnant dog and can actually cause issues with delivering puppies easily!
Once pregnancy is confirmed, we ask that you clip the dog’s coat down to no more than 1” long. Do this 2-3 weeks before she is due so that she is not put under too much stress during the latter part of pregnancy. Please schedule with a professional groomer to have her clipped down and given a sanitary cut so that she is ready for delivering puppies. If you would like photos/examples of good pregnancy/delivery trim, just let me know and I can send you some.
If a girl is pregnant, she will be due right about 63 days after ovulation. I can provide you with the exact date once she is bred. They can give birth +/- 5 days from day 63, but most are within 2 days of that date!
Anestrus Stage: The Final Stage
This is when the dog is “normal” and there aren’t any major hormone fluctuations taking place. This stage lasts 60-90 days. Towards the end of this stage is when you may notice the first signs that a dog is coming into heat again.
The following are the four stages of the heat cycle, and some of the symptoms you can look for to know when a dog is coming into heat as well as what I will do if I am breeding and what is expected of a guardian home. Not all dogs will experience the symptoms below, and some will experience them all.
Just before going into heat (1-2 weeks before)
- Urinary output becomes more frequent
- Licking of the vulva
- Swelling of the vulva
- Nipple/Mammary Changes
If you suspect the dog is coming into heat, begin taking a piece of tissue and pressing against the vulva every other day or so. This will help you to catch the beginning of the heat more quickly. If you suspect a dog is coming into heat, let me know ASAP.
Proestrus: Beginning of the heat cycle
This stage can last from 4-20 days, but the average is between 7 and 10 days. The signs of proestrus are:
- Spotting/bleeding from the vulva
- Swollen vulva
- Tiredness/Lethargy
The day you first see blood is considered “Day 1” of your dogs’ heat cycle. There are rare cases when a dog will not bleed at all during her heat cycle, but this is not typical. If you see random blood drops on the floor or furniture and aren’t sure if it is the dog, put a pair of children’s underwear or a doggie diaper on the dog and leave on for a few hours. You will see a spot of blood if she is in heat. It is a good idea to have doggie diapers for use during the bleeding portion of the heat. You can find these at most pet stores or online. Disposable or reusable diapers (that you insert a “human” panty liner in) are available. Many dogs keep themselves meticulously clean by licking, so be sure to be checking with tissue or using a doggie diaper if you are worried you might miss the first day or two of bleeding. If the dog is keeping herself very clean, you may miss the first day or two! So if you suspect she is coming into heat, check her daily until you notice blood.
It is very important that you notify me immediately when you discover a girl is in heat. I need time to work out the stud situation if I am shipping in semen, and to arrange a day and time with you to bring the dog to me for breeding. It is also critical that you do NOT allow the girl to be outside unattended during her heat cycle. Intact boys will smell her from miles away and it is very risky to have her outside even in a fenced yard or kennel. A boy intent on getting to a girl will scale impossible fences or dig holes faster than you would believe. Please keep the dog safe and observed outside at all times. I do not want any accidental breeding to occur. Sperm can live for several days, so even during the proestrus stage it is necessary to keep a girl protected.
Estrus: The Fertile Stage
This stage typically lasts 5-14 days. This is when a dog is fertile. Most girls will ovulate between day 10 and 14, and are fertile up to four days after ovulation. You may notice her switching her tail to one side if you pet her just above her tail, and she may be very anxious to try and get outside. This is her instinct telling her to become available to any suitors. It is critical if I am not breeding her that you do not allow her outside unattended.
If I am doing natural breeding, I usually attempt the first breeding on day 9 or 10. I do not need the dog any sooner than this. It is very challenging having a girl in heat in our home with intact boys as the boys go absolutely crazy. The less time a girl is here, the better. I will ask that the girl be delivered to me around day 8 or 9. Every girl may be slightly different in what day she is receptive for the first breeding. As soon as I get the first breeding, I will let you know so we can arrange a time to pick up the girl once she is done breeding.
When we breed naturally, I will do the 1st breeding, then skip a day, then do a 2nd breeding. If I am uncertain if timing is ideal, then I will usually opt to skip another day and do a 3rd breeding before the dog can go back home. Once the 2nd or 3rd breeding is done, the dog is ready to return to your home where you will need to continue to keep her safe and never outside unattended for at least one more week.
For dogs that I am breeding by insemination, I will usually request that they are brought to us by day 6 of the heat cycle so we can begin progesterone testing. Timing is critical when doing inseminations and progesterone testing is necessary.
When you bring the girl to me for breeding, there are a couple things that you need to bring with your pooch. If your dog is NOT of Life’s Abundance (All Life Stages), please bring plenty of her food with you. If you regularly use a crate/kennel, we ask that you bring it along as well. This will give your dog a safe space to retreat to while she readjusts to our home. Though we have never had a dog escape, do make sure her microchip information is up to date and she has a collar and ID tag with your contact information visible. We have a house full of treats, chews, toys, leashes, beds, and blankets here for your dog to enjoy, so there is no need for you to bring any of these items with your dog. If you do, understand that it is impossible for us to keep your dog’s items away from any other dogs that are also staying here, and therefore you are risking them being chewed or damaged by the others (and believe me, they will)!
Diestrus Stage: Begins around day 24
The diestrus stage lasts 60-90 days. The dog is no longer fertile during this stage. She may still be very attractive to other dogs for the first week or two of this stage and there may still be minor spotting for the first week of this stage.
If I have bred the dog, the first few weeks you may notice some minor changes in appetite. It may be necessary to tempt her to eat with things like cooked chicken or hamburger, scrambled egg, etc. Only use a small amount mixed in with her food so that she continues to eat a high quality balanced kibble during her pregnancy. The girl may also experience some nausea the first week or two after breeding. The only physical changes you may notice may be mild swelling of the nipples. It isn’t until the 5th week that abdominal growth will typically start to become noticeable, so do not worry if there are no noticeable physical changes.
In most cases I will want to confirm pregnancy by palpation around day 30 after the first breeding. If pregnancy is confirmed, I will set a date with you to deliver the dog to me about 3-5 days before she is due.
Around day 30 of the pregnancy, we recommend you begin giving your dog a scrambled or cooked egg every day, and increasing the amount of kibble she normally eats by 25-50% (she may not finish it all). Continue giving her Life’s Abundance Daily Wellness Supplement. The nutrients in eggs give the dog all the vital additional nutrition she needs. This combined with her high quality kibble will ensure the proper nutrition during pregnancy. No other supplements should be given during pregnancy. Her belly will be squeezed as her pregnancy progresses, so you may want to split feedings up into smaller meals 3-4x a day if she has a difficult time eating her usual portion all at once. Continuing to mix in a small amount of cooked chicken and hamburger is okay. Do NOT mix in any products that are considered calcium rich products like cottage cheese, yogurt, etc. This is detrimental to a pregnant dog and can actually cause issues with delivering puppies easily!
Once pregnancy is confirmed, we ask that you clip the dog’s coat down to no more than 1” long. Do this 2-3 weeks before she is due so that she is not put under too much stress during the latter part of pregnancy. Please schedule with a professional groomer to have her clipped down and given a sanitary cut so that she is ready for delivering puppies. If you would like photos/examples of good pregnancy/delivery trim, just let me know and I can send you some.
If a girl is pregnant, she will be due right about 63 days after ovulation. I can provide you with the exact date once she is bred. They can give birth +/- 5 days from day 63, but most are within 2 days of that date!
Anestrus Stage: The Final Stage
This is when the dog is “normal” and there aren’t any major hormone fluctuations taking place. This stage lasts 60-90 days. Towards the end of this stage is when you may notice the first signs that a dog is coming into heat again.
