Our dog's heat cycle
The first time
When a female dog goes into heat for the first time depends on several factors.
The first time can be between 6 and 12 months. However, this is only a rough guideline.
Deviations can occur, for example, if an older female dog is present. In many cases, the younger female waits until the older female comes into heat and then joins her. However, it's also possible that the older female psychologically influences the younger one, preventing her from coming into heat at first. This can take up to two years. But eventually, nature takes its course.
Female dogs often need up to three heat cycles before everything settles down, meaning the intervals and duration become regular. During this time, an important developmental process takes place: puberty. With each heat cycle, female dogs become more mature. This is clearly noticeable.
What actually happens now?
It all begins with the pre-estrus phase, also known as proestrus. This phase of the heat cycle is easy for dog owners to recognize, as the female dog starts marking more frequently (the neighbors need to be informed, after all :-)). Her vulva swells, and she discharges a bloody vaginal discharge, making her particularly attractive to male dogs, who will hardly want to leave her alone. The female dog's behavior also changes; she thoroughly vets potential fathers for her offspring. During this time, she is very active, due to the underlying hormone, estrogen.
The dog's behavior towards other female dogs also changes. Owners should expect that rival females may not be treated kindly during this time.
The female dog is not yet fertile at this stage, and she knows it. Despite the male dog's charm, she will try to avoid him, react snappily, or bite him away.
The phases of the cycle vary in length among female dogs. Some animals only go into heat once a year, others two or three times.
Proestrus typically lasts about 9 days (1 to 27 days). During this time, the female dog's attractiveness to male dogs increases. Both seek more contact, and the female attempts to mount other dogs.
However, the female dog does not tolerate being mounted during this phase. She still growls at male dogs and sits down if they get too close to her rear.
As the pre-heat progresses, three gender-specific reflexes become increasingly apparent:
If you touch the dog above the vulva, it "blinkes", the vulva tilts upwards.
If you tap the vulva from the side, the hind legs curl in the same direction.
The penis also reacts increasingly to manipulation in the vulvar area.
The estrus phase is the period in which a female dog can be bred (standing heat), during which several ovulations occur. After about one to two weeks, the bloody discharge from the female dog usually becomes lighter, thinner, and more transparent or flesh-colored. Rarely, female dogs still have bloody discharge at this stage of their cycle. The vulva is no longer engorged, and wrinkles become visible. The female dog's cycle then transitions into estrus (heat), which also lasts an average of 9 days (ranging from 4 to 24 days).
In terms of behavior, the defensive reactions to mounting decrease until they eventually disappear completely. This stage is called standing heat and usually lasts three to five days. When her hindquarters are touched, the bitch raises and moves her tail base upwards and to the side, arching her back and even moving her tail backwards. This creates ideal conditions for successful mating.
When the bleeding during estrus lessens or even stops completely, when the vagina has already begun to shrink and interest in the opposite sex begins to wane, the probability of a successful mating is greatest.
Dog owners should now, at the very latest, keep a close eye on their female dog.
Keep your dog on a leash and avoid male dogs if you don't want to be feeding lots of little mouths 58-65 days later!
After these periods of infertility, the phenomenon usually subsides slowly, but sometimes quite suddenly. However, the aversion to female dogs can persist for some time.
They will remain potential competitors for a very long time!!