Main cycle
It is important to understand the basics of your female dog's reproductive cycle for their health and safety, to avoid unwanted pregnancies, and to be able to liaise with your veterinary team throughout her life.
Female dogs do not need a 'breeding stimulus' or male dog to go into season, rather their cycles run on a regular basis. The duration of this cycle has some dependency in breed and some is based on individual differences.
There are four stages to the canine estrous cycle:
- Pro-oestrus
- Oestrus
- Metoestrus/Diestrus
- Anoestrus/Anestrus
When a dog first comes into season is on average around 6 months of age but this can vary considerably typically with smaller breed dogs starting earlier and larger, giant breeds potentially starting anywhere up to 18–24 months of age.
Pro-oestrus
The main physical changes are observed here.
- Onset of vulvar swelling [3]
- Bleeding can be seen (this is dog dependent, some may have heavy spotting, others none at all) [3]
- Will attract male dogs but will not stand for them, may get more passive towards end [2, 3]
- On average 9 days in length but can range from 3–21 days. The first season it can be much longer [2]
Oestrus
Once the bleeding stops, this is when your dog is prone to get pregnant rather than when they are still bleeding/spotting.
- Vulva may still be swollen [2]
- Blood-stained discharge stopped or may be straw coloured [3]
- Will stand for a male dog, i.e. will let them mate with her [2, 3]
- On average lasts 9 days but ranges from 3–21 days.[2]
Metoestrus
- There may be some enlargement of the mammary glands [2]
- Otherwise there is nothing to see from the outside unless we have a phantom pregnancy [2]
- Typically the length is quoted as 60 days with a range of 45–90 days [2]
Anoestrus
- Nothing to see from the outside [2]
- Typically the quoted length is 120 days with a range of 60–200 days [2]
Is there anything I need to do?
There are quite a few things we need to do as family members of female dogs.
Keep a diary
The first thing we need to do is keep a diary noting down the start and end of both of the first two parts of the cycle, that is when you notice the physical changes starting and when the are finished. This is very important information for your veterinary team even if you are not getting your dog spayed at any point.
Watch for behavioural changes
Some dogs, especially in their earlier years, can have a rough time going through their seasons and it is not uncommon for them to be uncomfortable day to day. You will mostly notice this as grumpy or frustrated behaviour that isn't normally there. It may mean the 'puppy biting' reappears or they start chewing things in the house the hadn't before or had stopped. These are all coping strategies for the discomfort. If your dog is struggling you can speak to your vet for some mild pain killers to ease the discomfort as she goes through her season.
Be careful if out and about
If you are not looking to breed your dog be careful going out on walks. You will not safely get between her and a male dog who has been attracted when she is in season. To reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancies and dog bites consider more mental stimulation in the garden or go to closed and safe private dog parks while she is in season. Ensure your garden is escape proof as her need to wander will significantly increase and make sure walls and fences are high enough to deter any roaming males, they can jump surprisingly high.
If you're unsure
Reach out to your veterinary team for guidance and also do get in touch with us to see if some of the behaviours you are seeing might be related. We are all here to help.
Resources
We always follow best practices as dictated by the current scientific state of the art. The information above was gathered from the following sources: