What Does it Mean When a Dog is in Heat?

I’ve been asked the question of what the meaning of a dog in heat is.  A dog in heat means that the dog is getting ready for breeding.  A dog in estrus (in heat) is the time that their maturity signs are showed.  A female dog will experience estrus a couple times a year.  The question directed me to complete some the research to learn many things, Per Mr. Stuart says A female dog will experience estrus (heat) a couple of times a year. This is when she is fertile and becomes interested in breeding due to hormonal changes. She will have a spike in the hormone estrogen, which will then drop as her mature eggs drop into the uterus. It is only at this time that puppies are possible. Please follow this link to read Mr. Stuart document.

The first sign of estrus in a female dog is swelling of the vaginal area and bleeding.  The female dog will bleed from the vaginal area.  There is nothing set on stone on how much she’ll bleed, some bleed lot and other hardly bleed.  If you have a dark fury dog, you may not even realize it. If you’ve never had a dog in estrus, it can be very difficult to know what to expect.  I recommend researching.  Mr. Stuart and Dr. Marty have information on their sites that can help you understand.  Ignoring the issue is the wrong thing to do and don’t panic.  There is information that can help you handle this time of your dog’s life in the calmest way possible. by Dr. Marty Pets Team 

Remember when your dog is in heat for the first time, this is a sign that she is sexully mature and capable of breeding. However if you are planning to breed her you shouldn’t breed her on her first time she experience heat. You like to control the breeding older than 18 months of age and it shouldn’t be younger because it can be very hard on the dog and can even stunt her growth as she still a growing puppy. A dog should NEVER be bred during her first heat, even accidentally. Measures should be taken to ensure that she is not bred, and these are measures that any responsible pet owner should be able to take.  That being said, being in heat is actually just part of the estrus cycle that a female dog experiences most of her life. The roller coaster that is her hormone cycle will rise and fall just as they do in human females, just on a longer scale.

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