Man's Best Friend is His Dog

Questions often asked about a female dog's season and period of heat.

By Dennis Fisher.

Some time ago I published and also edited a dog magazine that had a question and answers section.  Readers were invited to send in questions.

I was surprised to find how many owners of bitches were confused about their animal's season and how long the period of heat lasts.

Here are some of the questions and answers relating to a bitch's season most often asked by readers.

Question: My bitch is now 6 months old. When can I expect her to come into season?

Answer: A bitch usually comes into season firsts when she is 7 to 11 months, but there are wide variations in this period.  It quite often happens that the bitch only has her first season when she is fourteen months. There have also been recorded instances of a bitch only having her first season at the age of two.

Question:  How long can I expect the period of heat to last?              

Answer: in most instances the season last about three weeks, but in some cases it can be longer.

Question:  If I intend having my bitch mated to a suitable dog, how old should  she be?                                                                                                                  

Answer:  It is best to wait until the bitch is mature before thinking of having her mated.  20 months should be the minimum age you should consider.

Question:  If I want to have my bitch mated at what stage of her heat can I tell when it is the best time to make sure that get's pregnant?                            

 Answer:  The best time for mating is generally considered to be 10 ' 14 days after she first starts showing signs of a red discharge.  But there is a wide variation with different bitches.  Bitches have been mated as early as the fourth day of the season with successful results. Cases have been known when the bitch has only been ready to be mated on the nineteenth day.

Question:  If I am not sure on which day the bitch started coming on heat, how can I tell which day to have her covered?                                                 

Answer:  The most reliable indication of a bitch being ready to be mated and prepared to accept a male, is by her behavior.  

Questions:  I have  a mixed breed male dog at my home and I don't want him to mate my pedigreed bitch. At what stage should I make sure they are kept separate?                                                                                               

Answer:  The scent of the bitch is usually attractive to a male dog after the first week of her season, but here again there can be a variation.  Don't take a chance.  Keep them separate after the first week until the middle of the 3rd. week to be absolutely sure.

Question:  If my bitch is mated and there are no pups is it the bitch's fault or the males?                                                                                                

Answer:  If this is the bitch's first litter and there has been a proper mating to a dog known to have produced many litters before, the reason for no pups is probably due to some problem the bitch may have. But there is no hard and fast rule. It could be due to the sire having been over-used and being not as fertile as he was previously.

Question:  After my bitch has been mated, how soon can I tell if she is pregnant?                                                                                            

Answer:  If the litter is going to be large there will be definite sings of swelling of the abdomen as early as the third week, but it could be as late as the fifth or sixth week.  Also at about the sixth week there an enlargement of the teats.  During the last week of pregnancy, if there is going to be a large litter, there will be definite movement of the pups that can be observed.

You'll find a great deal of useful advice about dog breeding and  valuable information on obedience training on the following site: http://www.freedogadvice.com

About the Author:

Dennis Fisher's has been involved with dogs for more than forty years as a breeder,German Shepherd Dog judge,obedience dog trainer and competitor in breed shows and obedience trials. It's been a hobby he's been passionate about since schooldays. The following site was created with the purpose of providing dog lovers the benefit of his many years of experience: http://www.freedogadvice.com