How Old Is A Dog When They Go Into Heat
It’s a common misconception that dogs are just like humans. While the general human lifespan is about 80 years, for example, the average dog lives only about 12 to 15 years. Dogs also don’t have periods in the same way that women do. The same goes for menopause: female dogs experience it at about 8-10 years old instead of 50 or so (and male dogs don’t go through menopause). However, there is one similarity between human and canine reproduction that most people don’t realize: heat cycles!
When Do Dogs Go Into Heat?
Dogs go into heat between 6 and 24 months. Female dogs can go into heat once a year or twice a year, while male dogs only go into heat once a year. The average female dog will go into her first heat between January and December, though some breeds may start as early as February or March. The average male dog will reach sexual maturity between the second and third months of his life, with most reaching it around the sixth month mark.
How Long Do Dogs Stay in Heat?
How long do dogs stay in heat?
Dogs usually remain in heat for up to two weeks. However, this can vary depending on the breed of dog. For example, smaller dogs tend to go into heat more often than larger breeds. In addition, an older dog may also be affected by this variation because as they age their body will change and therefore their cycle will lengthen or shorten accordingly.
What Happens to Your Dog During Her Cycle?
As your dog goes through her cycle, she’ll experience a number of changes in behavior. These can range from mood swings to increased appetite and thirst to increased urination, sexual desire, vocalization, aggression and more. Here’s a list of ways you may notice your dog acting differently during her cycle:
- Mood swings
- Increased appetite
- Increased thirst
- Increased urination (more frequent trips outside)
- Increased sexual desire (mounting other dogs/people)
- Increased vocalization (vocalizing more often when left alone)
How to Track Your Dog’s Heat Cycle
- Keep track of the time. This is vital for knowing when your dog is at their most fertile period.
- If you have more than one dog, you can keep track of which heats are happening in which months so that you know when to expect them.
- If you don’t have a calendar handy, use something like an app on your phone or computer to keep track of when your dog’s been in heat before and then add this information into your calendar as soon as possible after each heat cycle ends.
Conclusion
Knowing when your dog is about to go into heat can be a difficult task. It’s important to pay attention to the signs so that you can help them out during this time. The way we track our own cycles is by using apps like Clue, which provides an easy-to-read calendar with different stages of our menstrual cycle. If you want to track your dog’s cycle, there are many options available!