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Home How Long is a Dog in Season

How Long is a Dog in Season

Dog Dog Season

Questions

  • What are the four stages of a dog in heat?
  • How long is a dog in season?
  • How to comfort a dog in heat
  • How to stop a dog in heat from bleeding
Female dogs go through a hormonal cycle as they prepare to be able to breed. The only female dogs who do not go through this are the ones who have been spayed. Spaying prevents a dog from being able to have puppies, but it will also stop them from coming into heat. A dog’s heat can go by several names, it can also be called a season, or the scientific term is the estrous cycle.  
If you’ve brought a puppy home, you may wonder when to expect their first season. This can differ depending on the size and breed of your puppy. Smaller dogs can come into heat anywhere from four months of age and older. A larger breed may not have their first heat until they’re a year old, but on average, dogs generally get their first season when they’re about six months old. This is a cycle that will continue through their life if unneutered until they are too old to have puppies, at which point it will stop.  

Dog lying upside down on the floor.

What are the four stages of a dog in heat?

Just as you might expect from a cycle, there are different stages to a dog being in heat, and they all look a little different. You might notice during this that their behaviour changes a little bit, too, depending on what stage of the cycle they’re in. The stages of a dog being in heat include: 

  1. Proestrus: This is what we generally recognise as a dog being in heat with the most physical symptoms. During this period, their body will start to prepare for mating and pregnancy. This is also when their body will begin to release an egg, and you will notice their vulva swelling along with some bleeding. Behavioural signs include your pooch becoming more clingy and affectionate or irritable and distant, it all depends on how they react to hormones. This stage will usually last around a week, but it can vary anywhere between three days to two weeks. At this point, they’re not ready to mate, but their body is getting ready.  

  2. Estrus: This is the next stage of the heat cycle when your pup becomes fertile and able to breed. Her estrogen levels will reduce, and progesterone will increase. This starts to prepare her body for a possible pregnancy, and when you will have to be extra careful if you don’t want her to have puppies. Her bleeding may reduce, and swelling may decrease a little but don’t be fooled into thinking you can let your guard down. During the estrus cycle, it’s important to keep your canine companion under a watchful eye. Male dogs will have a lot of interest in her, and you may need to adjust your walks to keep her a little more isolated. This stage can last anywhere from three to twenty one days.  

  3. Diestrus: Regardless of whether your pooch is pregnant or not, her body will behave as if she is pregnant because of the hormones she is producing. Male dogs will take less interest in her at this point, and her bleeding should come to a stop. You could notice some symptoms of a phantom pregnancy even if she isn’t pregnant, but she will gradually go back to normal behaviour if her hormones start returning to normal and she isn’t pregnant. This usually lasts about ten days or so.  

  4. Anestrust: This is what you may consider the normal period of your pup’s cycle when their behaviour goes back to how normal and their hormones balance out. For about six months you won’t have to worry about her getting pregnant until the cycle goes first circle and she gradually becomes fertile again.  

How long is a dog in season?

What is generally considered a dog’s season are the two stages of their cycle outside of anestrus and most of diestrus. When put together, these stages will, on average last anywhere between two or three weeks but you might not notice that they are the whole time. At the beginning of proestrus and the end of diestrus, they might not have any symptoms, so it may seem a bit shorter as far as you can tell. You can’t see hormonal changes, so there are often things happening that you won’t notice. 

Signs a dog is in season 

While a lot of what happens during a dog’s season cannot be seen, you can often notice some signs that will help you to tell what stage of her cycle she is in. There are both physical signs and behavioural signs that you might pick up on. Some of the physical symptoms of a dog being in heat include:  

  1. Swollen vulva 

  2. Bloody discharge from the vulva 

  3. More frequent urination 

While the physical symptoms are limited, there are more behavioural signs caused by such drastic changes in hormones. Every dog may behave differently while she is going through her cycle, some may crave extra attention, while others will be irritable and need more space. They can even be different over the course of different seasons as well. Behavioural signs your dog might be in heat include: 

  1. More active and restless 

  2. Sleeping more 

  3. Mounting and humping  

  4. Attention from male dogs  

  5. Tail tucking  

  1. Seeking out more contact from male dogs

How to comfort a dog in heat

Dog sitting over the laptop.
Distraction is often the key to keeping your pup happy while they’re going through hormonal changes that might not have them feeling their best. You can keep her busy with a long lasting natural treat to keep her mind off things. She will also likely enjoy some extra play time or interactive feeders to give her something else to focus on. She will need lots of extra love and attention, especially if she is feeling a little out of sorts.  
If your pup is likely to get stressed easily or has maybe been anxious during a previous season, you could plan ahead and look into some anti anxiety products. A plugin that uses pheromones like Beaphar Canicomfort Calming Diffuser Starter Kit can help to keep her nice and settled. 

How to stop a dog in heat from bleeding

There is no way to stop a dog in heat from bleeding, but if you want to protect your house from blood, you can get them some Mikki Hygiene Pants. They’re great for around the house but also useful for still being able to take your pup out on walks and keep them somewhat protected. For a more permanent solution, you could consider getting your dog spayed, especially if you don’t plan on her having puppies.  
For more advice about your canine companion, speak to your local vet or have a sniff around our blog!