First Time Breeding: Tracking Heat
So you haven't spayed your female puppy...and you're just waiting for the dreaded morning you wake up and find she's started her heat and the evidence is all over the living room carpet!
Thankfully, our experience was not a catastrophe like this! We noticed that our dam's genitals were a little swollen, she began licking (cleaning) herself throughout the day, and a small amount of discharge appeared on her fur around her genitals. Then we found a few small drops of blood on our hardwood floors (whew!). Once we noticed this increase, we counted that day as "day one" of her heat cycle.
We purchased some washable dog diapers with Velcro closing straps from Amazon and also purchased feminine panty liners to help keep the diapers less stained with blood. We changed the diaper as often as needed (daily or twice per day) and changed the liners multiple times per day as needed. Our dog's heat lasted around 3 weeks with varying amounts of discharge as her cycle progressed.
One question you may be wondering about is how often will my dam be in heat? We learned the answer to this is based on the age your pup gets her first heat. For example, if your pup goes into her first heat at 8 months old, you can expect the next heat to begin in 8 months. Start counting from "day one" - the day you decide yes, she's in heat. Count 8 months (replace this number with the age of your pup's first heat) from this date and you can expect her heat to begin again around that date.
If you are looking to breed your dam, you'll want to visit your stud between days 10-14 for best chances at pregnancy. Even with just one tie (or even one slip tie!) between the dam and stud, chances of a successful pregnancy are very high. If you want to seal the deal with your pregnancy chances, visit 2 or 3 times with the stud during days 10-14.
Don't stress the impending heat cycles with your dam. When you can anticipate when they'll start and be prepared with the supplies you need, it's a pretty stress free few weeks! Best of luck to you!
