Finished heat cycle? - Page 1

Hi everyone,

Much to my astonishment, 2 weeks ago our 5 month old GSD started her first heat cycle! I was surprised because she is Czech/DDR (and so slower to develop than American GSD's, for example), and she is still small (only about 35 lbs). We have an intact male, and so I immediately separated them.

She has bled very little (after the first day), and it's been several days since we've seen any blood. Today during lunch I let her and our male out together in the sun room (under my supervision), and he showed no sign of arousal. After about 5 minutes I went outside with them and sill no arousal from our male.

Can I assume she's finished with her heat cycle? This is my first intact female, so I don't know what a swollen vulva looks like, so I don't know how to check for that.

Thanks in advance.

Bitches are usually in their heat cycles for 3 weeks; sometimes longer...since your female is young possibly she might finish her cycle sooner, possible she might finish her cycle later or longer than 3 weeks; unless you know for sure, don't take any chances as she can get pregnant at this young age. Sooooo, I would say NO she is not out of her breeding time and she can get herself bred on her 21st day of her cycle. Hope this helps, just keep her totally away from your male. Also when they are ovulating they usually but not always swell and color lightens up some and can even stop altogether. Every female is different, every female will accept the male at different times in her cycle. Take her to your vet if he/she is experienced with females and their cycles and they should be able to tell and help you evaluate her. Good luck

PS: the doggy panties don't work, females can still be bred wearing them. Nan

 

PSPS:  You can also run an ovulation test to be sure where she is in her heat cycle (see your vet for that also). 

I have 3 intact females, 2 of the females have a cycle that last 13-15 days and usually become available on day 8. The other female has a cycle of about 28 days and she becomes available on about day 15. I think every female is different, some have the standard 3 week cycle, some have longer or shorter cycles. My 2 females that have shorter cycles are a 33# Australian shepherd and a 55# GSD, and the female with a longer cycle is a 70# GSD; I have always thought it would be interesting to know if size played a part in their cycle length or if it is just a coincidence. Personally, I would not leave your intact male with her unattended for at least another week just to be on the safe side, because like Nan said sometimes the bleeding does seem to stop altogether when the female is available.

Thanks for the replies. I'm still wondering though, especially since the length of heat cycle can vary, how can you know when it is over?

When a dog is in heat, won't an intact male move heaven and earth to get to her? Is it possible for a female to be in heat and for an intact male to not be interested?

Thanks for helping a newbie!

I think a seasoned male won't be interested until the female is fertile because he knows she'll bite his head off otherwise. So if it's before or after that, I guess it's possible for an intact male to not be "interested." But he's still going to be sniffing and licking and checking.

YES! Your male is going to do everything he can to 'get to her'.
And just in case they are in Kennels.....dogs have been know to breed through Chain Link.....
No. Not Kidding!

Marna @ VonKazmaier.com

Sometimes the first heat is not a complete heat - the female doesn't ovulate. I experienced this with one of my females. When she first came in season, my neutered male was mildly interested, and did some licking and sniffing, but didn't try to mount her.

Her next heat was a different story... don't let anyone ever tell you that a neutered male can't mount AND tie with a receptive female, because I have pictures that prove otherwise!!   

Since your bitch is so young, that could be the reason your male isn't interested. However, it's much better to be safe than sorry!  Keep 'em separated!

 

As an afterthought when my bitches came in that early sometimes they started coming in their cycles every 5 months instead of 6 month cycles which is worrisome due to the pyo factors. I really like 6 month cycles or longer between their cycles, bitch has recoop time so be aware of that problem also. Nan

You just have to wait and see if the cycle is over. I actually kept a daily journal during my girls' heat cycles for the first few years so I would know what was 'normal' for each female. My family thought I was crazy!  

Another thing I noticed is that their cycles are generally shorter (by a few days only at the most) during the winter months. 

Thanks everyone! It's so nice to have a place like this to come for solid information.

I'll keep them separated until we hit 3 weeks. It's been a pain, but on the other hand it's helped for our female to bond to us a little tighter. She's pretty independent and not overly affectionate, but having this time alone with her (again, we started her this way) has helped us learn that the way to her heart is through a ball! She will play fetch with us at any time for a good several minutes at a time, which has strengthened her bond to us tremendously.

Thanks again, and merry Christmas!