age

L

ljckr

New member
at what age do females usually come into season and how long does it usually last and once it is over what is the time frame untill the next one?
 
usually around 6 months of age is when they come in it lasts for 13 days and then it comes back every 6months
 
Can't argue with what was said, but will add that dogs are notoriously inconsistent (some more than others), so don't think that you can anticipate their next cycle by a calendar. You may be off by a couple of months.
 
Actually a young female can have their first "heat cycle" anytime from 6 to 12 months of age. It does vary by dog but I would say 9 months of age would be a good average. Larger dogs tend to have their first cycle later, maybe even after 12 months of age.

Heat cycles last 21 days. 7 days coming into heat, 7 days in heat and 7 days going out. This can also vary a little from dog to dog.

Dogs will generally have 2 heat cycles per year, 6 months apart.

Here is part of an article on dog's ehat cycle I copied off the web:

Some general "rules of thumb" for canine estrus:

The first estrus cycle usually occurs by age 6-12 months; for some small breeds, as early as 5 months, and for some large and giant breeds, the first cycle may not occur until 14 months of age or older.
On average, dogs have two cycles a year.
The estrus cycle lasts on average 12-21 days, but maybe be as short as a few days to four weeks. The estrus period length varies widely between breeds and individual dogs.
The length of a cycle varies widely, even for dogs of the same breed. If in doubt, assume the longer end of the range for the cycle length.
Bleeding occurs prior to a female being receptive to a male (allowing mounting by the male), but male dogs will be very attracted to the female in the proestrus stage.
Dogs can get pregnant during their first heat cycle, but this is not advisable as a 6-month old dog is not yet fully grown/mature, and complications for the mother and the puppies are more likely.
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If you are considering spaying the dog that brings up a whole new issue for discussion. If fact I think it's been beat up before somewhere on this forum.

The general recommendation is to spay prior to the first heat cycle. I have 2 female Brittanys and both are spayed. My older Britt was spayed shortly after her first cycle and my younger one was spayed a 7 months, prior to her first heat cycle. I would have spayed my older Britt before her first cycle but didn't get it done in time. I have seen no adverse effects to having them spayed at this age.
 
Dakotazeb said:
If you are considering spaying the dog that brings up a whole new issue for discussion. If fact I think it's been beat up before somewhere on this forum.

The general recommendation is to spay prior to the first heat cycle. I have 2 female Brittanys and both are spayed. My older Britt was spayed shortly after her first cycle and my younger one was spayed a 7 months, prior to her first heat cycle. I would have spayed my older Britt before her first cycle but didn't get it done in time. I have seen no adverse effects to having them spayed at this age.
Click to expand...

Not to hijack this thread, but our female springer pup just hit 7 months a couple days ago. I am unsure if we're going to eventually send her back to the breeders to be bred eventually or not... more than likely, we will not.

BUT, besides that. I would be interested to hearing more about spaying before vs after.. especially since that time seems to be coming up close. I am aware of the statistics in relation to mammary and ovarian cancer. But, I'm also curious as to whether or not there's concern for complete growth plates, or hormone issues in relation to hair (hear from someone their dog has exceptionally long/splotchy coat) etc.

We're also in a condo building, so I'm guessing a bitch in heat could be nothing but trouble in a building with so many other dogs. All in all, I want to do what the best possible thing is for the pup.

btw-thanks for the heat cycle info. great information to know.
 
I tend to recommend that people have their dogs spayed or neutered and leave the breeding up to the pros. Having a female that is in the house is no fun while she is in heat. And if there are any male dogs close by it's even more of a pain. Like I said in my previous post, I have seen no negative effects of having my females spayed early. But other people may have different thoughts and opinions. I would consult with your vet and see what they recommend. I'm also sure there is a wealth of information on the internet about it. Just make sure the information is coming from a reliable source and backed up with some studies.

In your situation I would highly recommend that you have your female spayed. You can always get another pup from the same breeder with the same genetics.

Good luck!
 
Dakotazeb said:
I tend to recommend that people have their dogs spayed or neutered and leave the breeding up to the pros. Having a female that is in the house is no fun while she is in heat. And if there are any male dogs close by it's even more of a pain. Like I said in my previous post, I have seen no negative effects of having my females spayed early. But other people may have different thoughts and opinions. I would consult with your vet and see what they recommend. I'm also sure there is a wealth of information on the internet about it. Just make sure the information is coming from a reliable source and backed up with some studies.

In your situation I would highly recommend that you have your female spayed. You can always get another pup from the same breeder with the same genetics.

Good luck!
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I appreciate the response. I would hand the pup back to the breeder for the duration of the process if that were the case, to leave it 'to the pros'... Issue was, our girl was the only pup to survive from her litter, and it was mom's only litter (who probably won't have another). Overall, I'm leaning to just spay her and let things be. I'll poke around a bit more for stats and whatnot. I'm glad to hear you've seen no downside to spaying early. That is comforting. Odds are I'll be scheduling it soon. Just want to hear more sides to the case for waiting through a cycle or two to let full growth complete.
 
Dakotazeb said:
My older Britt was spayed shortly after her first cycle and my younger one was spayed a 7 months, prior to her first heat cycle. I would have spayed my older Britt before her first cycle but didn't get it done in time. I have seen no adverse effects to having them spayed at this age.
Click to expand...

Just re-read this.. good to hear. thanks.
 
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