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A Guide to Understanding and Managing Dog Heat Cycles for Breeders

Jun 20, 2024

Monitoring heat cycles is essential for any responsible dog breeder. It’s a fundamental aspect of ensuring the health and wellbeing of both the dogs and their puppies.

Understanding and monitoring these cycles meticulously can provide breeders with critical insights, enabling them to:

  • Plan effectively, ensuring resources are allocated appropriately for healthy pregnancies and litters.
  • Determine the optimal breeding times, reducing stress for the female dogs.
  • Schedule appropriate rest periods between breeding cycles to maintain the health of female dogs.
  • Avoid accidental breedings and unplanned litters.

However, tracking these cycles can be tricky, as cycles only happen once or twice a year at most. So, it’s easy to misplace your notes and records. And, for those with multiple breeding dogs, tracking cycles can become administratively demanding, often requiring the use of multiple calendars, extensive spreadsheets, or significant paperwork. This administrative task can consume time that could otherwise be spent on direct care for the dogs.

Understanding the Stages of Dog Heat Cycles:

Proestrus: Preparation for Breeding

Duration: Approximately 9-10 days

Breeder’s Focus – what to look for:

  • Swelling of the vulva
  • Onset of a bloody discharge.

Breeder’s Tips:

  • Observation: Use a dog heat cycle calculator to accurately record the first day of bleeding as Day 1 of the cycle. Breedera is a mobile app that does this and is free to download.
  • Health Check: Ensure the female is in good health before breeding.
  • Nutrition: Maintain a balanced diet to support her health.
  • Environment: Keep the female in a calm, controlled environment.
  • Male Interaction: Introduce the male dog to assess compatibility but prevent physical contact.

Estrus: Prime Breeding Time

Duration: 5-9 days

Breeder’s Focus – what to look for

  • Lighter discharge colour
  • Receptiveness to males 

Breeder’s Tips:

  • Timing: Conduct vaginal smears and progesterone tests to identify the peak fertility days.
  • Breeding Management: Plan for 2-3 mating sessions for optimal chances of conception.
  • Behaviour Monitoring: Observe the behaviour of both dogs during mating.
  • Post-Mating Care: Provide a quiet space for the female to rest post-mating.
  • Record Keeping: Document mating dates and behaviour for future reference.

Vaginal smears and progesterone tests are tools that breeders can use to pinpoint the optimal timing for breeding, enhancing the chances of successful conception. A vaginal smear involves collecting and examining cells from the female dog’s vaginal lining, which change predictably throughout the heat cycle.

These changes can indicate the most fertile phase of the cycle. On the other hand, progesterone tests measure the levels of progesterone in the blood. Progesterone levels start to rise just before ovulation, making the timing of these tests crucial for determining the exact day of ovulation.

Accurately timing these tests allows breeders to identify the peak fertility days, which is essential for scheduling mating sessions when the female is most receptive and the chances of conception are highest. Together, these diagnostic tools provide a robust method for breeders to manage breeding timings with precision, ensuring the health of the breeding dogs and effectiveness of the breeding process.

At this stage, if the pregnancy has progressed, refer to the ‘Metaestrus’ phase. If not, refer to the ‘Diestrus’ phase.

Diestrus: Conclusion of Heat 

Duration: 2-3 months

Breeder’s Focus:

  • Cessation of discharge and loss of interest in mating.

Breeder’s Tips:

  • Veterinary Visit: If pregnancy was attempted but not confirmed, schedule a follow-up to ascertain the dog’s non-pregnant status or to check for health issues following the heat cycle.
  • Future Planning: Evaluate the outcomes of this cycle to make informed decisions about future breeding plans. Consider adjusting breeding strategies based on recent experiences and any advice from veterinary health professionals.

Metaestrus: Post-Breeding Care Duration: 2-3 months

Breeder’s Focus:

  • Monitoring for pregnancy and providing specialised care.

Breeder’s Tips:

  • Health Monitoring: Keep regular veterinary appointments to monitor the health of the pregnant dog and the development of the puppies. 
  • Nutritional Management: Transition to a high-quality, pregnancy-formulated diet to support both the mother and the developing puppies. 
  • Preparations for Whelping: As the due date approaches, prepare a whelping area where the dog can comfortably give birth. This area should be quiet, warm, easily cleanable, and secluded from high-traffic areas of the home or kennel.
  • Record Keeping: Continue documenting all aspects of the pregnancy, including veterinary visits, diet changes, and the dog’s behaviour. This record will be valuable for managing this and future pregnancies. Logging the data on an app like Breedera ensures you won’t lose it over time.

After navigating through the Metaestrus or Diestrus phases, depending on whether the pregnancy occurred, the dog progresses to the Anestrus phase. This period of rest follows after the active reproductive stages or post-pregnancy recovery, providing essential downtime. 

Anestrus: Resting Phase

Duration: 4-5 months

Breeder’s Focus:

  • No visible signs of heat or sexual behaviour.

Breeder’s Tips:

  • Health Assessment: Conduct a thorough health check-up.
  • Training and Socialisation: Focus on training and socialising the dog.
  • Preparation for Next Cycle: Start preparations for the next breeding cycle.
  • Record Updates: Update breeding records and evaluate the need for any changes in breeding strategy.

How to Track and Manage Dog Heat Cycles:

Leverage Technology

In order to complete the steps above it’s imperative that breeders keep an organised set of records.

Paper records can become messy, get lost, and aren’t easily accessible on-the-go.

Modern technology offers various tools to assist breeders in tracking heat cycles more efficiently. Digital tools such as apps and specialised software can help breeders keep detailed records of heat cycles, behavioural changes, veterinary contacts, and mating details, streamlining the breeding process and reducing administrative burdens. Breedera offers users these features in a mobile app, meaning records are always available in your pocket.

Understanding and utilising these tools and methods can significantly enhance breeding outcomes, ensuring breeders can focus more on the care and wellbeing of their animals.

By investing time in learning and applying these techniques, breeders can improve their breeding practices, enhance the health of their dogs, and ensure the success of their breeding programs.

Rebecca Walters

I’m Rebecca Norton-Childs, founder of Pupstarts Breeders. I’m a 5-star licensed dog breeder, an ex-licensing officer, and a woman committed to changing the industry for good.

I want to deliver all the dog breeding information, advice and education you need to be an ethical and reputable dog breeder who makes a difference in the world.

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