# How often does your female go into heat?



## LuckyBuddy

Sorry in advance if I posted this in the wrong place. Well, my titles says it all, how often does your female go into heat? I was having a discussion with my friend about our dogs and she told me that her girl goes into heat about once a year. Before I spayed my 6 year old girl, she would go into heat about every 3-4 months! How often does your girl go into heat? Is it the lifestyle, for example diet/exercise, that makes it different for each dog, or is it just different for each dog? Sorry for this question, just out of curiosity and a lot of free time haha. :grin2:


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## mego

mine typically 8 to 9 month gaps, sometimes a little more, sometimes less. I think it's just different for each dog, like how some people are different with their menstrual cycles


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## GSDKIMBER

Seems like my girl is always in heat! Every 4-5 months


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## Stonevintage

Mine didn't have her first heat until she was 11 mos old. The 2nd and (just finished 3rd heat) though were exactly six months of no heat and 3 weeks of visible heat. So, lucky me - that puts her next one in December during the holidays.


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## Sabis mom

LuckyBuddy said:


> Sorry in advance if I posted this in the wrong place. Well, my titles says it all, how often does your female go into heat? I was having a discussion with my friend about our dogs and she told me that her girl goes into heat about once a year. Before I spayed my 6 year old girl, she would go into heat about every 3-4 months! How often does your girl go into heat? Is it the lifestyle, for example diet/exercise, that makes it different for each dog, or is it just different for each dog? Sorry for this question, just out of curiosity and a lot of free time haha. :grin2:


I had a female who went in heat starting at 11 months every 6 months like clockwork, then at 2.5 years old she just stopped. When I had her spayed we found that in all probability she could never have reproduced anyway. I have one now who is about every 4 months and a bit irregular. A friends English Mastiff only comes in heat once a year, or actually about every 10 months.
Most responsible owners of intact females keep fairly good track of heats, so it should be pretty easy to satisfy your curiosity:smile2:
I think it has more to do with genetics then anything else. Not sure diet/health has anything to do with it since stray dogs seem to breed like rabbits:smile2:


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## lhczth

I had a female years ago that was 4.5 months. All of my girls now are 6-7 months.


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## Xeph

My foundation bitch comes in ever 4-5 months. Puppies seem to extend time to five months, otherwise in every four.

Dunno yet if her daughter short cycles, but judging by current behavior, I think she'll be the same. She also came in the latest of any of my bitches...19 months. Her (younger) sisters are on their way in and are 11 months old.


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## marbury

Two of my bitches could set calendars, six months to the day with a 1-3 day margin of error. I got 7 months on one that was bred after she whelped her litter, but she went through a prostaglandin series so that's expected. A third does what she darn well pleases-sometimes I get six months, sometimes up to nine. My fourth hasn't come in yet (almost a year). The two bitch puppies from the dam I bred came in at 10 months (and was spayed) and one year (and was spayed). The second bitch dropped milk *after* her spay and had a false pregnancy... Entertaining, surgeon didn't believe me until he saw her for suture removal.


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