Health
Drops of blood on the floor, male dogs at the gate, a restless bitch. The season itself is normal; the two months that follow are what you need to watch.
Caution. A pus-like or foul-smelling discharge after the season has finished, heavy thirst, vomiting, lethargy, a swollen belly, or bleeding that is heavy or goes on past three or four weeks: call your own vet the same day. It may be pyometra.
Do not look for the answer in a Facebook group, on TikTok or on a forum. Look for someone trained for this: your dog's own veterinarian, the only person who can examine, investigate and treat them.
Use this page to know what to observe, what to note and what to ask at the appointment, not to treat at home. If you still have doubts after a consultation, ask another vet or a specialist (dermatologist, internist) for a second opinion, not a group. And if you do not have a regular vet yet, find one now, while your dog is healthy: how to choose a veterinary clinic.
Three drops of blood on the floor by her bed, and an eight-month-old bitch licking herself more than usual. On the walk, the dog next door, who normally barely lifts his nose, is pulling towards you from two streets away. That is how a first season starts in a lot of homes. Sometimes the story is different: she has been coming into season for years, but this time she has been bleeding for a month, she is drinking for two and leaving food in the bowl. The first case is plain biology, handled with a lead and a calendar. The second needs a vet. Below is what a normal cycle looks like, what to write down and when to pick up the phone.
Most seasons come and go without any drama. Call the same day if you see any of the following:
In small and medium breeds it usually arrives between 6 and 12 months. Large and giant breeds can take until 18 to 24 months. A first season is often low-key: a little blood that she cleans up quickly, and that is all you see. Quite often the local males tell you before she does, because they suddenly find her fascinating.
| Phase | Usual length | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| The start (pro-oestrus) | About 9 days, anywhere from 3 to 17 | Swollen vulva, bloody discharge, lots of licking. Males follow her, she turns them down and sometimes growls |
| The fertile part (oestrus) | About 9 days, anywhere from 3 to 21 | The discharge gets paler, pinkish or straw-coloured. She accepts a male and flicks her tail to one side when you touch her back |
| Afterwards (dioestrus) | About two months | The vulva goes back to normal. Pregnancy hormones stay high even if she is not pregnant, which is where false pregnancies come from |
| The quiet phase (anoestrus) | Several months | Nothing to see |
The part you notice lasts about three weeks on average. A new cycle comes round roughly every six or seven months, and bitches vary a great deal: some cycle every four months, some once a year, and in a few breeds such as the Basenji once a year is the norm. The gap between seasons gets longer as she ages, but there is no menopause as in women.
This is where most people get caught out. A bitch can get pregnant on any day of her season, including while she is still bleeding, and sperm survives for several days inside her. "She's still bleeding, so we're safe" is a bad bet.
A calendar on your phone is plenty. After two or three cycles you know her rhythm, and anything out of pattern jumps out at you.
On lead, all the time. That includes the garden if the fence has any gaps. A bitch with a rock-solid recall can take off after a male without a backward glance, and males will clear fences they would never normally look at.
Pick quiet times of day and routes where dogs do not gather. A male can smell her from a long way off and may well follow you. Dog parks are off the list for the whole season.
Season pants save your sofa. Take them off for walks and a few times a day so she can clean herself and her skin does not get sore.
If you go to training or a dog sport, tell the instructor beforehand. In many sports bitches in season work last and on their own, so the males are not distracted. In mantrailing, for example, a bitch in season can still run her trail, she just goes after the other dogs.
If you also have an entire male at home, the separation has to be real: closed doors, for the whole season and a few days after. "I'll keep an eye on them" does not hold up, because one minute of looking away is enough.
An ordinary season does not need a vet visit. You go when you want to plan something, or when something looks wrong.
The season itself is over in a few weeks and then leaves you alone for months. Your attention matters most in the two months after, when you check every day how far the water bowl has gone down. With the phone calendar kept up to date, you can tell your vet exactly what changed and when.
What dog owners search for most often on the internet about this problem, with the short answer. The answers are a guide only: the decision belongs to your dog's own vet, after an examination.
The part you can see lasts about three weeks on average. For roughly the first nine days she bleeds and turns males away; then come roughly nine fertile days, with a paler discharge, when she accepts them. Bitches vary a lot, from two to four weeks. If the bleeding goes past three or four weeks, is heavy or has clots, see your vet.
Usually twice a year, about every six or seven months. Some bitches cycle every four months, others once a year, and in a few breeds such as the Basenji once a year is normal. The gap gets longer with age, but seasons never stop completely. Mark them in a calendar and after two or three cycles you will know her rhythm.
In small and medium breeds, usually between 6 and 12 months. In large and giant breeds, sometimes not until 18 to 24 months. A first season can slip by almost unnoticed, with a little blood she licks away quickly, so the males nearby are often the first to tip you off.
Yes. The fertile days usually start after the first week to ten days, but that varies a lot, and sperm lives for several days. She can get pregnant at any point during her season. Keep her on lead and away from males for the whole of it, not just while you can see blood.
There is no proven health benefit. Whelping has its own risks, and puppies need homes lined up in advance and careful raising. If you are not breeding responsibly, talk to your own vet about when to spay her, based on her size and breed.
The information on this page is educational and does not replace an examination. For full details and a diagnosis, consult your dog's own veterinarian.
They often come together: the same causes, plans that complement each other.
She is drinking for two, licking under her tail and finished her season a few weeks ago. Pyometra is an emergency, even when you can see no discharge at all.
The neighbour says before her first season, the breeder says in a year. The right timing depends on the dog, and recovery has clear rules worth knowing in advance.
Two months after her season she is nesting in the wardrobe, mothering soft toys and making milk. It is a false pregnancy and it usually passes. A few signs will not wait.
A pea-sized lump near the back teats that does not seem to bother her. The smaller it is when it reaches the vet, the better her outlook.
We work with your dog's behaviour, not its health. For any sign described here, book an appointment with your own vet; the related services page explains how to choose a clinic.