If your female dog has not been spayed and she is above the age of 9 months, you can expect her to go into heat approximately two times a year. The duration of heat will be about 3 weeks and requires a lot of care and concern on the part of the dog owner. Follow these steps to ensure that you are treating her (and her symptoms) appropriately during this time.
Step 1
If you’re not planning on breeding your pup right now, she’s in for a lonely few weeks. She must be isolated from male dogs and should not be let out of the house without your direct supervision.
Step 2
Because of the bloody discharge associated with female dogs in heat, you’ll want to keep her contained to an area of the house. It might be a good idea to keep her in her crate or blocked off in an area of the house that is easy for you to maintain and clean.
Step 3
If she’ll allow it, put diapers on your pup. This should help prevent the bloody discharge from spreading throughout your house.
Step 4
Keep her clean. This will help keep her comfortable and it might help to reduce the scent that she is putting off and that male dogs can smell for miles.
Step 5
Ask your veterinarian if there is anything you should do for your dog to help mask the scent she is putting off. There are several products on the market that claim to mask the scent, or produce a scent that makes male dogs believe she has already been bred, but it’s a good idea to get your vet’s opinion before you try such a product.
Step 6
Give your dog a lot of love and attention during this time. She will be restless and anxious and needs to have her attention diverted. Play games with her, read to her, and massage her. If you want to play outside, put her on a leash, make sure your backyard is secure and be on the lookout for male dogs that won’t be afraid to try and jump over your fence.
If you’ve followed these steps and you’ve found that caring for your dog while she’s in heat is just too much maintenance, you might want to consider having her spayed.
This article was written by Collin Walker who writes for an online pet shop that is currently featuring: dog car seats and dog doors.