When is a female labs first heat

This is particularly true if you have male dogs in the house who are not neutered. Here are our tips for preventing pregnancy when Labradors go into heat:. You can try to separate your dogs according to their sex.

Keep male and female dogs separate whilst one or more of your females are in heat. This is risky though, because you might underestimate how high your dogs can jump, or another member of the household might accidentally leave a dog or gate open. Honest mistakes can lead to tricky situations. If you have dogs who are biological siblings, they can and will try to mate with one another.

When Labradors go into heat, their instincts and biological processes drive their actions. Puppies born from littermates are at risk of inherited diseases and other complications. You have to separate sibling dogs during this time.

We recommend asking a friend or loved one to look after your male dog for about four weeks. Of course, the best way to protect your female Labrador from an unwanted pregnancy is to have her spayed. This is a surgical operation whereby a vet removes either the ovaries and a portion of the Fallopian tubes, or removes the ovaries, Fallopian tubes, and uterus. This means that your female Labrador can never become pregnant.

When her uterus is swollen, it makes the spaying surgery more risky to her health. Ideally, you want to spay your dog in between her seasons. Wait about three months after the first day of her season to book her in for spaying. The first signs your dog is in heat are the swelling of her vulva and bright red bloody discharge.

A dog in heat can bleed for around 7 to 10 days. During this first stage of the reproductive cycle, the female will not accept a male. Once the bleeding stops, the second stage of the dog heat cycle has begun. Many people make the mistake of thinking their dog's estrus is done at this point, but this second stage is actually when your dog can become pregnant. The final 7 to 10 days is the last stage of the heat cycle. It includes reswelling of the vulva and pink discharge, but she will not accept a male.

Congratulations on your new girl Labrador puppy! But one thing you need to figure out is when do Labradors go into heat — the first time, and thereafter. When do Labradors go into heat? From that point on you can expect your Labrador to go into heat twice a year or annually. We are going to discuss the ins and outs of Labrador heat sessions, from the moment they begin to what to expect as your Lab gets older.

Some people opt to spay their Labrador puppy before she even has a single heat session, and there is nothing wrong with that. When should you expect the very first heat cycle, though? Well, you can expect the first heat cycle to occur at around 6 months of age, or anytime after that. The most common for a Labrador is actually between 9 and 12 months. However, it is not uncommon for a larger breed, such as the Lab, to not have a heat cycle until they are close to 2 years old.

It is similar to what a human goes through, except not as often. Instead of the heat cycle occurring once a month, Labradors typically go into heat at least twice a year. Hence providing your dog with proper mental stimulation can induce calmness in their behaviour. Give your dog some best toys like this or this to keep her mentally stimulated and happy.

I personally recommend the best kong toy below for your dog. Spaying is another option you can consider if you never want to mate your female Labrador. The necessity of spaying differs from dog to dog and spaying has to be done after evaluating all the Pros and cons of spaying.

This is a completely different topic which has to be understood in detail. Find out more about spaying your female Labrador in this article. What about menopause in Labradors? Menopause is the pause of monthly menstrual cycles in female humans after a certain age. Dogs do not have menopause as they do not have these monthly cycles. A Labrador which crosses the age of 7 is considered a senior dog and heat cycles occurs in senior dogs too. Therefore heat cycle for a dog is a lifetime activity.

But there exist some changes in heat cycles of a dog after a certain age. Even though the dog goes through heat cycles at old ages, the cycles tend to be erratic. The fertility rates decrease and the cases of unsuccessful pregnancies increase.

Take the utmost care of your dog by training him well. Click To Watch Now…. Although there is no exact number of days, a Labrador stays in the heat for weeks approximately. A Labrador is capable of mating during first heat itself, which is around months. But taking the well being of the dog into consideration, it is good to mate the female Lab when she reaches the age of 2 years.

For a breed like Labrador retriever, its first heat may start between 9months to 12 months of age. Skip to content It is one of the important topics every female Labrador owner must know. Labrador heat cycle- What is this cycle? When do Labs go into heat for the first time? How often do Labs go into heat?

The First stage or Proestrus stage The beginning of this stage indicates that your dog is getting ready for pregnancy. Dioestrus stage This stage occurs after the mating stage after the completion of the estrus stage. Resting stage or Anoestrus stage This is the stage of resting or no sexual activity. How long do Labs stay in heat? Symptoms of a Labrador in heat Keeping an eye on your Lab and observing its symptoms helps you to identify if the heat cycle has started.

What about Labrador first heat and Mating? What to do when your dog is in heat? When you choose to mate your Female Labrador If you choose to mate your female Labrador it is important to consider various factors before mating her. When you choose not to mate your Female Labrador If you wish not to mate your female Labrador, you should provide proper care to your Lab to avoid things that are messy during its heat cycle.

Protection from Male dogs Female dogs release pheromones during the heat period which are strong enough to attract male dogs even from longer distances. Providing proper exercise and rest When your Labrador heat cycle has started, it does not mean she must not exercise.

Hide the trail of your female Lab Try to hide the trail of your female Labrador to your house. Doggy Pants can be wonderful Bleeding is one of the problems that owners may feel uncomfortable during the heat cycle.

Proper Nutrition During the heat cycle, some Labradors have a decrease in appetite whereas some feel more hungry than usual. Gift her chews and toys Labrador heat cycle is not only about physical changes, but it also involves mental changes too.

What about Spaying?