Female Dog Heat Cycle Symptoms

It is not always readily apparent when your female dog, or bitch, goes into heat. Some bitches may present very obvious signs like heavy bleeding, while others may show no noticeable symptoms throughout the three-week fertile period. Sometimes the only cue a bitch is in heat is the sudden and pervasive appearance of male dogs, showing a keen interest in your dog.

  1. Personality

    • The first week of heat may bring upon a noticeable difference in your dog's personality. If it is normally a cuddly dog, it may suddenly be remote and irritable. A normally independent female dog may become clingy and needy.

    Appetite

    • Also in the first week, your dog may exhibit sudden changes in its appetite by behavior contrary to its usual temperament. Some dogs may get voracious while others will not want anything to eat: there is not a way to predict how your dog will respond.

    Swelling

    • While this symptom varies greatly by breed and individual, the dog's vulva may swell noticeably along with its breasts. This will present, if at all, during the first week of heat and begin reducing in the second week. The swelling will continue to reduce through the third week, returning back to its original state.

    Bleeding

    • Bleeding presents in the first week of heat, lessen during the second and become heavier in the third week, especially if the dog is not pregnant. The color will change too, from a bright red, to a lighter tan and then to a heavier dark red until bleeding stops altogether.

    Flagging

    • The second week of heat, a female dog will "flag" a male dog with her tail. This means the bitch will turn its tail up and to the side, presenting itself for intercourse, and occasionally wagging its tail to spread its scent for the male dog.