My dog is in heat. How do I know when she's ready for breeding?

It is usually around day 12. If she sits that mean she is not ready or interested. Typically they will only stand when ready...there is nothing you can do to make her or help her. If you take her to the vet then can take a vaginal swab and tell you were she is in her cycle and give you a better idea of when she will be ready or if it had already passed

If you know it is past time for her to be in heat and other signs are beginning you could wait another week to see if there is any blood or you can have your vet take a look at her. Your vet could do a vaginal cytology to tell you more about what phase of her heat cycle she may be in. If she is not acting herself, not eating or drinking or seems lethargic at any time, I would strongly recommend to have your vet take a look at her. I hope this helps!

Yes, there will be. Millie will stop bleeding, her vulva will shrink (but will never go back to it's previous size), and the vulva won't be as red. I would wait a few days after the bleeding has stopped before bringing her around other dogs.

Yes, mating does not affect the length of the heat cycle, so she may continue bleeding even after being bred. Dogs can mate several times within a heat cycle, and puppies can even be born with different dads within the same litter.

Based on what you are describing it sounds like it. Although 6 months is average, every dog is different and it can start earlier than this. So be careful if Kashi is intact because you could have an accidental breeding if not careful. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

A dog's heat cycle lasts for around three weeks, so if she started on February 26, it should be ending soon. It's normal that she is spotting occasionally, and you know when she's out of heat when the discharge stops. Now if the bleeding continues for longer than three weeks or Sophie develops other signs such as anorexia, thick pus filled discharge, vomiting, increased bleeding, and/or lethargy, this is not normal and she will need to see a vet immediately. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Vaginal swelling is itself a sign of estrus/heat even without discharge. If it is the first season it may be that you won't notice any discharge at all. It is actually possible that the estrus is over already and vaginal swelling will go down in the next week time. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.