The German Shepherd heat cycle is something you should understand if you notice that your pet is acting weird. When you go from having a female GSD in her puppy stage to an adult, at some point, the first heat will come. You must know what the “heat” stage means among dogs to intuit that your pet has it.
Discover when is the first heat of a German shepherd and how you can know that your pet has it. Know how long your female GSD will be in heat, how frequent this period is and how you can take care of her.
What Does “Heat” in Dogs Mean?
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The “heat” stage in dogs is nothing more than that period of estrus or heat that you may notice in your pet. Your dog will increase her estrogen levels at this stage, which indicates that she is ready to mate. The heat stage occurs in all bitches and usually varies in time, intensity, and levels of estrogen released.
Something that identifies the German shepherd’s heat stage, unlike other breeds, occurs very early. Your female GSD can get pregnant in her first heat stage, which also differentiates her from other breeds.
When Is A German Shepherd’s First Heat?
For a large German Shepherd, the first stage of heat occurs in the first 9 or 12 months. If your German shepherd is a European with a size smaller than the American, it may be that his heat stage is different. Depending on your dog’s size, the first heat stage can vary drastically.
Small-sized German Shepherds can have their first heat as young as six months old. You must take your dog’s size into account regarding protection in her heat stage.
How Do You Tell If A Female German Shepherd In Heat?
To know if a GSD woman is in heat, you must be attentive to the four stages that make up the process. This period includes the proestrus, estrus, metestrus, and finally the anestrus, which gives the final stage. You may notice other signs in your female GSD in heat, such as:
- She is very aggressive for at least three weeks when she is in heat.
- Your female GSD may lose her appetite when she is in heat, which is very normal.
- You will also notice that her pet feels a lot of pain in her body, similar to her menstrual cycle.
How Long Is A GSD Dog In Heat?
Your female GSD can last around 4 weeks in her being quite extensive in the heat stage. You may notice that her pet is very anxious, cheerful, marking her territory or aggressive hers in all this time. The heating phase in your dog is also made up of several stages to observe her attitude changes.
How Often Do GSDs Go Into Heat?
The German shepherd’s heat stage is seen frequently every 6 months, giving 2 occasions throughout the year. If your female GSD is small in size, she may have her warm stage 1 time every 4 months. You should keep a count in weeks to know exactly when your pet will be in heat to protect it.
How Do You Tell if a Female German Shepherd in Heat?
You must be attentive if your female GSD is in heat, knowing in depth the four stages of her that are:
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Proestrus
You can see how the dogs are attracted to your German shepherd, who is disinterested in this stage. The duration of proestrus in the heat is approximately 9 days for you to take care of your pet. You can see all the dogs crowding outside your home waiting for your female GSD to come out.
Another sign that your pet is in proestrus can see the bleeding in her vagina that gradually becomes clear. Female GSDs are not attracted to other dogs, although they will be more susceptible after those nine days.
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Estrus
The period of “estrus” in heat can last up to 21 days in your dog, where she will be very susceptible and will mate. You may notice that the bleeding from her vagina becomes lighter than in the initial period. Your pet will also rub her body against the wall, furniture, chairs, or other objects.
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Metestrus
Your female GSD can become pregnant with the metestrus period, and this stage usually lasts about nine days. At this stage, you can see how her pet continues to mate until she finally becomes pregnant. If a baby’s conception does not occur, your dog will only go to the next heat stage.
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Anestrus
You may notice that your pet lowers its intensity in the heat period in general in the anestrous period. This period lasts six months until she again passes into “proestrus,” and she is ready to mate.
How To Care For A Female German Shepherd In Heat?
If you want to take care of your female German shepherd in heat, you should apply the following tips:
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Keep your pet indoors
When your German shepherd is in heat, the idea is that you keep her indoors until the end of the stage. If you don’t want your pet to get pregnant with another dog of a different breed, keep it protected. You may need to live indoors for the next four weeks until your dog loses interest in mating.
You may take drastic measures to prevent your pet from mating and waxing her at home. At this time, your female GSD will be very restless and will want to run away from home, so you must take care of her.
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Exercise with your pet in a safe area
To release tensions in your GSD bitch you must exercise with her. You can run, play ball, or other activities in a dog-safe area that will drain your energy. Your pet’s energy may double at this stage, so you should train with it daily.
With an hour of training that you have with her pet, you can exhaust her so that she loses interest in mating. You should not give up on these workouts, which, although tedious, may be necessary for the health of your dog.
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Good hygiene
Another piece of advice that you should take to control this heat stage in your pet is to give him good hygiene. You only have to clean the vaginal fluid on your pet to attract more dogs home. The smell emitted by this fluid is very dominant for dogs looking to mate with your pet.
You can also bathe her pet daily to rid her of this scent that attracts dogs. Cleanliness is essential for these four weeks where your pet in the heat is the center of attention throughout the neighborhood.
