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You’ve just got your first golden retriever, and it’s a kid! She’s cute, playful, and she’s coming from a long line of golden retrievers. The heat period of a female golden retriever’s life is a significant occurrence. It’s important to know when your gold will go into heat and how long their heat will last. You will learn about the golden retriever first heat in this article. Read on to learn more!
Well, most female puppies will not enter their heat cycles until six months or so (normal for smaller breed dogs). Golden retrievers are more likely to have their first heat period at around 10 to 14 months, with giant breeds beginning at 18 to 24 months. Bear in mind, these are ranges, and they may be sooner or later, as every dog is different. It’s crucial to keep track of when your dog has its first heat cycle. Mostly, their timing is expected to become normal after the first cycle.
Golden Retriever First Heat: When Does It Happen?
Your Golden Retriever will get hot when she’s as young as six months old. For dogs of a smaller breed—-the average age, however, is six months. But on the other hand, giant breed dogs get hot as late as 18-24 months.
One of the most important things you can bear in mind is that you don’t have to breed your dog in the first cycle because it is still growing and—for all purposes and purposes—also a puppy itself. You’re expected to wait for the second or third cycle to breed the Golden Retriever. The vet will help you to decide the right age.
Golden Retriever First Heat: The Signs
The following physical and psychological symptoms are what you might find in the heat of your Golden Retriever.
A. Swollen Vulva
One of the most distinguishing physical features of a Golden Retriever in heat (also called an ‘estrous cycle’) is a swollen vulva. You can expect her vulva to swell and engorge 2-3 days before your Golden Retriever experiences vaginal discharge during the Golden Retriever’s first heat cycle. It’s not necessarily unpleasant for your dog when it happens. It is also common for Golden Retrievers to start licking their genitals excessively during this period.
B. Vaginal Discharge
It is natural for the discharge or fluid to be released from your Golden Retriever during its estrous cycle. Typically, this can happen during the first two phases of the Golden Retriever heat cycle (which lasts around 2-3 weeks). Depending on your intensity and how long your Golden Retriever is in the heat, you will need to purchase doggie diapers to keep your areas clean and clear of female Golden Retriever discharge. Fluid discharge can be bloody, dark, clear, or yellow.
C. Mounting
You should expect your Golden Retriever to display “mounting” behavior. It may begin to mount against objects or your leg and may seem receptive and not aggressive to male dogs who attempt to mount it.
D. Urination Is Recurrent
Often associated with vaginal discharge and regular genital licking, Golden Retrievers can begin to urinate more often than normal during their estrous cycle. You should expect more trips from your dog to the bathroom for 1-2 weeks when it’s warmer. Although this is usual, you might want your Golden Retriever to be tested by your vet to ensure that this is not a sign of something more serious.
E. Clingy And Exciting Conduct
It should also be noted that Golden Retrievers can show signs of clinginess or over-excitement in heat. During this period, they can become nervous or easily irritated.
Golden Retriever First Heat: The Cycle
The following section describes the phases in the Golden Retriever heat cycle and what they signify.
1. Proestrus
This step is often associated with major behavioral and physical changes. The proestrus period typically lasts nine days on average but lasts as short as one day and lasts as long as 27 days.
During this time, your Golden Retriever will undergo hormonal changes to prepare for mating and experience high estrogen levels in your system. Her vulva will become very swollen during this period but may still display signs of aggression against male dogs who may attempt to mount her. During this time, your Golden Retriever should place its tail between its legs.
This stage of the female heat cycle will last from 4 to 20 days. Typically the average is 7-10 days. There are four common signs of a Golden Retriever in heat at this stage:
A. Swollen Vulva
This is one of the easiest ways to spot the beginning of the Golden Retrievers heat cycle. Its vulva can be 3-4 times its normal size. You will find that swelling is a major deviation from the regular appearance of her vulva. Her teats can also swell slightly, but it can be hard to see.
B. Removal
Your female Golden Retriever may start spending a lot of time licking to clean herself up. Golden Retrievers are typically good at keeping themselves clean. If you have questions about the discharge hue, take the tissue and clean the vulva. If you see the red discharge and her vulva is swollen, that’s a pretty good sign that she’s probably coming to the heat. It’s important to check for this because timing is all about pregnancy. The first day that you find the bloody discharge is “Day 1.” It’s best to mark a position like that on your calendar.
C. Male Dogs
A female Golden Retriever is created in heat by a substance called pheromones. This material attracts all male dogs. This third sign of the Golden in the heat is not noticed on your dog, but in the presence of other dogs. You can find the neighbors’ dogs frequenting your house. They can smell your Golden Retrievers’ heat cycle from a mile or more away because of their amazing sense of smell.
D. Comportment
During this time, the Golden woman will not show any interest in mating. She may become a bit more attached to her owners, and she may become even more exciting. If a male is supposed to try and breed her, she will most likely display aggression and growl, or she will sit down or run away. She could even snap at him.
2. Estrus
This is the second step of your Golden Retriever heat cycle and is associated with further chemical changes in your reproductive system. This period lasts from 4 to 24 days, but on average, it lasts nine days.
The most important shift that occurs during this period is the softening of your Golden Retriever’s vulva and its readiness and willingness to mate. Your dog can shift its tail aside if a male dog mounts it.
Golden Retrievers can be tricky because even though she’s in a chick, she can still get pregnant. Male dogs have been known to permeate a bitch through the gaps in the chain-link fence – so be very careful where you keep it. Otherwise, you can order DNA testing kits to determine the validity of your purebred puppies. Don’t forget that the Golden Retrievers can be very creative at this point.
If you encounter odd males in your backyard, keep your female away from them. Bring your dog in and wait for the males to exit. When male dogs are ready to breed, they may be even more likely to bite. Don’t take your Golden Retriever to the pet store or dog park because you can unintentionally trigger issues you don’t want. It’s best to keep her away from home.
3. Diestrus/Metestrus
The third phase of the heat cycle is described as the stage where your Golden Retriever is no longer interested in mating. This period typically lasts about two months. It is at this stage that your dog’s biological and hormonal levels begin to return to normal. Vaginal discharge begins to slow down at this point.
4. Anestrus
This is the longest stage of the Golden Retriever heat cycle, which normally lasts 3-4 months. This counts as your Golden Retriever’s “downtime” between heat cycles, where her biological and hormonal installations return to their normal baseline level. After the anestrus process ends, the proestrus cycle starts again and repeats for a total of two heat cycles each year.
Golden Retriever First Heat: Prevent Pregnancy During The Heat Cycle
Besides the diapers, there are other precautions you should take to prevent your dog from getting pregnant. Just like we did with our females in sweat, you should always make sure they’re in a chick with a top. You’re going to be surprised by what a male dog is capable of with a scent of estrus in his nose.
The first step is to know when your female is likely to get heavy. Mark it on your calendar with a week’s leeway on either side of it when you think it’s probably going to hit you. When time passes, place a white, clean sheet on your dog’s bed. That’s the best way to see when she starts bleeding.
What To Know
Lock and key are your best friend for the next three weeks after the bleeding begins. As big a hassle as it is, you just need to make sure you’re still with her. Don’t let her get out of your sight.
The next choice, if you know that a sly neighbor’s dog snuck in your back is a “morning-after pill” as long as you’re within 48 hours of the act. They’re dangerous for your female, and I just mention them because they’re a choice. Still, we think it’s a bad option when you consider the risks to your dog.
In the end, the permanent option is to get your female spayed. Having a vet remove her ovaries and other reproductive organs when you’re sure you don’t want any more litters has several benefits.
Final Words
When female dogs are about six months of age, their first heat cycle, also known as estrus, begins every six months or so. Typically this also relies on many other variables.
A female dog is, on average, in the heat for 2-4 weeks. In the early phase of the cycle, the female dog may not be receptive to male dogs. There are, however, those who are receptive, regardless of phase. The cycle may be shorter or longer. The most reliable way to know this is when the vulva returns to its normal size, and there is no discharge or bleeding.
