Can a dog get pregnant on the first day of heat? Here’s What to Do Next

Why your dog can get pregnant while bleeding

Here are the key reasons:

Red (bloody) vaginal discharge of a dog’s heat cycle is not the same as menstruation in women. Human menstruation means that the ova did not get fertilized and is now being flushed from the body. This process happens right after the fertile days and a woman cannot get pregnant during this time. However, so-called “bleeding” in dogs is not the same thing. The bleeding happens before, not after the fertile days. This means, when your female puppy is bleeding, you have to become careful to avoid unwanted dog pregnancy. In other words, keep your female dog away from any male dog that is not neutered.

Yes, it’s a little tricky to predict ovulation. Technically the first days of estrus are safer in terms of unwanted pregnancy. Insemination by a male dog will not occur during the early days because it cannot happen before the ovulation. Ovulation is triggered by hormones several days after the beginning of the heat. While on average, dogs ovulate in the ninth day of the heat, it can occur anywhere from the 3rd and 17th day. That’s why it’s tricky because of the possible three day window. It’s even worse if you don’t know when the heat started.

It’s easy to miss the beginning of the heat. The first sign of the heat is a bloody discharge from the dog’s vulva, often incorrectly labelled as bleeding. But what if the bloody vaginal discharge is not red, but pink or yellow? Another confusing thing is your female puppy may clean herself so you don’t see any vaginal bleeding. Noticing the start of the heat is hard. Therefore you can’t quite know form when to start counting the days. And even if your vet takes blood tests to monitor ovulation, there is one more thing why breeding can still result in a pregnant dog. And that is…

Male dog sperm can survive up to 7 days inside the uterus. This works as evolutionary insurance since breeding in nature is not that predictable. Breeding as we know happens when two dogs meet, not when ovulation occurs. That’s why a male dog’s sperm is remarkably viable and can survive in the uterus of a female pup for several days. This means, forget about potential three day window that might be safe at the beginning of the heat. If your female dog has reached sexual maturity, any breeding can result in her becoming pregnant.

How do I know if my dog is in heat?

The symptoms your female puppy an exhibit may differ than another dog. Knowing when your dog’s heat cycle starts and ends as we’ve discussed is a little tricky. This can be frustrating if you are trying to breed her. We had one experience where we were breeding our female dog as she was a show winner and exceptional at obedience trials. She was also as sweet and calm as can be. All the qualities we wanted in a new puppy. So we bred her. Figuring out when to breed was the hard part. For more details plesae refer to our article on Symptoms of a female dog in heat.

So, can a dog get become pregnant while bleeding? Yes. Please remember, a female dog estrous cycle is not menstruation. The start of your dog’s cycle is the start of your pup’s fertile days. Where in humans, it’s the end of them. And, even if we consider the first days of the heat cycle as a warm-up phase, you cannot relax. Your female puppy can still get pregnant if there is an unneutered male dog around.

You have learned when dogs can get pregnant, why she can get pregnant while bleeding, and how to know if your dog is in heat. This will go a long way towards a long and happy life for your pet dog. And keeping your Pet Happy is what we all want.

Jane Meggitt has been a writer for more than 20 years. In addition to reporting for a major newspaper chain, she has been published in “Horse News,” “Suburban Classic,” “Hoof Beats,” “Equine Journal” and other publications. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from New York University and an Associate of Arts from the American Academy of Dramatics Arts, New York City.

If your dog breeds and become pregnant, shell give birth to her puppies in approximately 63 days. The diestrus period involves pregnancy in the bred dog, or the two-month period following the end of the estrus cycle if the dog wasnt bred or the mating didnt “take.” If you are breeding your dog, when she first decides she wants nothing to do with the male after successful copulations, that usually indicates the end of the estrus and the start of the diestrus period.

Female dogs usually experience their first heat cycle at about the age of 6 months, although that initial estrous cycle often occurs considerably later in certain breeds. If not spayed, the dog goes into heat an average of twice annually. A dogs cycle consists of four distinct stages, but she can only get pregnant during the estrus period. Her entire heat cycle lasts between two and three weeks.

The estrus stage starts about a week to 10 days after proestrus. At this point, her discharge changes from bloody to watery. Shes ready and willing to breed. The estrus period lasts between five and 10 days. The American Kennel Club website warns that while the average dog might ovulate on day 11 of her cycle, so that her best opportunities for pregnancy occur on days 9 through 13, many dogs arent average. If youre planning to breed your dog, get your veterinarian involved beforehand to ensure shes healthy enough for reproduction. Your vet also can perform blood tests to reveal when your dogs progesterone levels increase — a sign that shes ovulating.

During the anestrus cycle, female dogs show no interest in mating. Intact male dogs shouldnt show any interest in them, either. This period between estrous cycles ranges between 50 and 80 days, depending on the individual dog.

Will my dog get pregnant the first time she mates?

You may be reading this article for one of two reasons: You are considering breeding your dog or you are worried your dog may become pregnant. A litter of puppies along with a pregnant mother may not be every female dog owner’s dream.

If you are worried about dog pregnancy, the most efficient and safest method to prevent one is to have your dog spayed. A bonus is that you’ll no longer have to try and keep track of your dog’s cycles, which are somewhat complicated and change with age.

If you are familiar with her cycles, then you may be wondering if she is fertile when she isn’t ovulating.