Can you force a dog into heat? What to Know

How to Induce Heat in Dogs: 3 Drug-Free Ways

If you find yourself asking, ‘Why isn’t my female dog going into heat?’ there are some simple things to check. Before attempting any of these three options, you want to be certain the female has not recently been silently in heat. The best way to check for silent heat in dogs is to run a progesterone test or use a canine ovulation detector that helps identify silent heats and ovarian cycle disorders. If her progesterone is over 1 ng/dl, you cannot induce a heat cycle. Using a drug at this time will block, not induce a heat cycle. If she has had a witnessed heat cycle, you need to wait at least five months between cycles for the female’s uterus to be receptive to a pregnancy. Once both of these factors have been checked and she still isn’t going into heat consider trying these three drug-free options that could help induce heat.

Diet: Be certain she is on an appropriate diet. We do not recommend grain-free or raw meat diets. Royal Canin’s HT 42d is the only pregnancy diet on the market. Other quality options include Royal Canin, Purina or Hills diets appropriate for puppies, performance, or all life stages.

Breeder’s Edge® B Strong™: Add Breeder’s Edge® B Strong liquid or powder to the female’s food ration. B Strong is a comprehensive B-complex vitamin, mineral, and amino acid supplement for dogs and cats. A vitamin B complex is key for successful reproduction, as they play a role in heat cycles and conception rates, sperm production and drive, and healthy embryo development. I recommend mixing in the liquid or powder according to label directions.

Sunlight: Assure that your girl is getting adequate amounts of daylight or daylight-like artificial light. She needs at least 14 hours of daylight a day. Leave the lights on in the kennel and assure the light bulbs provide full-spectrum light or let her spend more time outside. In the winter, in many parts of the country, it is not possible to provide adequate natural lighting, so I recommend looking into LED lighting for your kennel.

If you’ve tried these drug-free options and your female dog still isn’t experiencing a heat cycle, you may want to contact your veterinarian about prescription drug options that can induce heat, such as cabergoline or bromocriptine.

If you have any questions on canine reproduction, call our Pet Care Pros at 800.786.4751.

When Do Dogs Go Into Heat?

Most female puppies will have their first heat cycle between eight months of age and two years of age. There is a great deal of variation in this, based on the breed, her mother’s history, nutrition, weight, if there are other intact (unspayed females) in their household, and time of the year she matures. In general, the smaller the dog, the earlier they go through puberty and enter their first heat.

Ask your vet for advice

Your vet will be the most important point of contact when it comes to the wellbeing and health of your dog. They will be able to tell you safe ways to bring her heat faster, or they might advise you against it depending on her current state of health.

It’s not really safe to try and bring your dog into heat if she is too young. They need to settle into their heat cycle naturally for the best reproductive benefits. If you want to breed from your young bitch, your vet can perform an ultrasound and other tests to see how her reproductive system is doing. This is particularly helpful if you think your dog is late to her heat.

Ways to Bring a Female Dog Into Her Heat Cycle

If you want to start breeding your dog, knowing when your dog’s heat cycle stats and what the processes are is vital. As breeders rely on the heat cycle, some will want to encourage their dog come into heat faster; and there a few different ways to help trigger heat into more frequent cycles or quicker.

Can a female dog be brought into heat? Yes, female dogs can be brought into heat, as there are ways in which breeders can help them to cycle heat faster again without having to wait out for the 6 to 7-month gap.