Odor and Heat
When a female dog is in heat, particularly during the estrus stage, her body is going through all sorts of hormonal changes.
Naturally, she will release odors because of the high surge of hormones. Canines are designed this way to ensure the continuity of the species.
The odors come from the discharge leaving her body.
Essentially, during the proestrus stage, your fur baby will release a mucous-like discharge with bloody stains.
You will come across the discharge in her bed or play areas. Some dogs don’t have bloody discharges, though.
As she enters estrus, the discharge will look like straw. It is this specific one that gives off a distinct smell that male dogs love so much.
Granted, the smell may not appear strong to you but male dogs can sniff it even when they are far away, thanks to their remarkable sense of smell. This is the way canines were designed to reproduce.
The odor is what alerts male dogs of fertile females that require their services.
Considering that female dogs are only receptive to heat-related male attention during the estrus cycle, the odor helps the male dogs in detecting when ovulation has occurred and the female is absolutely ready or ripe for conception.
How Is The Smell Like?
Different dog owners interpret the smell of a dog on heat differently—depending on one’s olfactory sensitivity and the intensity of the dog’s heat odor.
There are those that say their female dogs give off an unpleasant and strong odor that makes them undesirable.
Then there are those that insist the odor is very mild.
Others barely catch a whiff despite the colossal amounts of discharge throughout the house.
Generally, many have described the smell to be fishy and pungent.
Why do dogs give off a fishy smell?
Sitting just inside the anus, dogs have a pair of fluid filled structures called anal glands or anal sacs. These sacs contain fishy, foul-smelling liquid that ranges from thin and yellowish to thick and grayish in appearance. Dogs naturally express their anal glands when they poop and when they are frightened.
Why Your Dog Smells Like Fish: Natural Remedy
Dogs go through many changes when they are in heat. You may notice changes in their behavior, temperament, and appetite. You may also notice that they smell different.