Female dogs in heat can be quite an undertaking. In unneutered dogs, the urge to reproduce and pass genes on to the next generation is very strong, and a healthy bitch (female dog) with access to males and a plentiful food supply can produce two litters of puppies yearly.
Dog’s Sexual Maturity
Female dogs only mate when they’re “in season” or more commonly known as “on heat.” They only have one oestrus* in each breeding season which is usually two times a year and lasting for around three weeks, during which they will accept a mating (this time occurs 10-14 days into the season, once the bitch’s vaginal discharge turns from bloody to clear).
A male dog, on the other hand, is always ready for mating when sexually mature. He will normally be indifferent to a female dog that is not on heat, but he will be attracted to her when her body releases the chemicals known as pheromones indicating her sexual condition. This happens a few days before she becomes sexually receptive, which explains why male dogs are so excited by female dogs who aren’t yet ready to receive their advances and who may repulse them fiercely.
Most bitches reach puberty at about six to seven months of age, but some may do so as early as four months, while others may not have their first season until they are two years old. Female dogs should not be bred from before they’re a year old, as they are not mature enough physically; it’s preferable to wait until they are 18 months old before mating them for the first time. If a potential breeding bitch has not had a season by the time she is two years old, seek veterinary advice.
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* a regularly occurring period of sexual receptivity in most female mammals, except humans, during which ovulation occurs and copulation can take place (from Dictionary.com)
