Early signs include a swollen vulva and a light red or bloody discharge. Often, a dog’s first heat may be "silent" and accompanied by no or minimal discharge. Male dogs are usually attracted to her, as well.

This can vary from one dog to the next. Typically, the heat cycle lasts around two to three weeks. The female's vulva will swell and then bleed for several days. Mating is typically done after being in heat for a good 10 days. Some females have what is called a silent heat. This occurs when a dog does not show the typical signs of being in heat but can still get pregnant. Be careful if your dog is in heat and you do not wish her to be bred.

Is my female GSD in heat? How can I tell? Some dogs heat cycles may be shorter than average while other dogs may have longer ones.

A female dog (called a "bitch") goes into heat around every six months if she is not spayed. It is only during this time that she is receptive to mating with a male. Signs indicating heat are an enlargement of the vulva and a discharge. After heat is over, the bitch will either be pregnant or be experiencing a false pregnancy.

A female goes into heat about twice a year. They may skip a heat cycle occasionally, but will seldom have an extra one. The cycle lasts 21 days in dogs. Cats will go into their first heat between 5-8 months. A cat will remain in heat until she is bred. Small breed dogs at about 6 months and medium breed dogs at 8 or 9 months.

First it is nearly impossible to tell the sex of fry. Some maturity is necessary to see the signs of gender indication, in species that have gender indication. For instance you know you have a boy and girl angelfish only when you see hatched fry. Other than that, angels can be very difficult to tell. In general the following can be used as markers in helping determine gender. However, as with the English language, for every rule, there are exceptions.

It is best to wait until a female is out of heat before she is spayed. During the heat cycle all the blood vessels that lead to the ovaries and uterus are inflamed and this makes surgery more of a risk to the dog. A dog can be spayed if she is early pregnant. You should discuss this with a veterinarian.

The female dog comes into heat (estrus) about every six months, although very large breeds of dogs may cycle every 8-10 months. The heat period lasts about three weeks.

A female is in heat about every four days, usually at night. If you are observant, you will notice signs when she is receptive to mating. When she is near a male or smells his scent (on your hands, for example, if you handled him before handling her), she will flatten her body and become as “stiff as a board.” I like to refer to her as being “frozen” at this point. This indicates that she is ready, willing, and able to be receptive to a male who wants to mate with her.

Some physical signs that your female pet is going into heat are a swollen vulva and a light red vaginal discharge. Cats become very affectionate and vocal.

Females in heat will get the attention of every dog in class - male and female. Generally, all dogs behave very differently around females in heat and will be extremely distracted by her. Moreover, females in heat can leave scents behind that will distract dogs for many days forward. We ask that you leave dogs in heat at home. Under these circumstances, we'd be happy to reschedule you for the next group class or discuss private lessons at your home.

There is no difference in appearance, between males and females. About the only sure way to tell the sex of a squirrel is to turn it over and look. Index

Luckily for your pooch, you don't have to wait for her to gain weight to tell if she's pregnant. There are a lot of nutritional and other health precautions that you should take with a pregnant dog to keep her and her puppies healthy, so it's best if you learn whether she's pregnant as soon as possible. A veterinarian can determine whether she's pregnant at about three weeks after breeding, either through blood testing, ultrasound, or a physical examination.

Most ear infections are obvious as there is a pungent odor and waxy discharge in the affected ear. However, sometimes an ear will look perfectly normal from the outside but will be intensely itchy for the dog. Either way, it is best to have a vet examine in the ear to ensure that there are no foreign bodies such as a grass seed stuck in the ear canal. Common signs of an ear infection are:

Reduces your pet's desire to roam in search of a mate -- this also helps reduce the problems of free roaming animals; for example, car accidents and pet theft

We recommend that all mixed breed pets be spayed. Purebred animals that are not being used for breeding or for show should also be spayed. Spaying a female dog or cat involves the surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries. The primary benefit to spaying your pet is to eliminate their ability to have puppies or kittens.

Cats reach puberty around six months of age. A female kitten's first heat cycle will last about four to eight days and if she is not spayed or mated, she may go into heat again in another two to three weeks. A female cat's ovaries do not release eggs until she has mated, so a sexual encounter nearly always results in pregnancy. Because a full-term pregnancy is only eight to nine weeks, a healthy female is capable of producing several litters of kittens in a year.

Dogs reach puberty around six months of age. Your female puppy's first heat cycle will last 21 to 22 days, and she will continue to go into heat on the average of every six months, usually in the late winter and summer.