Dachshund in Heat – Understanding and Caring for Your Dachshund During the Heat Cycle

When choosing a female dachshund, it is important to know its heat cycle. The average heat cycle of the Dachshund breed is between 18 and 21 days. The best way to remember the heat cycle of the Dachshund is 7 days going into heat, 7 days in heat, and 7 days going out of heat.

At some point in the life of your dog, your female Dachshund will get to the point where she is ready to breed. This period of your dog’s life is called the heat cycle. The heat cycle of the Dachshund is also called the estrous cycle. Once your Dachshund goes into heat for the first time, it will go into heat every six months afterward.

Each dog is different when they go into their heat cycle, and this will depend on the age of your dog and its behavior.

What Does it Mean for Your Dachshund to Go into Heat?

When a dog goes into heat, it means that they are ready to breed, and this shows the maturity of your dog. There are many signs and symptoms that can help you to decide if your dog is in heat or not.

How to Know When Your Dachshund is In Heat

When your Dachshund is in heat, it is important that you watch your dog and that you keep your dog on a leash so that it does not mate with other dogs.

Your dog will try its best to reach the male dog when it is in heat meaning that it can climb, dig, and run away in order to find a mate during heat.

What Signs of Male Dachshund is in Heat

Do Male Dachshunds Go Into Heat?

A male Dachshund will usually produce sperm around 5 or 6 months of age but will not be sexually mature until around 16 to 18 months of age.

Some people will use their dog as a stud to mate with a female around 18 months of age, but some will go as early as 15 months of age.

Signs and Symptoms

Here are some signs and symptoms that your male Dachshund is in heat:

• Will want to cuddle more than normal.
• Will pay special attention to their person.
• He will try to hump or mount the female in heat.
• He may try to hump the furniture.
• May become aggressive to mate.
• Loss of appetite.

What Signs of Female Dachshund is in Heat

The female Dachshund will show different behavioral signs of being in heat than the male dog will show. Your dogs behavior depends on your dog and its personality. Most female Dachshund’s will go into heat two times a year and they will have around 5 or 7 months in between before they go into heat again.

Your dog’s period will vary depending on each dog.

Signs and Symptoms

Here are some signs and symptoms that your female Dachshund is in heat:

• Swollen vulva.
• Vaginal discharge.
• Increased urination.
• Overly friendly.
• Overly shy.
• Overly timid.
• Will want to cuddle or snuggle.
• May hump or mount things.
• May seem nervous.
• Will turn her tail to the side.
• Will look for the male dog.
• Will be very friendly.
• Will try to escape.
• May get irritated.
• Shows aggression towards other female dogs.
• Loss of appetite.

When Your Dachshund Goes into Heat the First Time

Your female Dachshund will normally go into heat for the first time around the age of 5 or 6 months. This depends on your dog, and it can vary.

The first heat cycle will normally last around 18 to 21 days, but your female dog should not be bred until it completes at least its second heat cycle.

How Long Does the Dachshund Stay in Heat?

The Dachshund will normally stay in heat for between 18 and 21 days. You can understand the dachshunds heat cycle b breaking it down into 7, 7, 7 which means 7 days going into heat, 7 days in heat, and 7 days coming out of heat. Remember, this all depends on your own dog and sometimes each dog will be different.

Stages of the Dachshund Heat Cycle

The heat cycle will last around 18 to 21 days or three weeks. You can remember the cycle of the heat by considering 7 days going into heat, 7 days in heat, and 7 days getting out of heat cycles. This is depending on your own dog’s heat cycle, and it can last a little longer or shorter depending on your dog.

Each stage that your dog has in heat is different and it can come later or earlier. During the heat stage, it is important to keep your dog away from other male dogs, if you want to keep it from breeding. This means that you need to keep your female Dachshund away from other dogs for at least 3 weeks when it is time for their heat cycle.

Proestrus Stage

The first stage of the heat cycle is the Proestrus stage. This is the stage that will last anywhere from 3 to 10 days. You will know that your Dachshund has started the Proestrus stage because it will have vaginal bleeding and its vulva will begin to swell.

Estrus Stage

The second stage is called the Estrus stage. During this stage, your dog’s vulva will swell even more, and the discharge of blood will turn to a lighter color. This final stage will normally happen between 4 and 11 days of the heat cycle.

It is during this cycle of heat that you will have your female calling on any mates that are nearby. If she goes by the male, she will lift her tail to the side and back up to her mate. This stage can last even as long as 13 days.

Diestrus Stage

During the Diestrus stage, the vaginal bleeding will go from light to dark and the vulva will go back to the normal size.

As this stage comes to tail close to an end, the bleeding will stop, and the stage will be over. Heat will begin again within 6 to 9 months when your female will start the stage over.

Anestrus Stage

The Anestrus stage is the time that your dog is not in heat, and this will last for around 6 to 7 months.

What Happens When Your Dachshund is in the Heat Cycle?

The Dachshund will begin to show signs of being in heat and it will be during this time that your dog might seem nervous or seem to be shy or timid. Your female dog might want to cuddle and be closer to you than normal.

Your male dog will start to show sexual interest again in your female dog during this time, but the female will ignore the male dog during the Proestrus stage. After this stage or within 4 or 11 days, your female Dachshund will start to show interest in your male dog and will begin to flag him by lifting her tail to the side.

Once your female Dachshund flags your male dog, she will be ready to breed. Even though your dog can become pregnant during any day of the heat cycle, it is normally only during the Estrus stage that the female Dachshund will breed.

The Dachshunds are able to breed more than one time during the heat cycle and if you are trying to breed your dog, you might want to allow the dogs to breed more than once to make sure that your female Dachshund becomes pregnant.

Sexual Maturity of the Heat Cycle

Your male and female Dachshund will begin to want to breed when it reaches sexual maturity. It is important not to breed your dog before this stage in their life.

Male Dachshund and Sexual Maturity

The male Dachshund will start to make sperm when it is around 5 or 6 months of age, but the dog will not be sexually mature until they are at least 16 to 18 months of age.

Breeders should not use their male Dachshund as a stud until they are at least 14 months of age.

Female Dachshund and Sexual Maturity

The female Dachshund will not be sexually mature until she is around 11 months to a year, or sometimes even longer, depending on your dog.

Most breeders will not breed their female Dachshunds until they have gone through their second heat cycle. The second heat cycle for the female should come around a year of age or older depending on the temperament of your dog.

If you choose to breed your female Dachshund early, you should always discuss this with your vet first.

Dog Heat Cycle Calendar

You can keep a calendar of your dog’s heat cycle so that you can keep track of the days of your dog is in heat. This can change month to month depending on the first heat cycle.

The heat calendar will change depending on the health and age of your dog. When you notice that the vulva is swelling, mark this down on the calendar and make it down as the Proestrus stage.

You can then mark the Estrus and the Diestrus stages. The heat cycle can really last up to sixty days and if you keep a calendar of your dog when she’s ready for heat cycle then you can determine when your dog is ending her heat cycle.

Managing Your Dachshund’s Heat Cycle

If your female dog goes into heat, you need to watch your dog and make sure that you supervise her more than normal.

Your female dog should not be in pain when it goes into heat and if she is, you need to take her to the vet to make sure that everything is okay.

Your female Dachshund will go through a period of time where she is more hormonal than normal and so you can calm her down and relieve some of her stress by detracting her, playing with her, and keeping her entertained.

Remember, your female Dachshund will be looking for a mate during this time and she will try her best to attract male dogs. If you don’t want your Dachshund to end up pregnant, you need to keep her away from any dog that is not neutered. Even dogs in your home will be attracted to your female dog during heat.

Your female Dachshund will bleed during heat and if you are worried about your dog getting blood around your house or on the furniture, you can prevent this by limiting the places that she goes during this time. Keep her off of furniture and keep her out of carpeted rooms.

If you cannot limit the places where your dog goes, you can use a doggy diaper or you can create a bed for her with towels to help catch the blood.

Some people do not want to breed their Dachshund dogs and if this is the case for your home, make sure that you get your dog spaded before it reaches its first heat cycle or before the age of 5 months. Some vets recommend that you get this done by the time that your female dog turns 3 months of age.

When your female Dachshund is in heat, she may choose to not eat like normal. If this happens, try to add things such as cheese, baby food, meat, or pumpkin to her meal to make her want to eat.

Preventing Your Dachshund from Going into Heat

There is only one way that you can keep your female Dachshund from going into heat and that is to get her spayed.

When you spay your dog, the ovaries and the uterus of the dog are removed, and it stops any heat cycle from coming to your female dog.

There is a procedure that is called Ovary Sparing Spay or OSS which can allow your dog to keep both of its ovaries and its reproductive organs are removed.

This kind of spaying allows your dog to keep their natural hormones, but it stops them from getting pregnant. The only thing to know about this is that the female dog will still go through her heat cycle and will still bleed.

Getting your dog spayed can happen from 2 months of age and up but some vets recommend that you do not get your dog spayed until her bone plates are finished growing because it allows them to keep the hormones that they were born with and helps them to live a healthier lifestyle.

Some suggest that the best time to get your female Dachshund spayed is between 12 and 15 months of age. Most female dogs will go through heat at least one time before they are spayed.

Pregnancy of the Dachshund

The gestation period of the Dachshund puppy is around 60-63 days. It is important that you get your dog up and moving during this time to make sure that your dog’s health is strong and that the puppies grow correctly.

Take your dog out for regular walks and feed her a balanced diet that is healthy. You should never feed your Dachshund vitamins or minerals because this can cause them to have a nutritional imbalance.

Labor

You will know that your dog is going into labor when its cervix dilates and its uterus contracts. This can happen for one to 13 hours. There will be fluid that comes when the contractions get stronger.

At the second and third stage of labor, the puppies will come into the pelvic and they are born between 20- and 60-minute intervals. In the middle of the birthing should be a rest period and the mother will clear the nostrils of the newborn and their body.

Some Dachshunds will require help to deliver the puppies because of their small size. Birth can last over four or more hours. If labor lasts longer than that, take your dog to the vet to help with labor.

After Birthing

After labor, the dog will push out the placenta. The mother may eat the placenta to get the extra nutrients. The mother will eat the umbilical cord that connects the puppies to her. She may begin her heat cycle up to 3 months after giving birth and the breeding cycle can start again.

What Age Does Your Dachshund Stop Going into Heat?

Unlike people, your Dachshund will not go through menopause. They have a different reproductive cycle than humans and they will go through heat for their whole life.

A dog’s cycle will happen less and less as the dog gets older and sometimes their heat will not last as long.

Your dog can get pregnant no matter what age that it is, but you should really consider allowing your senior dog to not get pregnant because it is harder for a senior dog to carry puppies to term.

Dogs that get pregnant over 8 years of age or older have a chance of getting pyometra which can cause them to die.

What Age is Appropriate to Spay your Dachshund?

Your Dachshund will go into heat the first time between the ages of 6 months and 12 months of age. It is important to get your dog spayed before it goes into heat the first time.

Some vets will advise you to get your dog spayed by the age of 2 months old. If you are not able to get your dog spayed before the first heat, it is important that you keep your Dachshund locked up because it will do whatever it can to get to a mate when going into heat.

If you don’t want your dog to get pregnant, it is important that you get her spayed so that she does not accidentally become pregnant. This is the most effective method for preventing unwanted dog pregnancies.

Getting your dog spayed is permeant and cannot be reversed once it is done.

Do Dachshunds Get Infections After Their Heat Cycle?

It is not normal for your Dachshund to get infections after the heat cycle but if this happens, this is called pyometra. When your dog gets pyometra, it means that the uterus is infected. This causes the uterus lining to get thick. This is very dangerous, and you need to take your dog to the vet immediately if you see any of these symptoms:

• Discharge that is puss.
• Swollen abdomen.
• Closed cervix.
• Lack of energy.
• Lack of appetite.
• Urinating often.

Diagnosis

Your vet can diagnose your dog by doing an examination and by looking at the discharge. Your vet might require you to get an x-ray or an ultrasound of the uterus.

Treatment

If your dog does get pyometra, this can be life-threatening, but it can also be treated if it is caught right away. Your vet might need to do a hysterectomy to remove the uterus and the ovaries. If your dog is at high risk, you may want to consider getting your dog fixed and not breeding her.

When your dog gets medical care for this sickness, your vet will give it an antibiotic and will monitor it until the fluids are gone and the swelling has gone away.

How to Know When Your Female Dachshund is Done with Their Heat Cycle

You will know that your female Dachshund is finished with their heat cycle when these things happen to her:

• She is no longer allowing the male to mount or hump her.
• She will no longer have vaginal discharge.
• She will no longer have a swollen vulva.
• Will lose interest in the male.
• When you scratch her back, she will no longer flag her tail or push her bottom back.
• Will have a normal personality.
• Will no longer be nervous or irritated.
• Will lose interest in her human.

If you need to know if your dog is in heat, you can get her a vaginal cytology test done. This is an exam that your vet can do to check the heat stages by checking her cytologic changes for changes in the estrogen level and in the blood.

This is a very accurate test that can be used to know if your dog’s heat cycle is completely over. Pay attention to the patterns if you want to know on your own if her heat cycle is complete or near the end.

Final Words

Your female Dachshund will have a heat cycle unless she is spayed. It is important that you keep your dog safe and that you make sure that their health is the top priority for you. Talk to your vet if you have questions about your dog’s heat cycle.