97 Tips for Raising Labs
Following are approximately 97 questions readers of BigYellowDog.com submitted in recent years. They were answered by a licensed veterinarian on the site as a general service to all Lab owners. This information is for general reference only. Always consult your veterinarian for any questions about your Lab's health. We hope this information is somewhat helpful. At this time, we are not accepting any more questions.
Question
My questions are about breeding. I have a female yellow Lab who had her first heat last June 6. She will be two years old in May of 2001. When can I expect her to go into heat again? Is it once a year and always around the orignal date of her first heat? Also, When she starts her heat (first day of bleeding) how soon before she can get pregnant? And I assume she can't get pregnant unless she is in heat. Thank you!
Answer
Dogs come into what we generally call their estrus cycle (same as heat or season) every six months on average or twice a year. Sometimes the first one or two heat cycles will be sporadic, but most heat cycles are 14-21 days in length. Depending on when the dog is ovulating (which can only be determined by a microscopic slide exam) or if the female is receptive to the male she is breeding (which will not always be the case) can she get pregnant. It is always good to make sure your female dog and the male she breeds to is OFA(orthopedic foundation) certified for hip dysplasia and that the health of both dogs are checked prior to breeding. Usually OFA radiographs are taken when a dog is two years of age.
