Westie Heats and Breeding

I have a Westie named Daize who is almost a year old. She has come in heat — how long will she bleed? How long will she be able to get pregnant?

We want to breed her eventually, but not right now. How many times a year will she go in heat? Also, how long is the gestation period when we do decide to breed her? At what age is it safe to breed her?

– Angie

Hi Angie,

Generally a female dog in heat can bleed for three to 14 days, and is most fertile at 10-12 days from the start of the bleeding. However, the first heat can be quite short (one to two days), and sometimes it occurs again within a month.

It will be about six to seven months between heat periods. The gestation time is around 63 days in a dog.

I suggest you wait until Daize is at least 3 years old to breed her. Her body will have matured, her pelvis will be fully developed, and she’ll be strong enough to cope with the pregnancy and labor.