# Timing of first heat - it is genetic?



## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

I do think that timing of heat cycles and the length between them are inherited, but I don't know if it's as simple as mom's first heat was at 9.5 months so her daughter's will be, too. There tend to be trends, especially within a litter, and also in a line. For example, in one of my girls' first litters, nobody was even close to cycling when spayed at around 18 months. The bitch I kept had her first cycle at 26 months. When that dam was bred again to a different dog, everybody came in heat at around 12-15 months. 

Also you do want to ideally wait a couple months after her heat cycle to spay her - it's best done when she's in anestrus (when reproductive system is basically "at rest")


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## cello56 (Apr 2, 2017)

CharismaticMillie said:


> Also you do want to ideally wait a couple months after her heat cycle to spay her - it's best done when she's in anestrus (when reproductive system is basically "at rest")


Yes, I was aware of wanting to wait after a heat. Question for you then! If we spay her BEFORE her first heat, how do we know that her reproductive system wasn't just about to enter heat - or had even already started? Makes me worried about spaying before the first heat since we wouldn't have any frame of reference for timing.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

The vet can tell once they are in there...but I would not recommend spaying before 12 months..


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## Beautiful Blue (Apr 24, 2017)

This is interesting to me. I thought we had a real little weirdo when, at 16 months, our White Girl had not yet gone in to heat. Vet said she's very feminine looking in the face, I wouldn't worry about it until she hits 18 months... Well, she did cycle at 19 months. 

I kept asking myself, did she have what I think are called a silent cycle some where at about 12 months for example? But I don't believe she ever did. 

So, not all THAT unusual...


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Nooooo not at all. I think that 12-18 months is average. Some cycle early (9 months) and some cycle late (24+ months). But it seems most fall into the 12-18 month range.

Trying to figure out the feminine in the face connection...probably just coincidence but my bitch who came in at 26 months is very, very feminine and refined.


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## wh138565 (Jul 25, 2017)

*True Story*

My last dog was a german shepard and i came home late one night and there was blood all over the floor so i ran her to the emergency room vet.
he comes out and says shes in heat.
I said bull**** shes never went into heat before and she is 10.
Years not months.
so not sure there is a formula


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## cello56 (Apr 2, 2017)

And the answer is ...... Molly came into heat at 10.5 months! Unfortunately it was at the dog sitters! She was a very good sport about it :adore:, and of course I gave her a big bonus for dealing with this for four days! So we will let her complete her heat, rest her uterus for a month or so and spay her around her first birthday. 
Thank you for all the input!


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