Husky on Heat – What To Expect…

Do you own a female Husky?

We do….Haley, our Siberian Husky is 3 years old and has given us much pleasure and companionship since she joined our family.

She is our first dog, so before we collected her I diligently researched her breed and general requirements. However, I neglected to do any research in relation to the in “heat” season of a female dog. My lack of knowledge in this area can be excused, Eric and our son Raphael had travelled many miles to collect our male Husky pup, surprisingly they came back with a black and white female pup…Haley!

I was a little distressed when Haley entered her first “heat” a couple of years ago, not realising the droplets of blood coming from Haley was completely normal and nothing to be concerned about. Remember I was a first time dog owner at that time!! I did more research and now thankfully can deal with everything that goes with this regular event.

What to expect when your Husky goes in “heat”

It is certainly wise to be aware of your dog’s cycle as her behaviour will change and so will her body.

Huskies mature at age 2 with “heats” every 6 months lasting about 3 weeks.

There are several general signs that indicate your Husky is in “heat”

Frequent urinating
Bloody discharge
Constant licking of swollen vulva

There are behaviour changes too, and as an owner you will notice these changes right away. Observing your Husky will help identify the different stages of the “heat” she is experiencing.

More alert than usual, but sometimes not
Rowdy excitable behaviour, charging around full of energy
An increase in appetite
Sleepy and a little anxious
A Husky in “heat” will wag her tail flirtatiously and hold her tail up high to invite male dogs

What to DO to help your Husky

Your Husky is going through huge hormonal changes within her body whilst in “heat”. This results in mood swings, anxiety and bursts of energy alternating with bouts of tiredness. Similar to the human female cycle. Here are 3 ways you can comfort, help and reassure your Husky.

Patience and understanding with lots of talking to each other
Cuddles with lots of love and attention, tickling behind the ears has a calming effect
Play with your Husky to burn off some energy, this improves their sleep

What NOT to do…

Your dog is emitting breeding pheromones and male dogs can smell her from miles away. To prevent pregnancy:

Do not leave your Husky unsupervised in the garden, they are unpredictable and amazing escape artists
Do not walk your Husky off-lead. Huskies are stubborn and have poor recall abilities

We get male dogs sniffing around at the front gates so know when Haley is in “heat”. She also exhibits all the above behaviours (and the naughty ones) and have learnt a lot about our Haley Husky!

At this point in our lives we are not sure yet if we will let Haley have puppies. We are still debating the commitment it would take.

Our lives have dramatically changed since adding Haley to our little family in Hungary. Having a dog in our retirement is very fulfilling, she keeps us fit and on our toes and gives us a tremendous amount of fun and laughter. But I don’t think I am ready for multiple Haley’s!