A female Shih Tzu can go into heat as young as four months old, which for most dogs is quite early. This might seem quite early as your Shih Tzu will still be a puppy but they are capable of having puppies at quite a young age but not recommended.

If you have not had your dog spayed and after one year she has not started her first heat cycle then it is recommended you get the advice of a vet as there could be problems.

How Often Heat Cycles Occur?
Your Shih Tzu will normally come into heat every four to eight months with an average of three times per year.

Older more senior dogs can still come into heat so you need to be careful when taking your dog out for a walk to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

If you want to protect your older dog’s health and because they can still have a litter of puppies it is recommended you have your Shih Tzu spayed.

A heat cycle can last from two to four weeks but please note you may not see the signs for the whole period. Again you need to be cautious because even though there are no signs of your Shih Tzu being in heat they can still become pregnant.

It is recommended that you don’t breed your dog until after her second heat cycle and before her fourth heat cycle due to health issues. She will be in heat for about twenty days but she will not be interested in mating for the first couple of days.

What Are The Signs of Heat?
If you have never seen your dog in heat before it might be hard to spot at first but after a few times it becomes easier, you will normally notice a discharge from your dog but sometimes it is light so keep an eye out.

There are some common signs that your dog is on heat, for example, her vulva will look swollen, it can be two to three times larger than normal when on heat. You might want to look at her vulva when she is not on heat so you can see the difference.

The main sign of your dog being on heat will be some discharge. Some dogs are very heavy and some are light with discharge and can be hard to spot, but over time you will see deposits build up especially on her bedding so keep an eye out for that.

Her discharge can change color while she is on heat, it can change from a pinky-white to a red color but don’t worry as this is normal for dogs on heat. It will change color from the beginning of her heat cycle from light at the beginning, getting darker towards the middle and lighter again at the end.

One other indication that she is on heat is male dogs pay her more attention. Most male dogs even if they have been neutered can smell out a bitch on heat up to three miles away and can become a pest, especially when you are walking your dog so again be careful.

You might notice she is becoming a little restless, she may move her toys around, ruffle up her bed more than normal. If she is around male dogs she might seem more interested than normal, all these are signs that she is in heat.