Hi everyone, it's been a while!  Hope everyone is well.

I'm just looking for opinions regarding heat cycles in bitches.  My young bitch had her first heat 2 weeks after she reached a year old, on July 13th 2017.  I was expecting her next one at the beginning of the next year, but nothing.  I wasn't concerned, just needed to take extra care with her and where I took her etc and of course, her general welfare.  We are now 3 weeks over 12 months since her first cycle and still no signs.  Her vulva isn't swollen or anything so it doesn't look like she's about to come in anytime soon.

Has anyone else experienced this?  I know there are variations as with everything else so I'm not concerned and I don't have any immediate plans to breed from her, certainly not before she's at least three if I decide to at all.
Thanks

My youngest had her first season 2 weeks off her 1st birthday. From 6 months after that i looked at her regularly...she has just had her 2nd season 3 weeks off her 2nd birthday. Not had a bitch do this before but similar to you not breeding ( maybe next time if she goes a year again). It was fab as she only missed one show 1st time & i had a 5 week gap this time..how perfect is this dog ..lol

The only 'abnormality' with seasons I've had is one of mine, interestingly a singleton puppy whose dam, like all my other girls, cycled at 8 monthly intervals regular as clockwork having started at around 8 months, came in bang on 6 months and then started cycling every 5 months.   Quite the opposite to your girl.   As this was clearly dragging her down, and she wasn't up to show/breeding standard, we had her spayed and she lived out her days with us.  

On the other hand, our now Whippet, who my then vet wanted to wait for one season before spaying her (she wasn't for show/breeding from the start), hadn't come in by around 11 months with no sign either.  I took her back and asked him to go ahead with spaying.   I asked her breeder about this, knowing that often/usually? daughters follow mothers, and she told me her mother and two half-sisters, same dam, didn't have a first season until well into their second year (around 15 months).

I suppose you could talk to your vet about what's going on (or not going on!) especially if you might, eventually, want to breed her.   And what breed is this because I do know that Basenji and perhaps Whippets too? can have big gaps between seasons.

To late to add we have had Whippets for 50 years & this is the first time we have had a bitch do this...ours normally rotate at 7/8 month intervals

My youngster had her first 2 seasons 6 months apart and was then 2 months late for her third, but I've not had one cycle any slower than 9 monthly.

Hi, thanks for your reply.  My dogs are Lhasa Apso's and I have the Mother.  She was very regular in her seasons.

3 seasons in 5 years until she was spayed  with my fcr.she is all.fit and healthy I wouldn't worry tbh .

> The only 'abnormality' with seasons, ..........> started cycling every 5 months.

Anything from 4 months plus can be normal cycles.  In fact German Shepherds are known for short inter season intervals.

A bitch I have bred goes 5 monthly and has had two litters at age 4 and 5 1/2. She is linebred to a dog whose sister cycled 4 - 5 monthly, and mine that were by this dog started with 4 monthly intervals but by time of breeding was going 6 - 7 months.

Some of my more recent generations have been 6 - 8 months and starting older, nearer to a year than to 7 - 8 months of some I have had.

Seasons patterns often follow family lines so it is useful to know what other female family members cycles are/were.