Do male dogs go into heat?

Have someone asked you if your male dog has come in heat already? Or maybe your dog suddenly developed symptoms of being in heat, and you have begun to wonder: “Do male dogs go though heat?”

There’s no need to worry if your male dog has not come in heat, yet. Male’s don’t do that. However, if your male dog shows symptoms of being in heat (especially bleeding from “something that looks like vulva”), you should take him to a vet.

However, if the reason why you are reading this is that females nearby are in heat and your dog is unmanageable, read this article: How to handle your male dog, while females around are in heat.

Male dogs do not go into heat!

We’ve heard: “Male dogs are in heat all the time,” a lot. On the one hand, males are responsive to females most of the time. Studies show (exceptions do occur) adult male dogs can mate up to five times a day. Not many humans are capable of doing so.

On the other hand, we can’t say, male dogs are in heat. There are certain differences in how the reproductive system of male and female dogs work:

• Heat in female dogs does not represent only states of willing to mate and not willing to mate. It is a set of four stages: being in heat (a time when she is responsive), not being in heat, preparing to be in heat and resting from being in heat. Those four stages are independent of external factors, such as the presence of males, daylight hours or weather.
• Male dogs, however, do not have those four cycles. Their ability to breed is affected by external initiation. In most cases, by sensing the scent of a female dog in heat. However, while male dogs can mate most of the time, serious breeders would allow some time in between separate breedings.

That all being said, male dogs do not go in heat. Unlike females, they can flick their willingness to mate on and off almost instantaneously.

This article is a part of a series about dogs in heat.

Next: How to know when your dog will come in heat?
Previous: How to calm a male dog during heat