Dr. Emmanuel Fontaine, DVM

Female Dog Fertility and Heat Cycle Resources

Science-backed articles to help you read the heat cycle, time ovulation, and protect your dam’s fertility.

Canine Ovulation Timing: Beyond the Progesterone Number

The canine heat cycle runs in four phases, and ovulation is a rising curve, not a single number. Learn to read serial progesterone and cytology together to find the true fertile window.

The Ovulation Timing Worksheet: Track Every Cycle Detail That Matters

A printable worksheet to log every progesterone test, cytology result, and behavior sign across the heat cycle. It turns scattered notes into a clear timing picture for your vet.

Natural Breeding Done Right: The Environment, Timing, and Safety Protocol That Protects Both Partners

Timing is only half of a successful mating. The environment, the introduction, and a simple safety protocol protect both the female and the male.

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Natural Breeding Done Right: The Environment, Timing, and Safety Protocol That Protects Both Partners

Timing is only half of a successful mating. The environment, the introduction, and a simple safety protocol protect both the female and the male.

The Ovulation Timing Worksheet: Track Every Cycle Detail That Matters

A printable worksheet to log every progesterone test, cytology result, and behavior sign across the heat cycle. It turns scattered notes into a clear timing picture for your vet.

Canine Ovulation Timing: Beyond the Progesterone Number

The canine heat cycle runs in four phases, and ovulation is a rising curve, not a single number. Learn to read serial progesterone and cytology together to find the true fertile window.

How Many Litters Can a Dog Safely Have?

Female fertility is a career, not a single season. Here is how to think about litter spacing and when to retire a dam, guided by her health rather than a fixed number.

Is Progesterone Testing About to Go Blood-Free?

Progesterone drives every breeding decision, and the testing tools are changing fast. A look at where blood-free progesterone monitoring may be headed for dogs and cats.

Dog Cat Body Condition Score: How Does It Affect Breeding?

Fertility starts with body condition, long before the heat cycle. See how too lean or too heavy shifts conception, litter size, and pregnancy in dogs and cats.

How Many Times Can a Dog Get Pregnant?

How often can a female safely conceive across her life? A grounded look at reproductive capacity, cycle recovery, and the limits that protect her.

The Surprising 3 Markers Boosting Breeding Success in Dogs and Cats

Three under-used markers can flag fertility problems before a failed breeding does. What AMH and two other tests reveal about a female’s reproductive reserve.

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Next stage

Once you have timed the breeding and confirmed conception, the next chapter begins: pregnancy, fetal development, and preparing for whelping.