(from the article `estrus`) ...receptivity is highestthis is the estrous period. Some animals (e.g., dogs) are monestrous, having only one heat during a breeding season. Others ... ...period (diestrus) and another preparatory proestrus phase. Mammals that breed only once a year are termed monestrous and exhibit a long anestrus; ..... Found on http://www.britannica.com/eb/a-z/p/90