What to Expect - First Heat?

[leih merigian]

I have never owned an intact dog. So, Geyser's first heat will be mine, too, kind of

I don't know anything about this, other than that some dogs get flighty and lose concentration and don't work well during their season, while others don't change in their behavior. Of course, there is the glaringly obvious need to protect her from males at all costs, but that shouldn't be an issue, as she's never outside by herself, etc. I guess, when we're out hiking during these times, I won't let her drag her leash but will keep a closer hold of her (in the event of loose dogs in the woods or something).

Beyond that, I need y'all's guidance here! What do I look for to know when she's going into heat? (i.e., how can I tell?) What do I need to do, if anything, different beyond protecting her from other dogs?

Does she need to wear panties in the house? Or, do some dogs do a better job of keeping themselves clean during this time? Will she need to urinate more frequently?

How long does this last...about two weeks?

While I"m at it, if any of you have any funny stories about dogs in heat, let's hear them (My spousal unit tells me that males will start to show up at our yard, uninvited; we live out in the sticks. I guess I'll believe that when I see it.)

Thanks!

[Christie M]

Let's see. Heats usually last about 3 weeks - 1 week coming in with bleeding, 1 week fertile with minimal discharge, and 1 going out with bleeding. Obviously all females are different, but that is a general guideline.

I always use boxer shorts, or boxer briefs rather than doggy-diapers. They have a convenient hole for the tail and are loose enough to stay comfortable for my girls. I don't know when I first started that tradition, but many girls later it still seems like the best option here.

Temperament wise, anything can happen. Most of my girls act like nothing is different. Willow used to get tons more drivey and worked way harder and acted like she never had obedience in her life. Salix was very sensitive and would get more clingy. I'm pretty sure everyone else was pretty uneffected - except for a renewed interest in the handsome boys around here.

I have a rescue mal that will be spayed next week. She came into heat JUST after I got her. She acted normal (well, as normal as a mal can act), but when I went to let her in she didn't come?!! I went looking in the yard and there I found her tied with the VERY neutered rescue DS male. He was neutered 2 1/2 years ago - so no worries. But apparently him shooting blanks was not a deterant to either one

[Marjolein]

whaha, Christie! Ivil's breeder used her neutered male to check if it was "THE" day to drive to the male wirth her bitch, every now and then he was too quick and was stuck before she knew it "yup, today's the day"

About those panties...OMG I've never used any of that. And yes, Ivil lives in our home. The amount of blood they lose is not that big and you can actually learn your dog to clean up after themselves, it's something they naturally do anyway. I also have a male here who is more than happy to lick it off the floor

Character wise Ivil is bad, she get's real sensitive and weak, cannot deal with pressure anymore. This sets us back 3 weeks every time in training Schutzhund
But I've also seen dogs get way better drive during the heat.

When walking I tend to keep her on a leash, since they have bananas in their ears when they are in heat and when they see a hansome male... I also learned from someone that if a male keeps following you, determined to breed and no owner is in sight, you can put your female in front of you, putting her tail between your legs, to make sure the male can't jump No idea how long you have to stand like this if no-one comes to pick up the dog, a week I guess

Than there is the period about 6-9 weeks after the heat, where a lot (some say all) dogs get a fake pregnancy. It's completely natural and in most dogs you won't even notice it, it's mainly hormonal to make sure if another bitch in the pack gives birth, they can produce milk too. Some dogs start making a nest, gather toys, produce milk and whatever, but most don't.

ow, about seeing it, often you can clearly see the vulva swelling, not all dogs will bleed a lot, and some are so clean you will never find a single drop The swelling is usually quite clear.
Every dog has a different rythm with fertile days, some as early as on day 6, up to day 22 and all in between You will figure that out after she's been in heat several times

[leih merigian]

thank you both for your informative replies!

Christie, I love the boxer shorts idea way over the diapers. If I use anything, I'll definitely get some of those.

Marjolein, that standing over you dog thing will come in handy if I need it for sure!

[Brindle]

Blaze ( Beauceron ) had her first heat at 10mths. Absolutely no clue until blood spotting started.
A week later her vulva swelled and made it very obvious Behavior wise she was no different than usual.
Heats after that were more normal. ( vulva swelling, then bleeding etc )
She was VERY good at keeping clean each time.
For training classes I put a swimsuit on her ( cut a hole for her tail ) with a feminine pad in the right spot.



She has been spayed ( dysplastic ) but still tolerates clothing really well

[leih merigian]

For training classes I put a swimsuit on her ( cut a hole for her tail ) with a feminine pad in the right spot.

Very creative!

Thanks for the info about your experiences.

[Marjolein]

For training classes I put a swimsuit on her ( cut a hole for her tail ) with a feminine pad in the right spot.

Very creative!

Thanks for the info about your experiences.

Nice colour too!

[leih merigian]

Nice colour too!

No lie...I was thinking maybe Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

[Brindle]

No lie...I was thinking maybe Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

Needless to say with a young male in the house those photos are off limits

Thank goodness she's spayed !

Teen boy is pushing his boundries

[kimkim]

Boxer briefs, what a good idea! Embers diaper is getting kind of old... Her temperament really does not change, maybe a little more hyper and actually likes to be petted:) She also goes through a false pregnancy (I think) a month or two after her heat cycles. Her nipples get bigger and saggy. But after a few weeks they go back to normal.

[Marjolein]

So, none of you have dogs that just tear those diapers apart
Ivil once went to stay with my mother in law, because Dingo was trying to make little puppies
Overthere Ivil had to wear those special "doggy-nappies" she had always used for her labradors. She had had that thing for over 6 years, but it died the day she made Ivil wear it, it wasn't a pretty sight I heard

[vneerland]

I never do any briefs or diapers, and I have several ladies, several come in, at least once a day, some all the time. The clean up after themselves, and if not them, the others will. Not much of an issue. (or not much of a housewife. Or both?)
Leih, you can tell when a heat is impending by the increased amount of peeing that your bitch might do. Here some, there some, like a male's marking.

[leih merigian]

Leih, you can tell when a heat is impending by the increased amount of peeing that your bitch might do. Here some, there some, like a male's marking.

That's good to know, and heck, maybe she'll retain the behavior for when she's not in season! I keep trying to get her to pee more than once per outing, as she is never empty after one squat, but she's very resistant, the little stinker .

[leih merigian]

So, I've been thinking about this a lot, as I just had a urinalysis done for Geyser. No UTI, but evidence of some red blood cells in the urine (just a few, but in every sample looked at under the microscope).

She does seem to be licking herself more frequently, and she is doing more peeing when we're out (kind of like marking, sometimes), but other than that, I don't notice anything. This makes me wonder how I'll even know when she's in heat if her behavior doesn't change, and she keeps herself clean enough that I'm not noticing any blood drops or whatever?

I sure would be embarrassed if my dog when thru her first heat and I didn't even realize it! She's only 7.5 months old...