Cola is in heat ...

Hi all,

Well I was looking into getting Cola spayed but last weekend I noticed some blood on the couch where she sleeps .... its her first season and she is nearly 8 months now.

Usually she gets 2 runs a day, I take her to the park or the woods and she has a good hour off lead twice a day. She never runs far from me and has great recall. However I know I cant do that while she is in heat but Im finding it really hard as I know she misses the freedom being off lead. I do still take her for walks but its not the same so I have ordered a flexi lead and hopefully I can take her to the park and let her have some freedom.

I really dont know much about how long the season lasts. ... Ive read its around 3 weeks but other places say once they are bleeding its only another 2 weeks before they can resume normal activities. I guess my question is how long do I have to keep her away from dogs and let her off lead again?

Sorry if this sounds novice but I really hoped to have her spayed before this!

hi

bless your lil girl is growing up - a season usually last 3 weeks but will only bleed for 2. they can get pregnant in any of this time. to be honest with you - mine have as much freedom when in season as when they are not - i dont walk mine on leads unless near a road (!) - and have never had a problem - i have to say in my expereince i think its a little outa of context that a dog will go after a female in season for miles - ive had 5 seasons between my two and not had to keep them on the lead for any most dogs arent even bothered - i am obviously more aware of other dogs and keep them close when other 'full' dogs are around but as soon as they gone mine run off and play again! i would say bitches can get a lil irriatble when in season though (dont we all!!!!) and might not want to be fussed by other dogs and might be a bit more leave me alone than usual!!!!

Suki had her first season a few months ago, the bleeding lasted about 2 1/2 weeks and seemed to get worse when titch was around her, titch wasnt castrated at the time so we had to keep them seperate, i found that titch went mental whenever she was around i ended up sparying air freshener whenever she was in sniffing distance from him. It was only titch she seemed to have this affect on although i did keep her off the playing feilds just in case i still took her out for walks but kept an extra eye out for any stray dogs.

Thanks for your replies, I really hate to be walking her around on the pavement. The place where I usually go is quiet at certain times of the day so once the weather has settled I will take her for an off lead run over there. I havent really noticed a change in her behaviour though, she is sniffing around more but thats it.

I read on some websites that you shouldnt even leave them alone in the garden as dogs have been known to jump over fences to get to them, I think this is a little over the top!! LOL

I was also looking at those dog pants you can buy ... has anyone tried these? lol I have been spoiling her rotton lately but think the pants (although a good idea) might feel a little strange for her! lol

doggy nappies are a good idea for dogs that are in season as you dont have much mess in your house. you must remember though that you need to wash her everytime you change her nappy as its more hygenic. you need to introduce the nappies to her, so take the nappy over to her, let her sniff it and give her a treat, repeat the process until you can put the nappy on heer, but remember to give treats when she tolerates it, if she tries to bite it then tell her no. you will find it wont take her long to get used to it, just make sure you use a tasty treat like cheese. you can also use a clicker for this exercise as it is instant positive reinforcement. she will associate the noise with a treat, so it will be much easier to nappy train her whilst in season, hope this helps.

Hi Jen thanks for the info, I think I'm gonna give it a try, Cola wears a muzzle at night also and from day one she just accepted it, shes really good so Im hoping she wont mind it too much! I'll let you know how I get on!

ok wicked, just make sure she doesnt bite and chew at it, because you will have an even bigger mess

iv got laminate flooring so i dint bother with a"nappy" for suki but if i has carpet i think i would have tryed them, its not loads of blood but there is enough to make a mess of your carpets

suzanne wrote:Hi Jen thanks for the info, I think I'm gonna give it a try, Cola wears a muzzle at night also and from day one she just accepted it, shes really good so Im hoping she wont mind it too much! I'll let you know how I get on!

why the hell do you muzzle yor dog at night???????????????

sorry --- just have to ask.

Do you mean that Cola wears a muzzle all night --- surely not.


As for the running offlead, I think it is safer to make sure she is on a long line. she is too young to risk an accidental mating.

The amount of exercise you are giving her (1 hour offlead twice a day) is a lot for her age anyway. The recommended amount is 5 mins per day per month of life. So she should be on about 40 mins a day spread over two walks preferably. So maybe it wouldn't hurt to cut it down a bit.

hi how did cla get on with the nappy while in season?
have you used one since with her coming into season again?
hope to see you on here soon jen x

Vegas was in season a few weeks ago titch has been done so it wasnt a problem, she soon put him in his place when he tried any funny bussiness as well! lol Hooch our staffy was another matter when had to keep them well and truly seperated with him on a lead at all times on walks, it was so funny she wouldnt stop teasing him showing him her rear at every oppertunity! luckly he lost interest in a few days but it was like having a mad child running around consantly!