Cooper is about 11 months now, and just started to bleed last night. We've been expecting it since she has been a bit swollen for a while now. I've read up a good bit, but I've never actually had a Female dog who went into her season. We plan to have her spayed about 3 months after her first season, per our vets recommendation. That could change, but I can't see breeding her, since she is not show stock, and I don't intend to do field or hunting trials with her. We will do everything possible to see that she doesn't get pregnant this time, and I would like some advice. I understand she should not be fertile until around the time she stops bleeding which should be about 7 days after the start. That she should be fertile from around the 7th day to 14th or so. Is there a surefire was to know when she is no longer fertile. I would like to be able to let her run off lead as soon as it is safe, but I certainly don't want puppies, especially mixed breed pups, and especially not in her first season. We have a solid fenced yard, and it is very uncommon to see dogs loose in our (Portland) neighborhood and most of the males are neutered, but I'm told that she will attractive to dogs a couple of miles away, and that males can be very determined when they find a bitch in heat.
I've never owned a female dog - only male dog, and none of them have been neutered. From my point of view, as the owner of an entire male dog, all you have to do is keep her at home and walk her on lead where there are unlikely to be male dogs off lead. If you do this, it is nothing that would cause me a problem, my male dog is certainly not free to wander round seeking out bitches in heat. I'd also say don't be in a rush to let her off lead, there is no need, a safe time on lead will do her no harm - I have more trouble with bitches in heat legging it away from their owners to flirt with my dog than I do with my own male dog running off! The girls are perfect capable of being just as persistent as the boys!
Jura has recently been in season for the first time, and as it was her first season I kept her on lead for 4 weeks, keeping her well away from popular dog walking areas. During her most fertile period I also restricted her to our garden, but we do have a very large garden with plenty of room for her to run around. I was probably being a bit paranoid but Jura is our first pup and I wasn't sure what to expect so decided better to be safe than sorry! On the upside her lead walking improved greatly during this time.
@Ski-Patroller Having had several bitches , I would recommend that you treat each day as a potential fertile one , they often differ . I counted day one as the first day I noticed blood , and kept my girls under close watch for a good four weeks . I did let her off lead in a local woodland walk , but at 6.30 in the morning when no one else was around , it was a risk but a very much calculated one as I think it unfair on other owners to have a free running bitch on heat ! The rest of the time was strictly lead only and always in more remote areas , good luck .
I agree with Kate and it's very similar to the actions we took with previous girls. We never had any problems with our girls not recalling, but that of course does depend upon the individual. Not had to worry or make the same decisions with Junk as she was spayed prior to a first season. Good luck with whatever you choose
In our area (Cape Town) we have a city by-law that makes it illegal for a bitch in season to be walked in any public area. Not that that stops people, and as the owner of an intact male, I find it extremely difficult to walk him near a bitch in season. Admittedly I've never done training to stop him following his instinct, and until I read this forum, I had no idea it was even possible!!! Even now, if I offer him the tastiest of treats, he seems almost annoyed with the distraction and within in a millisecond his attention is back to the bitch in season. He will not budge from where the bitch is, impossible to drag away. I have found myself straddling him and holding tight with my thighs while keeping a firm grasp on the scruff of his neck to prevent any mating taking place! Only once the bitch is out of sight can I coax him along and walk away from the area, and then be becomes ultra-focussed on me and trots along like a dog at Crufts -- an expression of all that pent-up energy! I suppose you are risking an unwanted pregnancy even if she is on a lead, because an owner of an intact male might not care enough to keep their male away from your female. Isn't that the way of the world, always the female that must take the precautions!!
Molly had two seasons before she was spayed. I kept her on lead for 3 weeks from the first sight of blood. I also drove to places where dogs have to be on lead (there are lots of footpaths near me, across the South Downs, where there are sheep) as even if you have your bitch on lead if you're walking in an off-lead area an entire male is almost bound to approach and trying to prevent mating would then be very difficult. I used an extending lead so Molly could have a bit more freedom at times and a couple of times went to a secluded beach before 6am so I could let her have a brief off-lead run. Seasons are a nuisance but they pass, like everything else
OUr experience has been that even when they aren't yet fully fertile they still smell different to other dogs and can attract a lot of attention from any dog, male or female, neutered or not. One crackpot woman continued to walk her poor little GR off leash in a big area we go to and the other dogs just tormented her. Those walks surely could not have been enjoyable for the poor little bitch.
I kept Harley on lead and only done walks where dogs weren't off lead. It wouldn't be fair to her or the male dogs to go where dogs are off lead. This meant lots of walks on main roads (the pavement of course). It did help with our lead walking around our local area - it's one of the only places she will now walk on loose lead because of the time she had on lead. Harley had a strange first season - she bled for over 3 weeks! Because of this she ended up being on lead for 5 weeks!
Might just be worth mentioning that a bitch on heat can turn into an absolutely shameless hussy who is just as eager to mate as a male
We were lucky that neither off our yellow girls showed any interest. My Dad had just managed to, persuade Mum to let our first girl have a litter with a friends gentle giant of a boy, when Mitzi decided she was having nothing to do with that nonsense and promptly chased off her "beau". She was fine with him again once her season was over
Well I know you always say you don't know Millie's parentage, but I think a cougar may be stretching the imagination
I'm still looking for info on how to know when she is through her season. I gather it is not obvious. Is it good enough to just wait 3 weeks from the first sign of bleeding, or are there better indications. I'll probably check with Vet, if I can't find anything more definitive. I don't mind keeping her on a lead or in the yard, I just don't want to do it for weeks after it is not necessary.
Females are receptive to males only for a short period of time. After that she will not allow a stud to jump. We usually are careful for 20 days or so, after that its all back to normal.
