Urgent response needed about heat cycle

[anb]

Hi all! I have a question about the dogs heat cycle. My girl is just going into (about to go into?) her second heat (she just turned one year). She hasn't started bleeding yet, but she is showing signs of swelling. I am wondering at what point I have to start being really careful about her getting pregnant? (too young now!). I was planning on attending some family functions this weekend where it is more than likely that un-neutered males will be there. I am currently trying to find someone to watch her, but am wondering how necessary that is? I don't plan on breeding her untill she is at least two years old, (if ever, we'll see how good of a hunter she is first - just keeping my options open in the case that she is exceptional!). Hoping for a definitive answer if anyone has one!

Thanks a bunch
Andrea

[ezzy333]

If she is coming in she will breed so you better find some place to leave her. Even if you take her and keep her in a crate sh will attract every male dog there.

Ezzy

[anb]

I definetly don't want every male dog harassing her! I noticed that during her last cycle. Had her in the car and male dogs from all around were flocking to the yard! Thank you so much for the info - good to know when it's not ok!

[mcbosco]

If she is coming in she will breed so you better find some place to leave her. Even if you take her and keep her in a crate sh will attract every male dog there.

Ezzy

Some do but I have seen a few girls try to rip the face off a pushy male at this stage....

[ezzy333]

If she is coming in she will breed so you better find some place to leave her. Even if you take her and keep her in a crate sh will attract every male dog there.

Ezzy

Some do but I have seen a few girls try to rip the face off a pushy male at this stage....

I think we all know that if she isn't fully in she won't stand for a male. But do you feel comfortable telling someone she won't breed from the info you have from this post. The sage advice is to leave her at home and not take a chance even though if she isn't bleeding yet she probably won't stand. I just will not tell someone who is unsure of exactly how far along she is in her cycle to just go ahead because she isn't ready. Not a good idea in my book.

Ezzy

[mcbosco]

If she is coming in she will breed so you better find some place to leave her. Even if you take her and keep her in a crate sh will attract every male dog there.

Ezzy

Some do but I have seen a few girls try to rip the face off a pushy male at this stage....

I think we all know that if she isn't fully in she won't stand for a male. But do you feel comfortable telling someone she won't breed from the info you have from this post. The sage advice is to leave her at home and not take a chance even though if she isn't bleeding yet she probably won't stand. I just will not tell someone who is unsure of exactly how far along she is in her cycle to just go ahead because she isn't ready. Not a good idea in my book.

Ezzy

Al, I think I gave her another and perhaps better reason to leave the dog home, and it was technically correct, unlike yours.

[Birddog3412]

Keep her away from males if you do not want her bred. On average days 11 to 13 are the breeding days. But it is different for all dogs. I have a female now that is on day 16 and still standing for my male.

[anb]

I won't be bringing the pup, but out of curiosity, how do you define day 1? I had expected her to be going into heat about two weeks ago (based on her first and some research). It seems they are as unregular as humans. Haven't taken my animal breeding class yet, so I am not too informed on these matters as this is my first unspayed female I've ever owned, or even really been around. I would like to know how to keep better track of this, seems more responsible to me. I definitely appreciate all of the advice - y'all seem to have a better idea of what's going on than the internet research I have done (can't trust that stuff). I was under the impression that the dog will not be able to conceive until the end of her cycle, when the bleeding slows down/lightens. (Also avoiding a dog fight is always a good call!)

Andrea

[snips]

Day 1 is first day you see blood. Altho I have seen some srange stuff, dogs that swell very little and also hardly bleed. Normal would be swelling and blood drips. Most dogs are usually breedable from 9-15 days, but not set in stone. Keeping her up is best bet.

[solon]

Bookmark this site, it has all you need to know about canine heat cycles:

http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu/eiltslotus/th ... _index.htm

Solon

[anb]

Solon - thanks for the site, it was really in-depth infromative!

So now it looks as though her swelling has gone down and still no blood - guess she's just a little irregular.

[slistoe]

Solon - thanks for the site, it was really in-depth infromative!

So now it looks as though her swelling has gone down and still no blood - guess she's just a little irregular.

I have females that are so meticulous about keeping themselves clean that I have entirely missed their heat even when checking daily for blood. I have also had females that stood at 6 days for a male and conceived and others that wouldn't stand until day 18 and they conceived normal litters as well. Those were the days when I believed that everything always went the way it was. So, IMO, caution is the word. If you find she is in heat and will accept a male, the discovery point will be too late for you to change the outcome.

[slistoe]

If she is coming in she will breed so you better find some place to leave her. Even if you take her and keep her in a crate sh will attract every male dog there.

Ezzy

Some do but I have seen a few girls try to rip the face off a pushy male at this stage....

But she will still attract them and they will still be hanging on the outskirts moping and slathering.

[slistoe]

I won't be bringing the pup, but out of curiosity, how do you define day 1? I had expected her to be going into heat about two weeks ago (based on her first and some research). It seems they are as unregular as humans. Haven't taken my animal breeding class yet, so I am not too informed on these matters as this is my first unspayed female I've ever owned, or even really been around. I would like to know how to keep better track of this, seems more responsible to me. I definitely appreciate all of the advice - y'all seem to have a better idea of what's going on than the internet research I have done (can't trust that stuff). I was under the impression that the dog will not be able to conceive until the end of her cycle, when the bleeding slows down/lightens. (Also avoiding a dog fight is always a good call!)

Andrea

Over the years I tracked heat cycles on all my dogs. They average 6 mos, but that is just that - average. The shortest was 4 mos. and the longest 10 mos. between. And they are not regular on the timing either - although the ones that came at the short end of the terms never were at the longest end. 3 mos variation is not unusual.
Snips has the day 1 thing (but some dogs need a white tissue swab to determine), and I think I covered the conception thing.
As for the dog fight, I have never seen one. Some females who are not ready to stand will put up passive resistance and others aggressive resistance, but I have never seen a male that was so insistent that an aggressive female got to the point of drawing blood (although you could swear she meant to tear his entire head off if she could).