I think it's that season...

[Leigha]

I think Dixie is in the middle of her heat cycle...

Her lady bits are really big and protruding (sometimes it seems like she moves them--like flexing a muscle or something?) and all of my boys really want to be close to her. They're all fixed, Lu seems to only go for her front leg and Kole wouldn't know what to do with his winky if it came with an instruction manual, but Bruiser's figured out which end to go for. Anyway, I'm keeping a close eye on them because I know that regardless of them being fixed, if they actually do get at her it could be bad for them (infection, injury, all that).

But, here's my question--Dixie's really not throwing her hiney at the boys, but she's trying to play a lot with them. It reminds me of hard to get. She'll pounce and then run away, but come right back and then try to roll around and play with them. She's REALLY keen on Lu. She wants to be out when he's out and in when he's in and wants to jump all over him. Well, she's like 4 times his body weight and accidentally jumped on him once already. He wasn't hurt and it didn't phase him, but I don't want him to get hurt either.

So, back to the question: is her behavior normal for a girlie in heat? I've never done this part before and at first I was sure I'd somehow missed her being in heat after she had the puppies and stopped nursing, but with as large as her bits are she's got to be in heat.

Question #2: We're going to wait 3 months before we get her spayed, which would put it around December and right around when she's 2 years old. Developmentally/hormonally/etc would that be an okay age or should we wait a bit longer? I don't mind waiting, but I think J's keen on getting it done because he's terrified some random accident, like dogs pole-vaulting our back fence to get at her, would leave us with more puppies.

[Mattie]

Welcome to the club, Dolly is in season as well but a week ahead of Dixie

Bitches become tarts when they are in season they don't care who they go with and they can have pups to more than one dog.

I take the 3 months from the start of the season which would make Dixie to be spayed early November, similar to Dolly.

[Nettle]

Yes what you describe is typical foreplay (yes dogs do it too )

Your neutering schedule sounds good.

All the best with this season - it may be rather lavish as it is a cleansing one.

[Leigha]

I actually haven't seen any discharges or blood or anything at all. I know dogs can be very clean with it (for some reason my mom's dachshund isn't clean with hers) but I figured that since this is the one after she had puppies there would be something. I saw two drops of what might be blood on the kitchen floor, but it might very well be gravy drops from J's lunch.

Other than her being a bouncy, silly little girl we're doing okay. She only goes nuts when she's in the living room. They don't do it outside. Right now all of my boys are sprawled out sleeping on the couch and she's curled up under the side table--Thank God it's quiet!

[Leigha]

Oh, I forgot to mention, she's humping Bruiser like there's no tomorrow. Poor boy. He tolerates it for a while, then runs away. She only does it when they're playing around, not just randomly.

[Leigha]

I'm going to have to videotape this little hussy so you all can see her silliness. She's pouncing, all four feet off the floor, all over my living room. Sometime this week she must have grown springs out of her feet.

[forkin14]

and Kole wouldn't know what to do with his winky if it came with an instruction manua

that got me cracking up!!

Leigha, it seems like endless entertainment at your house I'm sure most of us on here still agree, you should write a book if you ever have the time!

[emmabeth]

Im torn here, between urging you to video it and put it on Youtube..... and pointing out that if you do, thats probably doggy p**n....

Ho hum.

[Leigha]

I'm oddly proud of Bruiser...

Granted, he's humping Dixie like he's training for an Olympic event, but if I see him doing it out the window I'll go to the back door and say "Bruiser, off" and he gets right off. No yelling, no chasing, just open the door "Bruiser, off" and shut the door.

Off wasn't working for "BRUISER GET OFF THE FREAKING BED, I JUST IRONED THE $*^&%# SHEETS!" this morning, but it works for that (and everything else, he just really likes the bed.)

[Fundog]

You IRON your sheets?

[Leigha]

I did today out of sheer boredom and the fact that the edge of them that's embroidered has been ridiculously wrinkled and it was driving me crazy. I don't make it a habit of ironing sheets, but it's summer vacation and I'm pretty bored.

[Wicket]

Leigha, write that book. You've got me giggling and snorting here.

[Mattie]

At least Bruiser is the oposite sex to Dixie, Tilly keeps trying to hump Dolly, don't know how she thinks she can do that.

I don't iron my sheets, I do iron the duvet cover, they get very wrinkled with so many dogs sleeping on them.

[***Melissa***]

Tilly keeps trying to hump Dolly, don't know how she thinks she can do that.

Lol.

Leigha, it seems there is never ever a dull moment in your house

Well, I have been watching Bibi's lady bits like a hawk for the past few days - I don't see anything different yet, and she's not behaving any different than usual but I think she might be near / in her heat cycle.

Striker wants to hump her the whole time, and when he gets the chance to hump her part of his pink thingy comes out , and he's not even a humper at all (he didn't even hump when he was a puppy). At least he's neutured, but I don't want "anything to happen" for the same reasons as you. So we take turns to be on "humping duty" (To tell Striker to get off!!!)

[Nettle]

Sometimes it's very obvious - sometimes nothing much to see. Our terrier has very subtle cycles, but my retired stud dog always tells me that Something Is Going On.