Female dogs

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Bingles
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:11 pm
Location: Ireland

Female dogs

Post by Bingles »

Hello everyone. This is my first post so I appologise if this is posted in the wrong place.

I have just rescued a female Terrier cross Puppy, 9 weeks old. This is my first puppy, first Dog so Im leaning as I go. I have ben advised to get the It's me or the dog book which i am going to get. but what i would like to know is this.

Do female dogs bleed once a month and if they do will she stop when she is neutered. Sorry I prob sound stupid asking but I want to give the very best care to Bingles (hence my name)
emmabeth
Posts: 8894
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 9:24 pm
Location: West Midlands
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Post by emmabeth »

Hiya,

Better to ask if you don't know the answer.. than assume you do know it and make a big mistake!

No - bitches don't have quite the same reproductive cycle as humans do.

They have a season roughly every six months, and bleed for a few days (around a week or 10 days ish) immediately prior to being fertile.

A bitches season lasts around 3/4 weeks from start to finish, she starts when her girly bits swell up (if you check them when you groom her you WILL notice when they are swollen up - it all goes rather sticky-outty!).. starts to bleed.... then goes to a pale straw coloured discharge (you may notice neither if she cleans herself up well, the swelling she cannot hide though!)...this is when she will want to mate and would be likely to get pregnant if she did mate.

You have nothing to worry about yet, shes not likely to come into season until she is around 6 months old - keep an eye on her body and on her mood and you will notice when she starts to come into season. If you don't notice... other dogs will WELL before she is ready to mate.

When you do notice... keep her indoors and dont let her out of your sight unless she is locked in your house (not EVEN in the garden). It should go without saying that off lead walks, and walks in busy places where lots of other dogs go, are off the agenda when shes in season.

When shes had her first season, you could neuter her around 2/3 months after the season ends... or you can wait until after the second one. I prefer to wait for the ***** to mature myself.

If an accident occurs and you think even for a minute that a dog may have mated with her - off to the vets for the doggy version of the 'morning after pill'.. which can actually be given something like 35 DAYS after the event.
Bingles
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:11 pm
Location: Ireland

Post by Bingles »

Thankyou for the reply emmabeth.

That has helped me a lot. I was a bit worried about it tbh but not now. The main dog she will have contact with is my sis in laws dog Poppy and she is female so we should be ok there.

Whaen she does bleed will there be a lot of it?

I hope she don't go into season the same time as me or god love my partner lol

Thanks again for your help
danabanana
Posts: 203
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2007 9:21 am
Location: NE England

Post by danabanana »

Bingles - had my first experience with a ***** in season last year, until then I had no idea they bled! She kept herself pretty clean for most of the time but if she'd been sat/laid in one position for a while, e.g. when asleep, I would notice little bits of blood on the floor/mat. Not particularly messy though, easy enough to clean up.
Bingles
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:11 pm
Location: Ireland

Post by Bingles »

Thats good to know thanks danbanana, I won't worry too much about it then.

whats good too is we will just be moved into a new house and will still be decorating so I won't worry too much about the flooring at first. I hope the move don't distress her too much tho.
Maggie
Posts: 149
Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 6:33 am

Post by Maggie »

My Ethel was the first ***** we had ever had, and I knew about dogs but not bitches.
I knew they came into season twice a year, but had no clue how long it lasted and when it would start. I thought it would be around 1 year... oh how wrong I was. Ethel was 9 months old bless her, and I honestly wondered what the hell was going on when she started to swell. I went very overprotective and have to say would not take her out for fear of her getting males after her like mad. This was so wrong and after 3 days of her going potty for not being out on walkies, I caved and took herout. There was nothing to fear and I kept her on lead.
We have since had her spayed and she obviously doesnt get the seasons anymore. I waited till she was 2 and a half to have her done though, and she sailed through it.
Good luck with your girly... any chance of any pics? :D
Maggie Ethel eggcups, and Delboy
Owdb1tch
Posts: 262
Joined: Sun Dec 02, 2007 1:57 pm

Post by Owdb1tch »

The first season is not necessarily a marker for the ones that follow, just as a first period may be different from the later pattern with us, so if she does have a heavy first season, don't worry. Some dogs keep themselves very clean and others are slumbuckets. :lol:

After the season comes a perfectly normal development called the false pregnancy, where the *****'s nipples may swell and she might even come into milk, though they don't all do that. 63 days after the season ends she might behave as if she has had puppies and show nesting behaviour, maybe become shy and introverted, nurse a toy etc.

Just ignore it. It lasts about 3 weeks, some bitches never show much change, others show a lot. Only caveat is don't allow anyone especially children to invade her 'space' if she is nesting, as some bitches can prefer their own company at this time, which can be misunderstood as aggression. Think of it more as PMT! But children should not be put at risk, and if they push their luck, some bitches may snap. I stress that many do not change at all.
Find the cause, find the cure.




A dog is never 'bad' or 'naughty'. It is simply behaving like a dog.
thistledown
Posts: 118
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:31 am

Post by thistledown »

My ***** is not very messy at all. As danabanana says, the main mess is about a teaspoon of bloody discharge where she has been lying for a long time.

You could either wash the bedding more often, or what I do is put those picnic rugs (fleece one side, waterproof backing) on the furniture that she is likely to sleep on.

Apart from that it is rare to see a drip on the floor.

I'd echo what Owdb1tch says about guarding her 'nest' if she has a false pregnancy. Phantom pups (being phantom) are invisible to us but real to her and we don't want any children treading on them by mistake! It doesn't last long, if indeed she has a phantom at all. You will recognise it because she will be guarding socks and dusters in her basket and giving you the baleful eye. Mine has just done this once in nearly 7 years.
Bingles
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:11 pm
Location: Ireland

Post by Bingles »

Thankyou everone for your replys you have all helped grately in putting my mind at rest. I will just take it as it comes. After reading what you all have to say I don't think it will be half as scarey as I had in my mind. I can't thankyou enough :)
danabanana
Posts: 203
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2007 9:21 am
Location: NE England

Post by danabanana »

Bingles wrote:Thankyou everone for your replys you have all helped grately in putting my mind at rest. I will just take it as it comes. After reading what you all have to say I don't think it will be half as scarey as I had in my mind. I can't thankyou enough :)
No it's not scary! It will be fine, and pup is only 9 weeks isn't she so will be a while yet anyway x
Fab_lab
Posts: 45
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 5:32 pm

Post by Fab_lab »

My Lab was just over a year when she came into season , she was very good and she did not change in any way , she has a very sweet nature ..
I only let her have one season then I got her neutered as I did not want to breed from her .. It was hard keeping her in for 3/4 week , just playing in the back garden .. She loves her walk in the park and in the forest , but there was no way we where going !
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