# Puppy's 1st heat cycle



## willidru (Dec 27, 2013)

I have a 6.5 month old BLF. I expect that any time in the next few months she could go into her 1st heat cycle. I don't have alot of experience with this so I'm looking for some advice. From some research I have done, I understand the 1st cycle starts between 6-12 months of age, it will last 21 days, happens every 4-6 months after that and they can only get pregnant during a 4-5 day fertile period within the cycle. 

So I definitely do not want her to get pregnant. Vet said if I am going to spay to wait until after the 1st heat cycle. She lives mostly outside in a fenced yard (understand that may not be enough). What do you do to keep your females from getting pregnant? Keep locked up for 21 days? Its summer and we have a couple camping trips she will come on with us and I'm not sure what the best way to keep my little girl a virgin is .


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## mwk56 (May 12, 2009)

Well, she may not come into heat until she is a year old. I tell my puppy buyers not to spay until the pup is at least 12-14 months old because this is when they are physically mature. If you spay too early, you can affect how she grows.

Yes if she lives in a fenced yard, you will need to keep her locked up for the whole heat cycle, which could be up to 28 days. It is messy too, so taking her camping while she is in heat will be messy and crazy because you can attract male dogs from all over the place. If I were you and she came into heat before heading off on one of your trips, I would board her with your veterinarian until your trip is over, then keep her under wraps at home. Most boarding kennels will not take a bitch in heat for liability reasons.

Meredith


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## Karen Klotthor (Jul 21, 2011)

For your camping trips, you can buy the panties and pad for the females in heat. Helps with the mess. My girl is in the house all the time so I do not have to worry but keeping if you are keeping her outside, you will need to lock her up.


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## windycanyon (Dec 21, 2007)

She may not come into season until after 18 mos too.  Just keep an eye on her vulva, and when it starts to swell, keep an even closer eye on it. Go buy some chlorophyll from the health food store as that will help w/ knocking down the odor, but yes, be sure to keep her confined once in and don't get tricked at ~10-14 days when you don't see red... she's likely going to be at her peak breeding at that point.


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## dogluvah (Apr 24, 2012)

I think the biggest thing for someone new to female dogs is to know that they cycle very differently than humans. If humans don't get pregnant hormones that would maintain pregnancy drop right off. The canine hormone cycle is the same whether pregnancy is achieved or not. That is why false pregnancies are so common.The age of first cycle does vary greatly, as the above postings reflect, with very fit atheletic ones generally coming in later in my limited experience. Your girl is most at risk once the bleeding stops, but hard to predict exactly when she ovulates just by appearances. So best to "protect" her during entire cycle. Also, she will not be her usual self emotionally. Mine was so confused the very first time, she had no idea what was wrong with herself and moped around looking quite pitiful. She still gets clingy and needy, then kinda "spacey" for a while. They all differ some, but this seems average. About 3 months later she will "blow her coat" and may look quite awful. I think 6-7 months between cycles is more norm than 4 mos. Goodluck, if you can wait till she is at least 12 months before spaying you will see the most normal skeletal growth possible.


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## willidru (Dec 27, 2013)

windycanyon said:


> She may not come into season until after 18 mos too.  Just keep an eye on her vulva, and when it starts to swell, keep an even closer eye on it. Go buy some chlorophyll from the health food store as that will help w/ knocking down the odor, but yes, be sure to keep her confined once in and don't get tricked at ~10-14 days when you don't see red... she's likely going to be at her peak breeding at that point.


What do I do with chlorophyll? She is almost a year exactly swelling is here and some bleeding has started. Of course it's the day my wife heads out of town and she's home alone in the yard.


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## Rainmaker (Feb 27, 2005)

Do not leave her outside unless you are standing there with her. Do not kennel her outside. Keep her in the house for the next month, crated if you have to, but do not leave her outside unattended for any time or any reason. Better safe than sorry.


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## Karen Klotthor (Jul 21, 2011)

Rainmaker said:


> Do not leave her outside unless you are standing there with her. Do not kennel her outside. Keep her in the house for the next month, crated if you have to, but do not leave her outside unattended for any time or any reason. Better safe than sorry.


+100. Always watch her. If having her in the house is an issue due to carpet or wood floors, buy the panties and pad for this.


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## swampcollielover (Nov 30, 2012)

If you leave her unattended you will come home to a pregnant dog, and she may not even be home anymore. these dogs will do anything to get it done, so assume she will run off if given the chance and male dogs will get to her in anyway they can, so take all precautions.


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## Julie R. (Jan 13, 2003)

Never underestimate the ingenuity of a male to get to a female in season! We had a male dog break into our house once many years ago when I lived in town and had 2 females in season shut in the kitchen. Fortunately we were home (the male tore through a screen door). And when the female is ready to be bred, she can be as ambitious as the males to get out and go whoring around. If you are planning to breed, you get the progesterone tests to time when she's ready to be bred, because it differs for each female but typically is the middle part, or days 10-14 of her cycle, what is called "standing heat" because this is when she will stand for the male. Unfortunately however, she smells attractive to the males during her entire cycle and without the progesterone tests there's no way to know when she's fertile so as others have suggested, keep her crated inside for the duration and always go with her and air her on lead.


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## wastinshells (Jun 23, 2014)

Anything to cut down down on the mess? I rent a house.......

Also, can she be trained during this time? or will she even want to?


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## ks_hunting (Dec 10, 2013)

I have a very similar dog by age. She is currently finishing her heat cycle and turns 1 year old next week. She was fertile from 6 to 2 days ago. She spent the entire 4 days either in a crate or within my sight.

For the record, the male dogs in the area will let you know when she's fertile. Sweet mercy... they'll let you know.

If you want a more precise way to tell when she's fertile and absolutely cannot be trusted, you can use a doggy diaper with a pad in it. When there's red blood, you're in the clear, but when it's a brown/yellow fluid... lock and key. The order is supposed to be a week-10 days bleeding, then several days fertile, then week-10 days bleeding.

Best of luck!


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## windycanyon (Dec 21, 2007)

willidru said:


> What do I do with chlorophyll? She is almost a year exactly swelling is here and some bleeding has started. Of course it's the day my wife heads out of town and she's home alone in the yard.



Give her a capsule in her food at least 1x a day.


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## willidru (Dec 27, 2013)

Day 17, how do I know that it's over? Took advice and she's been in the/garage definitely looking toward to getting her back outside.


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## T-Pines (Apr 17, 2007)

Not over yet. If discharge is getting lighter and more pink then she could be bred now, but we do not know because no progesterone test. You do not want puppies so please keep her inside for 10 more days, especially since you can not watch her all the time. You might be safe with 7 days, but again why risk it.


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## windycanyon (Dec 21, 2007)

The vulva is probably pretty swollen and soft to the feel right now. When she's out, it'll be reduced in size and firm again. Will likely be larger than originally however, and of course the discharge will have stopped.


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## willidru (Dec 27, 2013)

Thanks guys not looking to have grad puppies yet


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## weathered (Mar 17, 2011)

Put a dog diaper on her. I've found Drs Foster and Smith to fit my Labs well; size medium I think. Buy women's sanitary pads with wings (helps keep them in place) to line them and change pad at least 2x day. She probably won't like them at first so give a treat and praise. Females can breed up into 20+ days from the first sign of blood. So to be safe, keep her under lock and key for 4 weeks. (One of my females ovulates at day 21-23.). Don't think your fenced in yard will do for safe keepings while you aren't home or aren't watching - it is likely won't. 

I wouldn't take her camping, unless she can stay in a camper/RV. Who knows what she would attract if outdoors in a tent.


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## miketuggle (Aug 21, 2014)

*Counting the days alone, and trusting? Don't!!!*

This thread brings back so many memories. My folks bred poodles so I thought I knew everything.... Not!!! 

My first experience with "retrievers" came 40 years ago when my 35 pound mixed-breed "shepherdoodle" and I were out for her potty break. After carefully monitoring her for three weeks, and now,thinking she was "safe" I unhooked her lead. A minute later, after a "yip" at the far end of the apartment parking lot, she was off and away like the wind!

Fourteen hours later I got a call from someone 4 miles away.... I went and picked he up.

Sixty-three days later, she delivered 8 pups (weighing 8 pounds -- the first one, "Moose" weighed almost 2 pounds). One of the 'several' sires was a Golden that lived a couple of blocks away -- we kept that pup and having a lot of "fun" with him, my serious retriever experiences began eight years later with our first Topbrass GRF.

Bottom line.... "Be VERY careful" guessing that the heat and breeding time is done!


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## Shelley (Nov 16, 2014)

Since I have a girl that is ready to breed, confirmed by progesterone testing, by day 7 of her heat cycle, and another that bred as late as day 24... I would suggest considering the full 28 days as a fertile time and do not take your eyes off her unless she is safely tucked away in a sturdy crate in the house, with no intact males in the house. These girls do not read the books regarding their times to breed being at day 10-15, or after they stop bleeding, the discharge changes to straw color, flagging, etc... The only way to know for sure is to progesterone test. 

A quick and easy bitch pant is a pair of little boys "tighty whities" in an appropriate size, and just pull her tail through the fly opening. 

Some girls can be a little spacey and emotional during this time, so I lay off training for a few weeks, plus if you are field training, you won't want to subject males to her in season, especially when she is off leash. It's too distracting for everyone.


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