Is it common for bitches to go a bit squirrely when they come into season?

[Slubberdegullion]

Not sure what is going on with my dog who is normally in status chillax.

This is her first season (started on sat) and she is behaving most oddly.

Pacing about, crying when I leave the room, jumpy (she freaked out when she came into the sitting room and I'd left a cd player with a blanket on the top on the floor), constantly asking to go out and several accidents of both varieties on the floor.

Please tell me this will pass. This is the dog who a few months ago had a little snooze while the builders smashed down a wall in the next room.

Oh and could someone remind me of the danger-danger timings. Is it when she STOPS bleeding that I have to be super vigilant, and how long for?

My bitches can go a bit "off" when in season but I am not sure that they have shown such extreme symptons as your has.

I am always super vigilant for the whole season! Not worth taking the risk.

Is walking on the lead in not highly dog populated areas OK?

I walk my dogs on lead when in season - I know that some people don't take their dogs out at all. I do and like you walk in not highly populated areas. I am lucky as I can walk on private land.

Oh that is lucky.

We did pass another dog today and I just marched her past smartish.

My mother says I should be taking a big stick with me .

slubber sorry to have to ask such a personal question but any chance you are pregnant? This is what my bitch was like during my first pregnancy before she was neutered. This time round she is still very twitchy but not half as bad.

WHAT??? Like dolphins can sense pregnancies?

I pray to all the gods in heaven that I'm not. No I'm not. I'm absolutely not. No way.

The hormones have sent the dog crazy. Let's stick to that hypothesis.

Sorry slubber but she picks up the scent of pregnant women somehow she even did it with a friend who had 3 failed ivf attempts and then suddenly found she was pregnant. She hadn't told anyone at this point but my dog wouldnt leave her side when she visited - a couple of weeks later she told me she was pregnant!

Before she was neutered ( my dog not my friend) and I was pregnant the first time she was doolally when in season - made a nest bed from our duvet, made one of her toys her "baby" and wouldn't let anyone except me near her. This time she won't leave my side and is a lot more protective of me and anxious when I am not in sight.

I would just treat her very matter of factly when she is like this and not worry too much. I've never had pacing about, but I have had accidents during seasons, particularly first ones. There's always the chance of a UTI around the time of a season, so just keep an eye on her.

Seasons generally last 3 weeks ish and a bitch can ovulate any time during that. I am usually careful for about 4 weeks from the start of the season, just in case. Better safe than sorry!

I don't walk my girls now when in season as we have too many off lead and un-neutered male dogs about. However, before we lived here I was also lucky enough to have access to private land and did walk then then. I would be very careful walking her when in season, male dogs can attracted from afar and be very forceful and if a very keen male approached you might not be able to seperate them and your bitch could be upset or injured. I don't like them, but I'd probably suggest the use of 'season pants' (from PAH) during walks, just to give her extra protection.

my dog is having her first heat too - she is very up and down yest she just wanted to sleep - but today she is hyper even after a walk - she has been urinating more too and having more accidents. I'll be glad when its all over !

MrsSnaplegs - your dog has a special gift

Thanks for the information midori. I guess I'll stop the walks for now as I can't guarrantee all the dogs we meet will be on lead and I don't want anything to happen to her. What do you do with them if you take take them out? Lots of indoor training?

Trifle it's a pain isn't it. I'm so glad this will be her last as well as her first season. 3 poos and 3 wees on the floor last night

if you can't take them out that should say

As far as I can remember they are most receptive from around 10-15 days, but obviously you need to be careful all the time! Ours always goes a little funny, she spends more time tucked up in bed and is less sociable. She is going to be spayed next week as she's just had a false pregnancy so that's going to be a thing of the past soon.

Lots and lots of playing and games in the garden, hide their dinner for them to find, play hide and seek with toys around the house, lots of training etc to keep them occupied.

It's not ideal, but they don't seem to mind or get cabin fever or anything and I prefer not to take the risk with them.

Frosty I wish mine would retreat to her bed. I can hear her pacing about downstairs behind the stair gate

I've just worked out we won't be able to do our lovely long Christmas day and Boxing Day walks by the river with her . Bugger bugger bugger

right I'll get off mn and go and have a good game of tug with her

Am late to the thread but wanted to say that Plog went a bit funny during her season but not too bad. The problem we had was after she was spayed a few months later. Total and complete nightmare with us having to get up and let her out several times a night for about 6 weeks. She was all over the place bless her. It did sort itself out thank goodness and she's back to her old self. Hang in there and keep telling yourself it's a one time only deal.

hiya Wynken

Oh no! Don't tell me post spaying horror stories. Glad to hear plog is back to normal though.

Things a bit better today as I was able to wear her out in my parents' garden with a tennis ball.

I think the post spay bit is pretty unique to Plog and that Elsie is having her hormonal moment now. The scent cone thingies were good for wearing out during house confinement. In fact seeing as training is mentally tiring, this is where you can Clicker train her to do helpful things like unload the washing machine. I think I might have missed a trick with that !

Please can I ask a really silly question. I really, genuinely don't know the answer as I don't have a dog.

How often are dogs is season? Is it the same as us ie. a monthly thing, or more like a yearly thing.

See, I told you I didn't know about dogs!

Little fish I think it's about a twice yearly thing, but that might depend on the breed.

Wynken, yes the clicker came out in full force yesterday. Tired to get 'stand' back again with varying degrees of success. Do have a tennis ball retrieve straight into the open hand (while I lay on the sofa) now though

Not a silly question, I had to find this out when we got ours ! It is roughly every 6 months once they have had their first one.

Thank you Slubber and Wynken. I am now informed.

I asked the same question on a thread about 6 months ago as I've always wondered, but no one replied.

Next questions. How long are dogs in season for? Do they have a period thing, or just give off lots of feramones/hormones?

That's good training, might have to try that

I need to do something with Plog as she has a horrendous cough and hasn't been out for 10 days, energy is beginning to build so I figure she is improving.

She was playing with DS just now and apparently bit him on the nose. The morning started with DH tripping over DS's cat on the toilet floor and found he was dead. We are not having a good animal day.

Um, I've forgotten. it goes something like their bits swell up, bleeding for a week or two, then the receptive phase. Sorry, I know that is vague, Slubber will know being in the middle of it !