How to tell if a puppy is coming on heat?

[DoctorVanilla]

We had family dogs when I was younger so I remember the swollen bulbs and bloody discharge days.

I have a 4 month old cockerpoo and in the past few days a lot of dogs have taken a sudden interest in her in the dog walks. It was unnerving today as one dog rolled her (my puppy) over and sniffed her vulva. This was quite an aggressive dog and once it bares its teeth and lunges for her neck i grabbed her and carried her off

My puppy is only 19 weeks/ 4 months - she can’t be coming into season already, can she?

Puppy has been let off the lead in a secure loose dog walking area. It would be very sad to have to put her back in the lead for the next few months, just in case.

Will the veterinary nurse be able to tell if she’s coming in heat or should I book an appointment with the vet?

Yes, I will spray her ASAP - the vet recommends after her first season.

Thanks

She could be: not usual, but possible.

Is she peeing more than normal when out on walks? Any sign of a swollen vulva? Any discharge? If the answers are no, no and no, it's unlikely to be an imminent season but if you are concerned (and don't want an unplanned mating!) see your vet.

An intact male interested in your bitch is unlikely to roll her over: that sounds like dominance. Interested dogs normally look very optimistic and have a good but polite sniff.

Seasons take about 21 days - my bitch's last one was I think 19 or 20 days from first discharge to no discharge and intact male dogs no longer interested - so you shouldn't need to have her on the lead for more than three weeks.

That’s great to hear, thanks grumpy!

And yes, the answers have been no, no and no.

Considering her age and the lack of visible signs I'd probably say it's unlikely - but do read up on silent heats. My bitch's first season was a silent one, we never knew until a checkup at the vets, they said that she must have gone through one as her vulva was no longer juvenile and she had developed dugs. If you are worried that she is going through a silent heat, the vet can run hormone tests.

Thanks for your replies (and apologies for the typos in the OP). We took her back for a walk - DH was on hand to provide a swift pair of rescue hands if necessary - and the other dogs were fine with her. They played but showed no mating interest. This is very reassuring. We also saw the dog from the original post having a fight with a black lab so I think it’s this particular dog which I need to avoid in future.

I will continue to watch out for the signs, though - many thanks and much appreciated