9 month old first season, advice please

[Pirate2022]

Hi, I have a 9 month old border collie/Labrador. She started her season yesterday (bleeding) and I’m looking for some advice please.

She doesn’t seem too affected the last 24 hours but has defiantly been a little challenging listening and coming back on recall leading up to this and I put that down to her age. She did always come back but just in her own time after 3 attempts at recall and was quick to approach dogs to play. She did get sent home from daycare on the 20th December as a lot of males dogs were interested in her they said and thought she could be about to start heat. She has generally one daily walk about 40 mins where part way through there is a field we can play fetch with and she’s content with that. Seems content with that and usually is sleepy if an evening from 7pm with naps through the day. I work from home so she has plenty of access to the garden.

I’m looking for some advice on walking her now and exercise ideally. Appreciate off lead is a no go. I am looking to go out this evening (however her routine is usually to be sleepy if an evening) and try early mornings and walks on pavements only to mitigate seeing other dogs as much. I have booked two sessions in an agility field for 30 mins this week also to try and allow her to burn off some energy. Will up any interactive game and give her a daily kong. I haven’t purchased any doggy diapers however ha en’t let her in the living room but she has the kitchen, utility room and a small living room which is tiled and with a sofa she sleeps on (her room) so is in her usual surroundings but not the front living room.

Any advice on anything else to expect and how to help her through? She seems fairly normal and I’m just concerned about her usual free run of exercise mainly.

Anyone have any hints or tips please?

The lack of off lead exercise is a PITA. But you can do training and brain games. Feed meals differently. Scatter feed or puzzle feeder etc.
Avoid diapers. They could encourage infection and bitches like to keep them self clean.
We didn’t stop our girls going anywhere we used old towels to protect surfaces.
Make a note of the date so you can watch out in another 6 months unless she’s spayed by then. Meanwhile watch out for any signs of pyometra.

My border collie girl had her first heat with 8 month.She was not interested at all in boys,but the boys were intersted.she had a good recall and I was able to let her off lead when I could see her all the time.as soon as I saw a dog approaching,I put her on lead.She was on heat for a full month! She is spayed now and I am so relieved she has her freedom.I think you doing well with hiring a field where she can run.Iwould work a bit on the recall.Having to call 3 times is not ideal,she should really come to you with the first call.

Hi thanks both. Agree with her recall, she was perfect and then she just seemed to infinite us in lieu of playing with a dog then came running over all excited. I have only kept her out the living room today and we don’t go in it during the day a lot really as I am working upstairs but she defiantly isn’t happy. I have bight a couple of extra towels today so might use those. There is a tv and sofa in her room so I think for tonight I will sit with her in there. Great suggestion on the scatter feeding, on the puzzles she has she does them really quickly so they don’t take up too much time. I read something about a garden treasure hunt so may set that up.

@Thatldo a month is so long, I have read this though. Was that full on bleeding too? She’s such a friendly dog that she’ll flirt with any dog really so not sure I would see a difference!

Yes, a month is extremly long.All my other girl collies over the years were never that long on heat.the bleeding was drip drip drip on some days and other days almost nothing.your girls sounds lovely.my collie is a bit on the nervous side or just a typical collie.I think sometimes we project our feelings into our dog.it sounds to me you are doing the very best for your girl on heat,she will soon be back to "normal".

We gave ours snuffle mats and treats hidden in newspaper or egg boxes. She was quite grumpy and tired though, doing the dog equivalent of lying on the sofa in her fat pants watching crap telly drinking wine and eating chocolate. So wasn’t that fussed about exercise. We had to get medicine to stop her milk so keep an eye on that.

We also took her soft squeaky toys away as that seemed to be distressing her.

We walked her on lead in not very doggy places.

Mine bled for 2 weeks never full on blood flow just would notice a few drops of blood on the carpet if she'd been laying down in one spot for a while. Her bed is black so we never saw it on that. She was very very swollen and a bit grumpy and off her food for the first week. We didn't use nappies, I did put a puppy pad down on the carpet but she just ripped it up and so I put an old towel down instead.

Like you, a few weeks before the heat she also had a lot of male dog interest so I was on alert waiting for signs!

We did pavement walks twice a day in boring areas where we wouldn't meet many dogs and if we saw one I crossed over or changed direction to avoid them. We did this for 4 weeks bless her no off lead time except in the garden! She was fine though but we had to go back to basics with recall after that as first time I let her off after so long she went crazy zooming everywhere!

Our nearly 9 month old is just about start week 4 of her heat. She started bleeding on 21st December. She has stopped bleeding now but she is still very swollen and male intact dogs are still very interested in her.

We used towels for her to lie on but on the whole she has been pretty good at keeping herself clean.

We have only done on lead walking. Bit of a pain but her lead walking is now the best it has ever been.

We're hopefully coming to the end of it soon and will book her spay in about 3 months.

Weve found in our girls seasons she was generally so sleepy the reduced exercise didn't bother her, we went out early in the morning but if wed have tried at night she would have refused to come with us! During the first she really went off her food, not so much with the second.

I love hearing the other stories of dogs especially the ‘lying on the sofa in fat pants’ part. We have just done a nighttime walk and she needs some reinforcement on lunging at cars (can be a collie trait) so actually it’s a good training opportunity as it’s quiet. She was really good actually and calm. We don’t usually walk at the night because she loves sleeping around now and cuddling.

I’ll watch out for the phantom pregnancy issue, not sure how I spot milk etc maybe just keep and eye on her. She’s been a bit wingey crying here and there so I’m not sure if she’s in a bit of pain or just unsettled.

Great idea on the mat I’ve not bought one so may do some activities like that with paper and cardboard and treasure hunts.

Phantom wise mine didn’t get milk. She just went off her food. It was when puppies would have been due if she had been mated. No chance of that!!!!!

Aww it’s sad they go through that isn’t it. Not sure if there is a way to avoid it but I’ll just watch her.

They don’t all. If you spay of course they won’t ever!

Yeah I just meant for those that do. I’ll book her in after 3 months from when it stops but want her to have her first one as was advised by a trainer to do so.