Would it be obvious if my puppy was in heat?

[FuckingHateRats]

Please be gentle - I feel really stupid and am worrying incessantly.

Our pup coming up for 6m. She is currently 25 weeks old.

She has a darker patch of stained fur near her bits - not red, but considerably darker than the rest of the fur. She is definitely not leaving blood anywhere - we have white sheets and her bed is pale, and she's in both enough that we'd notice.

Today a dog tried to mount her. I mentioned this to my husband and he said a dog did similar last week. I've googled and it does say that dogs engage in mounting/humping even when not in season, but I'm now worried she's giving off pheromones as it's been a couple of dogs.

I (very naively) thought that bitches had their first season later than this because our vet told us to get her spayed 'before her first season, any time after six months'.

I'm now panicking that maybe she's in season after all and we've been grossly irresponsible having her off socialising with other dogs.

I have an appt at the vet at 5.15pm (for weighing/fleas and worming) and will ask them too, but I would appreciate some seasoned owners' experiences.

Often there will be extra interest from male dogs a couple of weeks before they come into heat. So it may be that it is near. When she's in season it should be fairly obvious from the size of her vulva and evidence of bleeding. First heat at 6 months is certainly possible age wise.

It sounds as though she will be in heat (and fertile) very soon. Dogs know. You have to be really careful now until she is spayed. She physically could get pregnant, despite being a puppy herself, and dogs can be absolutely single-minded in their pursuit of a fertile bitch. Some bitches will actively try to escape to mate as well.

What breed is she? Some small breeds have their first seasons very early.

I think you need to keep her at home until she's seen a vet.

Her vulva will be quite swollen. Does she have a faint smell as well? Sometimes they absolutely stink, once you smell it you know but then other times they can just have a faint odour about them. Don't let her mix with any other dogs until your 100% sure either way. And yes dogs do like to hump anyway to be honest, some more than others, male and female

Honestly I felt just the same….would I be able to tell? And then one day I looked and she had the bottom of a baboon, it was really REALLY obvious, and I felt a bit silly! But that extra male interest is probably telling you the baboon bottom is close….

www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/pet-health-hub/conditions/seasons-in-dogs

My mates Patterdale had her first season at 6 months old