Did my pregnancy start her cycle?

[kiarah]

So my Dutch Herder x Mali is about a year & 2 months old. We've been waiting for her to start her first heat cycle for about 4 months and she was showing signs around 2 months ago (puffy vulva mainly) but nothing else

I found out I was pregnant last Monday & that SAME week she started to bleed.

Everyone in our family is teasing and saying it's my fault (v inconvenient time as we're about to dog sit a 9month old lab for 4 weeks) and as much as I know they're not serious, I can't help but feel guilty!

Can anyone offer some advice as to weather this is possible or not?😂

No, it's purely a coincidence.

Is the lab a male? If so you can’t have it in your house.

Yes but we are going to house sit at his owners.

He has a big enough house that we can keep them separated at opposite ends, my partner just thinks that's a bit mean (🙄)

In my opinion we should cancel however it's absolutely too late. We've told the owner and will just have to keep one crated whilst the other is out really

You may find the boy gets distressed and they are likely to do their utmost to get together at the time she’s most fertile. And you may find as it’s her first season that it’s very very messy. Unless you cover them you’re likely to wreck all soft furnishings and carpet. Can’t one of you go and housesit and leqve the other at home with her.

Can't split it as I work full time and won't be able to stay home - could possibly look into wfh but I know my manager would not like that at all

Quite lucky in that the house is either tiles or hardwood, the only area that is carpeted is the bedroom which has a dark carpet (will do a deep clean weekly anyway)

She's started bleeding an so far has either cleaned herself or got any mess on her own blankets.

We will try diapers this week - thinking if she gets on okay with them in short bursts that they might help stop make pup from being able to actually enter her?

Absolutely no to diapers. It won’t stop him and will increase the risk of infection. You must keep them entirely separate at all times.

It will be hard work!
The male dog will be desperate to get to your female dog, he might scratch at the doors, first chance he gets he will run to her.
Her season will be messy, my dog has hers now and I wouldn’t be anywhere other than home. I am constantly cleaning up after her.

Just an update

It honestly has not been that bad!

They have obviously been very interested in one another and our bitch has suddenly lost the ability to listen to instructions HOWEVER once we get the food/treats out - they're as good as gold.

Over the last week he has lost interest somewhat and taken to humping his bed when things get too much for him (has only tried to mount her 3 times)

We haven't left them alone at all but they do well being separated- currently have the bitch asleep in the living room and the male in the kitchen. The addition of baby gates to the house has been very helpful and neither dog has jumped these to get to the other.

We have also taken her to our local park and had no issues with other dogs; off lead or otherwise. We can't walk them together at the moment but all things considered it hasn't been the consistent f*ckfest we feared it would be.

I appreciate we're VERY lucky with both dogs being so obedient and food driven and we will most likely get her spayed after this season

Thank you all for your advice!

Please don’t walk a bitch in season near off lead dogs or let her near an unspayed male. It’ll be ok. Until it isn’t.