What to expect in first heat?

[mmbrod02]

I was just told that one of Scarlett's litter mates came into heat this morning. Scarlett will be 8 months old tomorrow and the breeder thinks it will still be a little while before she comes into heat. Are there any signs I should be looking for? I take Scarlett to dog parks and plan to take her to the beach and I certainly do not want to have her there if she is going to come into heat! Also are there any specific products anyone recommends for females in heat? Do you generally use reusable diapers? Any advice anyone has would be great. Scarlett is my first female dog and my first newf so I have no experience in this area. Thanks.

 

[miriamstolle]

I went the cheap route, and used men's boxers turned backwards. I also kept my bear inside at all times, on a leash, and suffered through a month of puppy cabin fever because we opted for indoor play as opposed to walks. I wanted to take her out, but the thought of a pregnant dog cured me of that desire. I cleaned her girls parts with baby wipes, and a gentle hose rinsing. If you don't clean her up, then a lovely (by that I mean revolting) smell will probably develop in the hind quarters area. My girl also acted moody, and if she saw another dog she was nervous as opposed to her usual happy go lucky self.

 

[BlackLightning]

It can vary from bitch to bitch. The first thing I noticed was Ayasha paying her lady parts a lot more attention. Lots of licking. Then vulva swelling, etc. A change in mood and appetite are also common. I couldn't believe my girl. She turned into a total tramp!! Seriously! People always talk about how desparate males will be to get at your bitch, but never under estimate how badly she will want to get to them too!

I also used boxers - worked well.

 

[R Taft]

It can vary from bitch to bitch. The first thing I noticed was Ayasha paying her lady parts a lot more attention. Lots of licking. Then vulva swelling, etc. A change in mood and appetite are also common. I couldn't believe my girl. She turned into a total tramp!! Seriously! People always talk about how desparate males will be to get at your bitch, but never under estimate how badly she will want to get to them too!

I also used boxers - worked well.

yep I will have to agree..Katy was a trollop .....But she was very clean, she was always cleaning herself, so no nappy's for her. We also have an entire male.that is quite a challenge

 

[mmbrod02]

Thank you. There have been no changes in Scarlett yet and her vulva is not swollen so I don't have to worry yet. She is going to the beach today and I absolutely do not want to put her at risk for another dog getting at her, but I also do not want to keep her cooped up for no reason. I will keep my eye on her and I am hoping that she makes it through the summer without going into heat.

 

[shellyk]

Licking, swelling and then very aggressive behavior with our other neutered dog. Her hormonal behavior even set him off. She is in the 3rd week of her heat and all that is slowly subsiding. It hasn't been as bad as I feared. We have even gotten used to having no doggie door and no accidents :kgo_027:.

 

[ShelbysMomma]

Good luck with it .... I'm not looking forward to going through it with Shelby Mae. I will be doing the boxers trick though.

 

[NewfMom]

Katala adopted one of her balls as her "baby" and cuddled with it. She didn't want to leave it even to go out. We had to hold it for her so she would go potty.

She also was not really messy. We just put briefs on her and it was enough.