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From first signs of blood, swelling etc I keep my female away from other males for about 28 days. A heat will usually last 21 days, I do the other 7 as a precaution in case I was off by a day or two.

I do not use diapers, but my girls are really clean, I rarely see any blood at all on anything. If they are going to be laying for a while in the house, I make them stay on a blanket. At night, they are crated.

Dogs do not have to tie in order for a female to get pregnant - so 1 thrust with penetration from the male can technically result in an unplanned litter - so if you are not wanting that, she needs to be away from any males, unless neutered, until her heat is completely done.

Some females ovulate as early as day 3, some as late as day 20, so just to be safe, complete separation the whole time!

ok thanks, yes better safe than sorry. wow I didn't know it lasted so long, how annoying, I may rethink spaying her, was thinking maybe not at all due to our last dog basically dying from cancer from a bad spay and having issues her whole life...I know this is rare but it seems like a bigger hassle than I am in for, especially twice a year. Maybe when shes 2 we will go ahead! I am uber responsible and cautious so its my paranoia that adds to me wanting to spay her as well lol.

The dog park we go to isn't the typical fenced in field its an entire forest and paths through forests and along the ocean. We meet dogs in passing but she usually just plays with my friends dalmation and rat terrier.

Thanks again

On Amber's heats she tends to need to pee more, on her first one she swelled quite a bit down there. I can uusually tell when a heats coming just by the increased bathroom need.

3 wks-4 wks for heat. She will be most receptive toward the end. She will be more loving toward you, attention seeking. She will pee more. If you have another dog, a female, the other dog may mount her. She will lick herself quite a bit. Bleed most in the first 2 wks--after which the discharge will become more creamy. Her vulva will swell. Her nipples will become larger than they were before she came into heat.
You must keep her in a well fenced yard or on a leash. I would not let her outside unsupervised.
It would be folly to think that you could "knock off" an experienced male, you may not be able to.
You need to keep her away from any fellas. Also, fellas may appear around your property. Any stray males will follow you if you walk her on a leash.
10-14 days after you first notice blood would be the time to breed her, if you wanted pups.

"You must keep her in a well fenced yard or on a leash. I would not let her outside unsupervised. ... It would be folly to think that you could "knock off" an experienced male, you may not be able to. ... You need to keep her away from any fellas. Also, fellas may appear around your property. Any stray males will follow you if you walk her on a leash. "


Dr. Betty's post is perfect.

I know it sounds funny .... but truly, you must protect her 100% from contact with those fellas.

That means (IMO) completely avoiding any contact with any males.

Ditto with Betty's post. Taking this dog outside your own fenced yard when she's in season is a disaster in waiting.
Dogs in a pack could possible even take you down in order to get to her. They will dig, climb, do whatever it takes to get to her. They may never have climbed a fence or dug a hole but this will trigger them to d whatever it takes. Don't even leave her unattended in your own yard at this time. The female herself will get to a point in her cycle that she may even go over a fence or dig out even if she's never shown an inclination to do so.
I'm not a huge fan of spay/neuter. I've only done it a couple of time over my many yrs with dog. It's a SERIOUS, HUGE responsibility if you don't do it so if you make that choice not to then be responsible and ready for anything.

Cat;
By the time she is 2yo, you will have figured out whether or not the risks of neutering outweigh the benefits. You will have been through two or three heat cycles by then. You will know what to expect, and whether or not you can live with a bitch in heat. No need to rush a decision. You have your hands full now, and you are trying to figure out what to expect.

Every dog is different. Within individual dogs, heat may not always be the same. Niomi and I both have (or have had) regular females. However, hers are predictably clean, while mine is a huge, sloppy, disgusting mess. She even gets it on the walls. You asked about the diapers. They are a must for me.

TIP: I made the mistake of overpaying for something that I could fashion myself, and the disposable pads were actually generic maxi pads that I now get for 1/5th of what I paid for them in a pet superstore.

My dog undergoes many of the physiological differences that Betty described, but not all of them. The biggest difference we see is change in activities and activity level. While IPO trials make provisions for bitches in heat, my dog would not be at her most competitive. She is softer and not as sharp, and her drives wax and wane. I don't attend training after she blows her coat, not only for her protection, but also not to disturb the training of the other dogs at the club.

When your dog is in heat, she is a huge gamete just waiting to explode. If you allow her any sort of contact with any male, you will soon find yourself trying to figure out how to care for a pregnant dog (and then a litter). You will also learn how hard it is to get rid of crossbred mutt babies.

The dog I had just previous to my current two was an intact female, until the age of seven, when she got pyometra and had to have an emergency spay.

She was a big dog and her heat cycles were very messy. Not because she didn't attempt to keep herself clean, but she flowed so heavily that if she fell asleep for any length of time, there would be a big glob of blood wherever she lay. So there was no question she had to wear the panties.

If you decide to go that route, introduce them in a positive way and give her plenty of time to get used to them. My dog never batted an eyelash and just accepted them right off the bat, but I know other dogs aren't so keen about it. You'll probably want at least two pair so you always have a clean one. I used human-style panty liners in them, two side by side for the worst days. But I would suggest watching her carefully until you know how she does with the panties. I came home a couple times to find my dog still had her panties on but had eaten the panty liners out from the inside.

Apologies to all for being so graphic, but, hey, Cat says she has never dealt with this before, so I'm just trying to be helpful and provide her with all the information she may need to take care of her girl.

Oh, and ditto on keeping an eagle eye on her anytime she is outside of your house, and absolutely zero contact with any males!!!

 Quote: Cheri Grissom

But I would suggest watching her carefully until you know how she does with the panties. I came home a couple times to find my dog still had her panties on but had eaten the panty liners out from the inside.

IKR

Sadie is fine with them, but if they are pinching or irritating, she will worry them. She has also pulled out a pad or two. I don't leave her for long with them on. If I have to be gone all day, I crate her with a towel over her bedding.