# How to Prepare for First Heat?



## Effisia (Jun 20, 2013)

Hi everyone!

This is VERY early in the game since our pup is only 4 months old, but I like being prepared (I researched dogs and food and breeds for a long time before we got Annabel.)

First of all, we are NOT planning on breeding her. Ever. No. Not going to happen, that's not why she isn't spayed. I've done a lot of reading and talked to her breeder and I just feel that it's better to wait, being a huge breed, until she's done growing before we have her spayed.

That said, is there any advice anyone can give on dealing with a dog's heat cycle? Any particular challenges I should be aware of? We have a fenced in yard and when she does go into heat we'll keep her confined to our property and always on leash. 

I guess I just want to know everything possible well in advance of going through this with her, so any help and guidance is appreciated.

Thanks!


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## Cailin (May 2, 2012)

I'm also curious as to what people are going to say about this. Reina was about 5 or 6 years old when my parents got her fixed. We never bred her or anything like that. Most people have doggy panties for when that time comes, but Reina never had heavy periods and she used to lick it (I know it's disgusting) so it was hard telling... except for the fact that she was a total... well... let's just say she was easy. 
I've heard that male dogs can smell it in their urine from very far and so I'd say, try having her go somewhere that's not in the borders of your property. Other than that... I have nothing. Just... good luck to us both when the time comes.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

Some dogs are really clean and you do not even see any mess from them. My sister was going to get her Rat Terrier spayed when she was 6 months old but a week before she had her booked in, she came in season. She had no problem confining her and planned on getting her spayed in about three months but three months later she is back in season again. This time she is going to get her done a month after her season. They do have to crate her at night as she usually slept with them and keep her off the carpet and furniture but never had any problem with male dogs coming around.


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## Emily1188 (Jun 21, 2011)

It's not as big of a deal as people often make it seem if you are already a responsible owner.  Someone from another forum had a quote in her blog... "It's a heat cycle, not a hurricane." 

I allow my girl in season off leash in my fenced yard; it's a secure fence, we don't have roaming dogs, and she would be very hostile to any dog trying to enter anyway, so that is not a big deal to me. If your situation is different then that might change. However, I am ALWAYS outside with her when she is in season. If you have lots of roaming dogs you may want to arm yourself with some deterrents and restrict her to the center of your property. Her urine will be very attractive. And, it is totally normal for her to begin marking before and while she's in season.

Other than that... it's not a big deal for us. We control the mess with panties and sheets on furniture and for the most part, life goes on as normal, except she doesn't come to work with me and we avoid any dog heavy areas (even leashed ones). 

Oh also, don't be surprised if with a dog that big, she doesn't have her first heat until well over a year old. The big ones tend to come in later.


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## Effisia (Jun 20, 2013)

Yeah, we got to meet both her mother and grandmother and our breeder said they both had late cycles and were very neat. I'm hoping that's the case with Annabel, but I'm not going to get bent out of shape if it's not. She's the first dog I'll have had (or known, really) who wasn't fixed as a puppy. I get a little what you might call obsessive with her. You should have seen all the stuff I read just about food. And training. And crates... I even read a ton on what shampoo to use. 

This is my first dog as an adult, if you can't tell  My husband grew up with Newfs, though. I grew up with poodles. Very different dogs. But I feel like we're making the best choices we can for her. And I'm sure once it happens it'll be no big deal, but there's a lot of anticipation and nerves leading up.


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## Emily1188 (Jun 21, 2011)

Effisia said:


> Yeah, we got to meet both her mother and grandmother and our breeder said they both had late cycles and were very neat. I'm hoping that's the case with Annabel, but I'm not going to get bent out of shape if it's not. She's the first dog I'll have had (or known, really) who wasn't fixed as a puppy. I get a little what you might call obsessive with her. You should have seen all the stuff I read just about food. And training. And crates... I even read a ton on what shampoo to use.
> 
> This is my first dog as an adult, if you can't tell  My husband grew up with Newfs, though. I grew up with poodles. Very different dogs. But I feel like we're making the best choices we can for her. And I'm sure once it happens it'll be no big deal, but there's a lot of anticipation and nerves leading up.


Hey I totally understand! I like waited on pins and needles for my corgi's first heat.  Everything will be fine though - you seem like a great dog owner.


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

Be prepared to clean that fur. Also your house, unless you can manage to put a diaper or something on her.

Also, be prepared for neighborhood dogs or strays to flood your property and NEVER, EVER leave her outside unattended. Male dogs will dig, climb, chew through, latch through a fence, do whatever they have to do to get to that female.

And, like a woman, she's likely to be super uncomfortable and maybe snarky.


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## WonderBreadDots (Jun 26, 2012)

Tula is my first dog that I have not spayed before her first heat for the same reasons as you (she is a Bernese Mountain Dog). She went thru her first heat at 14 months old. Not as bad as I expected. 

My one bit of advice is... buy men's bikini underwear with the wide elastic band and cut a hole in the butt of the undies for her tail. I bought medium size, Tula weighs 100lbs, they worked better than what I bought at the pet store.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

> "It's a heat cycle, not a hurricane."


Hehe, my mom says that when she was a kid (she grew up in the Panama Canal Zone), every time her dog went into heat their house would be swarmed by 30-40+ male dogs. . .which seems to me to be almost on the lines of a hurricane . But Americans living in civilized areas are spoiled because of leash laws, and fairly high spay/neuter rates. Which is worth remembering, I think.


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## Kyndall54 (Apr 26, 2013)

Effisia said:


> Yeah, we got to meet both her mother and grandmother and our breeder said they both had late cycles and were very neat. I'm hoping that's the case with Annabel, but I'm not going to get bent out of shape if it's not. She's the first dog I'll have had (or known, really) who wasn't fixed as a puppy. I get a little what you might call obsessive with her. You should have seen all the stuff I read just about food. And training. And crates... I even read a ton on what shampoo to use.


I'm the same way, and Ammy is also my first unfixed puppy . I worry about Ammy's first heat as well, she's 6 months and we're also waiting until she's had her first heat/maybe a year old to spay. This is because I want to do agility with her and I want to give her bones time they need to finish growing. I know it's really similar with large breed dogs. Thanks for asking the question before me, everyone has had good advice so far!


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Ditto to Hollow Heaven's post about not letting her be outside unsupervised. Even in a fenced yard. If you walk her on a leash, carry a stick, pepper spray or something in case a loose male dog tries to get to her.
Do not allow friend's or relatives to dog sit. We've had several threads where people say their kid, relative or friend was supposed to be watching them, and they got pregnant, because they went unsupervised or the friend had a friend come over with their dog "to play", or they walked them and a loose male got to her before they could do anything.

If she is accidentally exposed to a male, get an emergency spay done.


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## blenderpie (Oct 5, 2012)

We are nervous for Ellie's first heat, too. Though, it's a little different since our male is in tact. So the crate and rotate will be interesting. 

She's five months and a large breed so she probably won't come in for quite some time, but we still check (just wipe her) compulsively in case she comes in early. And I'm pretty sure Lincoln's behavior will let us know. He "checks" her urine. 

I just wanna get it over with so we can get her fixed so I cam quit worrying about oops litters.


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## Effisia (Jun 20, 2013)

I am so paranoid about oops litters. My MIL bred her dogs for the hell of it, not even oops, and that is just not going to happen with us. I had a pretty intense breakdown over that... So upset. Especially after reading that My Name is Sam story that a sticky in one of these forums. It's what made me start on the road to volunteering at a shelter here.

Anyway, we live in the suburbs I guess you could say, and I'm 90% certain that all my neighbors fixed their dogs early, just like the vet says. Except maybe the Dane. We hardly ever see them. Our fence is not a six foot privacy or anything, it's just a three and a half foot, which is why she'll be on leash when I take her out back. Too easy to see a male just hoping on in! I don't think there are any strays and wild dogs, but heck, we had a bear coming through for a while so who knows what goes on in our yard at night.

Thanks to everyone for the great advice and thanks for reassuring me that this isn't that big a deal. I really appreciate it!


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## SillyDogs (May 28, 2013)

Dont worry about it so much. As long as your watching her outside, there will be no "oops" litter. Its not like shes gonna get pregnant if a male dog is near. Theres some stuff they gotta do, which takes time, and if your right there, just dont let it happen. For inside, you could put boxer briefs on her with a tampon pad on the inside and her tail out the pee hole.


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