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Permalink Reply by Avyon on March 20, 2008 at 9:13pm

I think through the whole cycle you should keep them separated.. Im no expert but from what I recall from our old family lab it was ok once she stopped 'dropping' which was basically the "COME TO ME!" scent. I would definitely look it up or ask your vet for sure...

as for the messy bit its like any female.. unless things change (food, stress, environment, body type) the heat should be the same so just keep changing that puppy diaper hehe :)

I've had two different experiences with heat and dogs.. the first was our lab who got all moody and weird during her heat.. she would gather all her toys and put them in her bed and treat them like puppies... every now then she would 'talk' or whimper to them and then whimper at you if you took one away from her.. she wouldn't play during this time but gently take the toy back from you and run back to her bed lol... when she was done it was as if nothing happened and she would be tearing that same toy to shreds.

the most current my roomies husky just got her heat and she didn't know what to do with herself.. basically circled in her crate and cried.. or just paced around or snuggled up to you as if something was horribly wrong. The good thing that came from it is she's now more loving then she ever was.. though she was most snuggly during her cycle. I think she wasn't used to the cramps and feelings lol.

over time if you don't fix her.. you'll figure out her different moods, i think every dog is a little different just like their personalities :)

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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on March 20, 2008 at 9:42pm

Usually it is going to last about 3 to 4 weeks.

The first week is non-bleeding, you'll notice your male dog start sniffing and licking the female's urine.

During the second week, sporadic bleeding occurs, the vajajjay begin to swell. Your male dog will start to go crazy, if you don't put a diaper on the female, the male will follow her everywhere and lick off her blood, if blood gets on the carpet, immediate pour hydrogen peroxide over it and it will clean it right up. If you put a diaper on the female, the blood saturation is greater and your male dog might get a little more crazy. he will start to urine mark everywhere (leaving business card for the female to consider him) by the end of the week, your male dog should be smart enough to figure out how to by pass the diaper, so you must supervise them, when in doubt, back to the crate and let the howling begin :)

During the 3rd week you may get a little sleep if you're lucky, there are times that I have seriously consider to let someone else baby sit one of my dogs, your male dog have officially lost it by now, howling, nose nudging, he will totally drive your female NUTS. your female dog may finally give in due to exhaustion, by now your male dog might not have eaten for a few days and try to get it on for the last couple of days.

Week 4 should be back to normal, your male will start to sniff less and hump less, you'll be a much happier person because you finally sleep through the night :) Congrats! you've made it, see you again in 6 months!!!

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Permalink Reply by Avyon on March 21, 2008 at 12:17pm

Best information post ever! *dies laughing*

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Permalink Reply by Junipurr on March 21, 2008 at 9:17pm

LOL -- I hope it is a little better than that but Donald is already getting noisy...yikes!

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Permalink Reply by Jaime on March 21, 2008 at 12:30pm

My female just went through her first heat cycle a month ago. I have two male corgis also and they did not have any reaction to her. They are both fixed but the vet said it was still strange that they did not pay any attention to her.

She did so well except she got a bit moody for a couple days in the 1st week she was bleeding. The vet told us to try the dog diapers to keep the blood off the furniture...it worked. She did not mind the diapers at all. If you try them though be careful of the tail hole that they put in the diaper for normal dogs. If you have a Pembroke the hole in the diaper slides down and she can bleed through it! After a few days the diaper became a routine and she would come in from outside and stand there and wait for us to put her diaper back on. She did bleed a lot during the 2nd and 3rd week! We thought it would never stop. I recommend a thin maxi pad inside the diaper if you go that route!

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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on March 21, 2008 at 3:42pm

Great post Jaime! we used one of my odd socks and sew up the "hole" of the diaper. We used "equate" brand pads from walmart, it's the cheapest pad out there :)

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Permalink Reply by Sam on March 21, 2008 at 6:47pm

Each season can be a bit different. Some dogs clean themselves far better than others. Typically the cycle runs between 21 - 28 days. To be safe I would keep them apart for the 28 day period. Understand too that two dogs can mate very quickly. I know some very knowledgeable people that have experienced this. Supervision and a secure environment is most important.
Heat cycles vary in dogs. I know some that cycle every three months and some that cycle every nine months. Some dogs cycle and there is very little physical evidence. Typically it is recommended that the dogs be spayed/neutered. Living with intact dogs takes far more managing then does spayed/neutered ones. Behaviors are usually increased. Do know that diapers do not prevent breeding.

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