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  1. #1
    Puppy
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    Female Labrador Puppy

    I have looked around on this forum about females going into estrus and the ensuing discussions about when (if ever) to neuter them. Forgive my ignorance but I have never had a female Labrador before this little "angel". I recently lost my 11 year old male (Mickey). He was my fifth Labrador. My question is: What do I do when she goes into season (she is just now six months old)? Is there a procedure (again, forgive me - I am an engineer)? Are there "appliances" that she can wear? How much blood can I expect to have to deal with? I have lived with dogs all my life. I hunt and field trial. Dogs have taught me as much about life and love as have humans but this "season" stuff has got me kinda worried. My wife, who thinks of dogs as goofy pets - not companions, didn't exactly sniff at my inquiry but she did roll her eyes a trifle. My plan now is to wait at least until she is two years old before I do anything but that leaves me with two cycles minimum and maybe five. I promise to pass along the favor to another soul if any of you Dear Readers will have pity on me and give me whatever you believe to be useful. Thank you, Nicholas.

  2. #2
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    Hi and welcome to you and your new "little angel"! I'm sorry you lost MIckey, that's such a hard time. I know there are others with more experience than I about their dogs being in season, I've only had one girl go into season so my experience is more limited. But we did do it with our current girl and maybe the experience of someone who was inexperienced will feel more reassuring. I lived to tell about it!

    Anyway, our pup didn't have her first season until she was 15 months old and she was spayed at 18 or 19 months of age. We don't live in an area where there are dogs roaming around and certainly neutering dogs, maybe too early, is probably the norm so I wasn't too afraid she'd be found by a male dog and impregnated before I knew what was going on. Maybe if you're around intact males during hunting season you'll have to be more vigilant. Once they go into season, you have to keep them away from intact males for 4 weeks, no less. I had a 6 year old neutered male at the same time, he showed no uncontrollable urges around her during her cycle.

    I first noticed a drip of blood on our white kitchen floor and that's what clued me in. People had recommended to start checking for bleeding once they reached the right age, which I took to be about 9 months old. You can check by pressing a white tissue or paper towel against the vulva to see if there's any blood staining. I checked now and then but not especially often. Some people say their dogs seem more clingy or their behavior changes a bit when they're approaching their cycle but I did not notice anything like that in my girl. Maybe if I'd gone through it a few times I'd have noticed a change but I didn't.

    While she was in season I had her wear these lovely panties with regular human panty liners or mini-pads inside that I could switch out. They didn't seem to bother her and she didn't try to chew them off. When she was outside in the yard or on walks, no pants. I think some have suggested men's briefs with the tail stuck out through the opening work OK, too. The bleeding subsides before they are truly out of season so even if you don't feel she needs the "appliances" after 3 weeks or whatever, she still needs to be kept away from any potential baby daddies.

    I used something like these, although this is just to give you an idea, not what I actually used- there are lots of choices on Amazon and probably elsewhere for them. https://smile.amazon.com/Pet-Parents...%2C155&sr=8-13

    Good luck and please come back and share more with us, such as her name and photos are always a bit hit!

  3. #3
    Senior Dog
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    Quote Originally Posted by smartrock View Post
    Hi and welcome to you and your new "little angel"! I'm sorry you lost MIckey, that's such a hard time. I know there are others with more experience than I about their dogs being in season, I've only had one girl go into season so my experience is more limited. But we did do it with our current girl and maybe the experience of someone who was inexperienced will feel more reassuring. I lived to tell about it!

    Anyway, our pup didn't have her first season until she was 15 months old and she was spayed at 18 or 19 months of age. We don't live in an area where there are dogs roaming around and certainly neutering dogs, maybe too early, is probably the norm so I wasn't too afraid she'd be found by a male dog and impregnated before I knew what was going on. Maybe if you're around intact males during hunting season you'll have to be more vigilant. Once they go into season, you have to keep them away from intact males for 4 weeks, no less. I had a 6 year old neutered male at the same time, he showed no uncontrollable urges around her during her cycle.

    I first noticed a drip of blood on our white kitchen floor and that's what clued me in. People had recommended to start checking for bleeding once they reached the right age, which I took to be about 9 months old. You can check by pressing a white tissue or paper towel against the vulva to see if there's any blood staining. I checked now and then but not especially often. Some people say their dogs seem more clingy or their behavior changes a bit when they're approaching their cycle but I did not notice anything like that in my girl. Maybe if I'd gone through it a few times I'd have noticed a change but I didn't.

    While she was in season I had her wear these lovely panties with regular human panty liners or mini-pads inside that I could switch out. They didn't seem to bother her and she didn't try to chew them off. When she was outside in the yard or on walks, no pants. I think some have suggested men's briefs with the tail stuck out through the opening work OK, too. The bleeding subsides before they are truly out of season so even if you don't feel she needs the "appliances" after 3 weeks or whatever, she still needs to be kept away from any potential baby daddies.

    I used something like these, although this is just to give you an idea, not what I actually used- there are lots of choices on Amazon and probably elsewhere for them. https://smile.amazon.com/Pet-Parents...%2C155&sr=8-13

    Good luck and please come back and share more with us, such as her name and photos are always a bit hit!
    I've had multiple intact females for years and for a few years even also had an intact male at the same time. I agree with all of the above and would add it's really not all that difficult to manage. There are apparently some dogs (mainly of other breeds from what I've heard) who keep themselves clean enough you don't realize they are in season but all of mine have had obvious bleeding which lasts anywhere from 3-4 weeks. The vulva also noticeably swells - for some dogs the swelling can give you a few days warning, but most of mine started bleeding about the same time we notice the swelling. Panties work great - helpful to have 2 so one can be in the wash if needed. For example, one of my girls just came out of season and while she was in, my husband very sleepily let her out one morning without remembering to take them off so she peed in them. It happens, and it is helpful to have a spare pair for situations like that.

    We let ours out into the fenced yard and walk them in our neighborhood - very few if any intact males to worry about around here but we keep an eye out. We don't take her other places (other than dog school) though. Even when I had an intact male he really was only interested for about 3 days smack dab in the middle, although we did be sure to keep them separated. We've never had random strays show up on our doorstep looking for a girlfriend, and when we take them to dog class, the intact boys there are interested but not unmanageable so it's not as scary as you'll sometimes see it made out to be - just supervise her.

    In terms of how many seasons you'll have to worry about it really varies. For Labs, coming in around 10-12 months is pretty typical for the first time, but I had one that didn't come in until 18 months. Of her two daughters, one came in a 6 months and the other at 2.5. The mom and the late bloomer both come in (well the mom is now spayed but for years she was like this) every 13 months, but the early bloomer comes in every 6-7 months so you can see there is wide variation in what to expect.
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

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  4. #4
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    Most likely you won't see the girl come into season right at 6 months. The norm seems around 11-15 months. And then they may only cycle every 8 months. Each is pretty much different. If you live in a carpeted house, you may want to invest in some "doggy diapers" where you put pads in during their season. If the dog is on hard floors and never on furniture, you can probably leave it be and just do a quick mop up afterwards. Boys aren't as much of a nuisance as you'll hear. Be alert of your surroundings and you can manage it pretty easy.

  5. #5
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    Thank you all for the information and encouragement. It is always good to learn more about the varments that populate my life! I almost feel like I am in the sixth grade - asking questions about the mysteries that surround the opposite sex. You have given me some information about what to expect. I guess I will do what Winston Churchill said to his butler Inches - "KBO, Inches, KBO". KBO is shorthand for Keep Buggering On. Keep flailing into the future and deal with whatever occurs. Thank you all again...I plan to KBO! Nicholas

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