Letting Pups Off Lead/when Are They Fertile?

[laylascout]

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well it turns out I dont think scouty is having her first season, the strange house weeing stopped and no other symptoms, all seems to be well.

However Its started me thinking, as were not decided as to what to do in terms of when to get them spayed, and with all the advice on here, starting to think maybe leaving it till theyve had a season.

Anyway, It made me realise how little I know on that score, so I thought Id ask you lovely people my ridiculous list of questions!

here goes

1. when are they likely to have their first season?

2. how long does a season last?

3. what do we need to do when theyre in season (what extra care do we need to give them)?

4. how do we know theyre in season, what are the symptoms/signs?

5. When are they fertile? - this is the big one for me, How do I know when Im safe to let them off the lead without risking them getting up to shenannigans and getting pregnant!??

any help/advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated!

x

 

[TTT]

What type is it and how old?

 

[laylascout]

They're jack Russell chihuahua Crosses, 8 months old

 

[Andrea s]

They could come into season at any time from now, small dogs come into season at an earlier age than larger breeds, sometimes their first season can be so light you won't even notice it and this can be called a silent season.

We noticed Daisy's rear end becoming more swollen in appearance , by rear end i mean her vulva, in larger dogs this can be quite noticeable, like a doughnut lol.

you may notice spots of blood ,bleeding can be between 5 - 10 days, most bitches are very clean and will lick themselves constantly so you may or may not find it on the floor or on bedding, their mod may change, they may have a nesting urge , they may want to hump things, and a bitch may actively seek a male dog to satisfy her instinct to re produce.

Most people will say that while the bleeding is occurring a bitch is less likely to conceive and that its the days following the bleeding that they are at their peek of fertility.

We kept Daisy on a lead while walking her during her season, most of the dogs in our park i know have been neutered but as yours are small any unwanted attention can be easily solved by picking her up. in total i would be looking at about 4 weeks from start to finish just to be sure .

A bitch can still carry an alluring scent for a while after so dont be surprised if she gets attention from male and female dogs, its just others being nosey .

most times a bitch unless at her peek time to mate will warn off unwanted attention. you then can have her speyed at 3 months after her season, at this time her body is at its most normal, she isnt preparing for a season and isnt getting over one, the reason for this time scale is so that the uterus hasn't got a large blood supply which can make surgery more tricky and the hormone levels have balanced out.

We had Daisy speyed at this time after her first season, it was'nt anything to do with convenience to us it was more to do with making sure there were no accidental pups to deal with , we never wanted to breed her ,in fact she isnt good enough genetically to breed from as she has joint problems,speying also reduces dramatically the chances of mammary cancer or pyometra , an infection of the womb which can kill a bitch if not discovered in time, pyo can be a visible condition with smelly discharge and a poorly looking dog to what is called silent pyo where the infection is enclosed and no discharge is visible, your dog basically dies of septicaemia .

On a more cheery note lol, they recover within days of the op, it wont change their personality and you have peace of mind that a few health concerns have been eliminated.

 

[Garry Comber]

well it turns out I dont think scouty is having her first season, the strange house weeing stopped and no other symptoms, all seems to be well.

However Its started me thinking, as were not decided as to what to do in terms of when to get them spayed, and with all the advice on here, starting to think maybe leaving it till theyve had a season.

Anyway, It made me realise how little I know on that score, so I thought Id ask you lovely people my ridiculous list of questions!

here goes

1. when are they likely to have their first season?

2. how long does a season last?

3. what do we need to do when theyre in season (what extra care do we need to give them)?

4. how do we know theyre in season, what are the symptoms/signs?

5. When are they fertile? - this is the big one for me, How do I know when Im safe to let them off the lead without risking them getting up to shenannigans and getting pregnant!??

any help/advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated!

x

Bitches in season (even on a lead) are a nightmare in parks!

The number of times I’ve cut short my walk because people take bitches to busy places while their in season. I have dogs some of which some are entire and people get upset that their bitch is attracting attention when their in season.

I’ve seen bitches run off after flirting with male dogs, naturally the dogs follow and its very difficult for anyone to keep control during this time, and neutered dogs can act the same! They could run out onto a road or something, hence I say free running bitches in season is a definite no no.

I’ve come across so many irresponsible bitch owners who also deny the bitch is in season; but they can’t fool my stud dog who knows better.

Personally I think bitches in season should stay away from popular dog walking areas for the whole of their season for everyone’s safety its no just about if the bitch is fertile.

 

[storm1]

my jack russell is in season now 7mths old it all depends on the dog/breed smaller type

come on season usually before 12mths old atb

 

[laylascout]

thanks for your help guys, Ill be sure to keep them on the lead and in quiet areas when any signs of them being in season start

 

[chelynnah]

I won't take my bitches out at all while in season. I don't think it's fair on male owners. As to when they are fertile, usually it's in the middle of a 3 week season, but I have known bitches to take as early as day 3 and some as late as day 27. So even if I was taking them out on lead I would NEVER let them off until I knew for sure all signs of a season were completely gone. Most seasons last around 21 days, but I had a bitch who would bleed for 28 days so hers were 4 weeks.

Breeds of your size usually have seasons around 6 months old and then once every 6 months (generally). If you are planning to spay at some point the best, safest and healthiest time to do this is in between the seasons, so about 3 months after she has one. Then the uterus is in its resting phase. Since she is due any time unless it was an emergency I wouldn't be looking to spay her now.

Hope this helps.

 

[Garry Comber]

I won't take my bitches out at all while in season. I don't think it's fair on male owners. As to when they are fertile, usually it's in the middle of a 3 week season, but I have known bitches to take as early as day 3 and some as late as day 27. So even if I was taking them out on lead I would NEVER let them off until I knew for sure all signs of a season were completely gone. Most seasons last around 21 days, but I had a bitch who would bleed for 28 days so hers were 4 weeks.

Thanks Chelynnah, I wish you could tell this to some of the people near me :angry:

 

[Chaumsong]

I agree, I've never walked bitches in season and often marvel at the stupidity of those who do, as Chelynnah says some bitches have had litters from either very early or very late matings so it doesn't seem worth the risk. Not to mention that every dog owner is going to have a harder time controlling their dog, even if they walk in the same park 4 hours after you. You'll notice on doglost and rescue forums that bitches in season are also more likely to run away, a natural instinct to find a mate.

If people feel their girls really wouldn't cope with 3 weeks on no exercise then walk them on lead round the pavements, safer all round