???? about dogs in heat....

[Lauren]

Well, Miss Xena will be a year old in 2 weeks and I have lots of questions about her going into heat.

Shouldn't she have started by now? She had a time when my old neutered boy, Apollo, was very sniffy and attentive, but no swelling or discharge or blood.

I am absolutely planning on spaying her when she is fully mature, but some people say to wait two regular cycles before doing it to reap the full benefits of joint and personality development. Others give a time frame... 18 to 24 months?

My big issue now is that if she hasn't even started, Thor will be more than able to perform by the time she is old enough to be spayed. They can only conceive the week after they finish bleeding right? So the third week?

I am wondering if all of this is even worth it. I highly value joint development, muscle tone, coat and of course~ NO Puppies!

[Christie M]

Many of my girls have been 14 months and older before coming in. With the working dogs, that's almost the norm.

Physical maturity and growth plate closure are the most important concerns. By 1 year, you have achieved most of that anyway. Every heat that a female experiences does increase her risk of mammary cancer later on. Not that it ever reaches a HIGH likelihood, but removing the ovaries does reduce it drastically.

If you don't plan to breed, then I would spay here in the next month or so. She has growth plate closure. I would lessen my burden of dealing with the heat....and dealing with a boy who will be obsessed with it.

[Lauren]

Will it make it harder for her to build and maintain muscle mass? I have talked to a Belgian Mal breeder breeder who regrets it because of the thick waist and thicker hair and a GSD breeder that said if I did it too early she would have a perpetually bitchy temperment???

It sure would be a weight off of my mind to just get it over with. We are going away for a week in August and I would hate for it to be THAT week that she is in heat and driving the house watcher crazy....

[alspyce]

When she comes into heat, and when she will "stand" for breeding, is an individual dog thing. I've had bitches who would stand for breeding as early as 9 days into the heat (7 pups in that litter), and also as late as 20 days(4 pups in that litter), and all days in between. You need to keep your girl safely away form other dogs for the entire season, in my opinion, from day 1. (Preventing fights caused by unwanted/too early advances, as well as "ops" litters.)
I don't like to spay early, but then I have the facilities to keep unwanted breedings from happening here. (Don't agree that it causes "bitchy"temperment problems tho.) I wouldn't leave a bitch in heat with a house watcher either----put her/him, or both, in a kennel if it comes to being that week.

[Christie M]

I don't like to spay early, but then I have the facilities to keep unwanted breedings from happening here. (Don't agree that it causes "bitchy"temperment problems tho.) I wouldn't leave a bitch in heat with a house watcher either----put her/him, or both, in a kennel if it comes to being that week.

But what's early? A year is not very young.

[alspyce]

I consider young to be anything less than 2 or 3 years. I guess it's all in your personal point of view.

[Lauren]

Thanks for your input, guys. I am trying to talk my vet into a tubal so that I can rest a bit easier for the next year. We will see!