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So if you decide not to spay your female you will have to deal with her going into season.
I want to give just a brief description about what to expect during this time without getting technical. And what you can do to deal with your females heat cycle, if you choose never to spay her or if you wait until the appropriate time to do so.
I personally choose not to spay or neuter my dogs. I have had dogs, (a long time ago) that were fixed for one reason or another, shelter dog, vet pressured procedure, etc.…
Obviously when you’re a breeder your breeding dogs are not fixed. Some people do actually decide not to spay/neuter and never breed.
With my intact dogs…
I have never had an “oops” litter.
I have never had a dog runaway.
I have never had a dog have a housebreaking issue.
I have never had my intact dogs aggressive toward me.
All the things some people say will happen, if your dog isn’t altered, I’ve not seen it in my intact dogs. I train them.
I did however have a male pound puppy, who was fixed at an early age (because that’s the shelter/rescue SOP) that would be aggressive when cornered, this was before I was a trainer so I can’t say for sure it was the early neuter but… I haven’t seen that behavior in any dog I’ve owned since.
I am also keeping track of the dogs that come though training if they have aggression and if they are altered and when.
What to expect.
This post isn’t actually about spay /neuter but about having a dog as a house pet that you have chosen not to spay for whatever reason. So let’s get stuck in!
How do you deal with a female in season? What should you expect when she goes into season?
Sometime before your female goes into season she may shed her coat. My females shed 4 to 8 weeks before they cycle. Get the vacuum ready!
Her external vulva may appear swollen. Note: if she has a hooded or recessed vulva, after a heat cycle or two, it may correct.
She may pay more attention to her bottom end.
At some point she will want to pee, a lot, she’s marking, get her outside!
When you see a drop of blood on your floor, it’s time for the undies! Females can also have silent heats and therefore you may not see any bleeding.
What you need to do.
See the dog underoos, panties, diapers, call them what you would like, that I use HERE. You can just use these and wash them but you’ll want to buy enough of them.
Or….
About six or so years ago I made inserts out of human baby diapers like these. I cut them and sewed them together, 2-ply. I’m no seamstress. LOL
Now apparently you can buy them pre-made like these or these. I’m a trend setter!
They also have disposable liners like these or in a pinch you can use human sanitary napkins.
I change out the liner every time my female goes out to potty. I feel this is keeping her dryer and cleaner and therefore keeping any skin problems away or any possible infection.
I’ll take the underoos off obviously for walks and also outdoor obedience and again at bedtime till morning when they go back on.
I usually end up using new underoos every morning and just changing the liners through the day. You can even turn and flip them over to use the other side to get more use out of them.
As I change out the liners or in the evening I pour some liquid laundry detergent on them and also the used underoos if there were any leaks (someone likes to lay upside down).
We have so many liners they will sit awhile before I throw them in the laundry. See photo below, how clean without stains the liners are when your pretreat this way. This is after 6 1/2 years of use! That’s about 11 cycles. I do not use bleach.
A Tip for you…
I clean her a couple times a day with a water/vinegar 50:50 mix and add a couple drops of Lavender. I use baby washcloths like these put in a glass container like this.
If your female is hooded, has a recessed or inverted vulva, wiping her after she goes out to potty will help keep her clean and prevent a UTI. This is also good to wipe with if you’re having skin (yeast) issues, or even pimple like bumps on her “Hoochie Coochie”!
When will it happen? And for how long?
Four stages of a heat cycle is proestrus, estrus, diestrus and anestrus. If you want to learn more you can find plenty of information that goes into more detail about the female dogs heat cycle with an online search. Research the best time to spay and neuter your dog, if that’s the route you choose.
Assuming you know how dogs get pregnant, if you decide not to spay your female you must keep her contained during her heat cycle and away from intact males. I have heard of females ovulating on crazy days, way way past after the bleeding stops, and you think it’s all over. You’ve been warned. Remember some females aren’t “typical”.
You may see bleeding for 7 to 10 days or three weeks, it can vary. A typical cycle last about 21 days.
Your female may flag. She is now receptive to the male. In our case Faith wants a man NOW! She is demanding, but I tell her “this too shall pass”. And “no you can’t go see Dux” (the male GSD at the kennel).
Your female may come into season every 6 to 7 months (typical), or even every 4 months, maybe 8 or 9 or even more, again it varies.
The first estrus happens at maybe 6 to 8 months of age (earlier for smaller dogs) or maybe 9 to 12 months. I’ve even heard of 2 years plus for large dogs, once again, it varies. There are “typical” heat cycles and then there are females that do their own thing.
To sum it up
If you decide not to spay your females, keep your dogs on leash, train them, don’t leave them in your yard alone (fenced or not) and keep them securely away from intact males during estrus, you can live with an intact female. I do!
Questions?
