# Signs of puppy in heat?



## Eveningpiper

Ruby is 7 months old and scheduled for her spay operation next month. But I am wondering if she might be starting her heat. Starting this weekend when she initiates play with our (fixed) male dog she now turns and waggles her bottom at him and he is sniffing her behind. Does that sound like the beginning of her season? Is it now too late for a pre-heat spaying?


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## Karen Collins

Its doubtful if she's in heat. She's still young. Bitches don't start that behavior until ready to ovulate. The first signs will be a swollen vulva and then shortly after that bleeding.


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## Heather's

Truffles did go into heat at that age. I was really surprised because she was so young. I missed the signs...She had very little bleeding. Just little sprinkles.  The breeder said I should wait until she was one year old to spay and our vet agreed. The vet said it is recommended to wait until one year for the benefits of hormones.


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## Eveningpiper

Eveningpiper said:


> Ruby is 7 months old and scheduled for her spay operation next month. But I am wondering if she might be starting her heat. Starting this weekend when she initiates play with our (fixed) male dog she now turns and waggles her bottom at him and he is sniffing her behind. Does that sound like the beginning of her season? Is it now too late for a pre-heat spaying?


Now she has a swollen vulva and signs of bleeding/staining. I was on the fence about spaying her before or after her first heat so now I guess nature has decided that she gets to benefit from those hormones. How long should I wait to reschedule her spay operation? Apparently small dogs can have 3 or even 4 heats a year so I don't want to wait too long in case she starts her next cycle but also not rush it.


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## boomana

My Lola, who THANK GOD is at the end of her first and last heat cycle, starting flirting with two dogs at the park that she had previously shown zero interest in about a week before I noticed any swelling. She was shamelessly dancing around them, trying to lick their ears and parts, and wagging her rear in front of them to no avail. Turns out both were intact males. About two days before I noticed any swelling, one of those dogs, who had previously shown zero interest in her, started sniffing around and following her. It was my first suspicion that I should start seriously watching her. My neutered boy didn't show any interest until she was in her second week. He actually got it in, and was walking about, dragging her around the house (she was on her back and he was...er...pulling her along by his little pecker), with her screaming bloody murder before I could get out of the shower and end it. He was relentless trying to hump her after that for about a week, and now things are back to normal(ish). I need trauma therapy for the screaming. It was horrid. I didn't know a neutered dog could actually take it that far. I didn't know a puppy could scream like that. She had no real bleeding, only some light discharge the first week, and she was trying to hump my boy every minute for a few days before he figured anything out. My only recommendation is to keep her safe and you sane.


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## Eveningpiper

Good to know.


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## Heather's

Truffles went into heat at the same age as Ruby. I had planned to spay her at one year old and was concerned it might happen again. The vet said she could still be spayed if that happened. Thankfully it didn't happen and she was spayed after turning one year old.


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## boomana

The vet told me I'd have to wait six weeks to spay her after her heat cycle is complete. I'm going to wait to her full year since that's just a couple weeks after the six-week timeframe.


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## articshark

Umm, I think Java is in heat. Her vulva is all swollen, but there's no blood or discharge. I thought she was more swollen a few days ago, but second guessed myself thinking it was her getting older and becoming an adult. But when she rolled over on her back for her belly rub this morning, it was, umm, big and all in my face- so to speak. lol 

So, should I start looking for blood and discharge? What are the next signs? How long after her heat starts do I spay? Or is it after her heat is over that I start counting the weeks to spay? Ack! Do I buy panties for her if she is never without a human and near boy dogs? Where do I buy said panties. OMG, this is happening at so not the best time, but I want to make sure she gets taken care of properly. 

Answers for a crazy puppy mom, and others who are sure to be looking as well, would be so helpful. TIA!!!!


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## Tom King

Eveningpiper said:


> Now she has a swollen vulva and signs of bleeding/staining. I was on the fence about spaying her before or after her first heat so now I guess nature has decided that she gets to benefit from those hormones. How long should I wait to reschedule her spay operation? Apparently small dogs can have 3 or even 4 heats a year so I don't want to wait too long in case she starts her next cycle but also not rush it.


None of ours have ever had over 2 a year, and those typically more than six months apart. Some only have one heat a year. I don't believe we've ever had one start anything like as early as 7 months, and some as late as a year and a half for their first.


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## Heather's

Truffles had all of the same signs of Java. She only had little sprinkles of blood occasionally when she jumped. Maybe it wasn't much because she was so young. She still went on walks and to the park with Scout, but we watched her for about three weeks. I planned to have her spayed at one year and my concern was it would happen again. The vet said she could still be spayed if that did happen. I know other vets say to wait six weeks. I got her the cutest stretchy brown with pink polka dot panties, but I never used them. If you would like them for Java send me a PM with your address and I'll send them. 😊


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## articshark

Thanks, Heather! 

I wouldn't worry so much, but my dad is going to be watching her next month. And I'm not sure how long she'll be fertile and breedable. I'm going to call the vet on Monday and see if they can take a look to confirm and then we can schedule the spay in 8 weeks or so to make sure we are clear. I'm not sad about this because she'll get chipped at the same time. Which I want like yesterday. Because I feel so insecure with her not having a permanent way to indicate that she and I belong to each other.


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## krandall

Eveningpiper said:


> Now she has a swollen vulva and signs of bleeding/staining. I was on the fence about spaying her before or after her first heat so now I guess nature has decided that she gets to benefit from those hormones. How long should I wait to reschedule her spay operation? Apparently small dogs can have 3 or even 4 heats a year so I don't want to wait too long in case she starts her next cycle but also not rush it.


I've never heard of a Havanese having 3-4 heats per year. I think that would be very unusual. Most of the people I know who breed, their bitches come in APPROXIMATELY every 6 months.

My vet told me to wait a minimum of two months after Pixel's heat to have her spayed. She went into heat May 1, and we had her spayed Aug. 3.

I would have waited two heats if she had come in as early as Ruby, but, unless her first heat was SO silent that we missed it completely (and I don't think so) she didn't come in until she was over 14 months old. So we decided one heat was enough.


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## krandall

boomana said:


> My neutered boy didn't show any interest until she was in her second week. He actually got it in, and was walking about, dragging her around the house (she was on her back and he was...er...pulling her along by his little pecker), with her screaming bloody murder before I could get out of the shower and end it. He was relentless trying to hump her after that for about a week, and now things are back to normal(ish). I need trauma therapy for the screaming. It was horrid. I didn't know a neutered dog could actually take it that far. I didn't know a puppy could scream like that. She had no real bleeding, only some light discharge the first week, and she was trying to hump my boy every minute for a few days before he figured anything out. My only recommendation is to keep her safe and you sane.


Kodi tied with Pixel too. I've been told that if it DOES happen, you should do everything you can to keep them both calm and still until they release naturally. You can damage one or both of them by trying to forcibly separate them. It was actually pretty funny in our case. They were both looking at me like they were saying, "LOOK at what he (she) DID to me!!! :laugh:


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## krandall

articshark said:


> Umm, I think Java is in heat. Her vulva is all swollen, but there's no blood or discharge. I thought she was more swollen a few days ago, but second guessed myself thinking it was her getting older and becoming an adult. But when she rolled over on her back for her belly rub this morning, it was, umm, big and all in my face- so to speak. lol
> 
> So, should I start looking for blood and discharge? What are the next signs? How long after her heat starts do I spay? Or is it after her heat is over that I start counting the weeks to spay? Ack! Do I buy panties for her if she is never without a human and near boy dogs? Where do I buy said panties. OMG, this is happening at so not the best time, but I want to make sure she gets taken care of properly.
> 
> Answers for a crazy puppy mom, and others who are sure to be looking as well, would be so helpful. TIA!!!!


I've heard from some people that their Havanese bleed very little. Both of MY girls, who are totally unrelated, bled a LOT. It was a MESS!!! They both DEFINITELY needed panties, or I would have needed to keep them in an ex pen all the time for at least the first week. It wasn't SO bad with pixel, because she's in a puppy cut, and is black. Panda was a TOTAL MESS... stained, matted, yuck!

If you aren't sure if they are starting, the easiest time to tell if they MIGHT be bleeding, is to run a tissue under their FIRST thing when they wake up in the morning, before they have a chance to clean themselves up. (a lot of girls DO try to keep themselves cleaned up)

You can get panties at Petsmart for sure, maybe Petco, but I haven't noticed them. But they are more expensive there. I had one pair form taking Pixel to the Havanese national specialty, where all bitches have to wear them in the hotel. So I did have one pair to get us started. I orderedapack of 3 more pairs fairly inexpensively from Amazon Prime. That was enough to get us through.

You line them with a normal, woman's sanitary napkin, though you'll need to cut it down a bit. You don't need the kind with wings or anything... Just the light day type. Oh, and don't make the mistake I made, and send your poor little girl out to pee without taking them off first! :laugh:


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## articshark

Java is going to think I've lost my mind when I put her into panties with pads. Hahaha. And I'm sure she'd give me side eye if I sent her out to potty with the whole giddy-up on, Karen. lol 

So is the standard spay wait time 6 weeks, 8 weeks or more after her heat is finished? I'm so confused. I am reading different time lengths. I don't want to mess up her insides or anything.


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## Heather's

krandall said:


> I've heard from some people that their Havanese bleed very little. Both of MY girls, who are totally unrelated, bled a LOT. It was a MESS!!! They both DEFINITELY needed panties, or I would have needed to keep them in an ex pen all the time for at least the first week. It wasn't SO bad with pixel, because she's in a puppy cut, and is black. Panda was a TOTAL MESS... stained, matted, yuck!
> 
> If you aren't sure if they are starting, the easiest time to tell if they MIGHT be bleeding, is to run a tissue under their FIRST thing when they wake up in the morning, before they have a chance to clean themselves up. (a lot of girls DO try to keep themselves cleaned up)
> 
> You can get panties at Petsmart for sure, maybe Petco, but I haven't noticed them. But they are more expensive there. I had one pair form taking Pixel to the Havanese national specialty, where all bitches have to wear them in the hotel. So I did have one pair to get us started. I orderedapack of 3 more pairs fairly inexpensively from Amazon Prime. That was enough to get us through.
> 
> You line them with a normal, woman's sanitary napkin, though you'll need to cut it down a bit. You don't need the kind with wings or anything... Just the light day type. Oh, and don't make the mistake I made, and send your poor little girl out to pee without taking them off first! :laugh:


Definitely could have missed Truffles going into heat, but Scout clued me in. The only time I noticed any blood was when she jumped up and there were a few little sprinkles on the floor a couple of times.
Plus she was so young and small at the time.


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## krandall

articshark said:


> Java is going to think I've lost my mind when I put her into panties with pads. Hahaha. And I'm sure she'd give me side eye if I sent her out to potty with the whole giddy-up on, Karen. lol
> 
> So is the standard spay wait time 6 weeks, 8 weeks or more after her heat is finished? I'm so confused. I am reading different time lengths. I don't want to mess up her insides or anything.


The problem is, Pixel DIDN'T look at me funny when I sent her out to pee in panties... She just did what she was told! What a mess! :laugh:

My vet is probably on the conservative side, but that's why I chose her. She said a minimum of 8 weeks after the END of her heat to let everything settle down first. Of course, then Pixel had the false pregnancy, so that put it off even a bit more!


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## articshark

A minimum of 8 weeks from the time her heat is over probably works out better for me anyway. And thank you, Karen, for the tip about looking in the morning before she cleaned herself. She has left just a slight streak on some tissue. So, I will hold off on speaking to the vet about setting up her spay date.


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## Tom King

Pam says that Twinkle came in at 7 or 8 months, but doesn't remember another one coming in that early. That was beyond my memory length.


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## articshark

Java came into heat right before she turned 8 months. Well, you know since I wrote about it. lol She has stopped growing so much as well. She had what seemed like huge growth spurts until about a month ago when she just kinda leveled out. 

As I said, I'm kinda glad. It means I get to chip her soon. Because I am such a worry wart about making sure she is properly identified as MINE, MINE, MINE.


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## Askavi

I am SOOO glad for this thread. After reading about Lola and Pixel getting hooked with a neutered male, I've decided to change my plans for this weekend a bit to accommodate extra supervision for Raff and Sass. Raffy doesn't seem that interested in Sassy in that way....yet. She also doesn't seem to be really bleeding much, just very swollen with a little blood/staining in the area. It just started so I don't know if the bleeding ramps up or not. Our cockapoo never bled much at all during her heats. Behavior-wise, Sassy is being a bit more submissive than usual, but seems to be in good spirits.

I noticed it seem like she was starting to blow coat this week also and actually was discussing if we should get her a puppy cut or not with my husband. Raffy is in full coat and we got through his *terrible* blowing coat phase, but his hair is different than hers. Her hair is very fine and cottony and seems to break off and felt *much* easier than his. I'm not sure that she would come out of the coat blow without looking pretty raggedy and needing a haircut anyway. The question is whether it's too much to put her through while she's in heat and whether or not my groomer will even take her in that condition. Maybe I can find a groomer that will come to me instead.


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## krandall

Askavi said:


> I am SOOO glad for this thread. After reading about Lola and Pixel getting hooked with a neutered male, I've decided to change my plans for this weekend a bit to accommodate extra supervision for Raff and Sass. Raffy doesn't seem that interested in Sassy in that way....yet. She also doesn't seem to be really bleeding much, just very swollen with a little blood/staining in the area. It just started so I don't know if the bleeding ramps up or not. Our cockapoo never bled much at all during her heats. Behavior-wise, Sassy is being a bit more submissive than usual, but seems to be in good spirits.
> 
> I noticed it seem like she was starting to blow coat this week also and actually was discussing if we should get her a puppy cut or not with my husband. Raffy is in full coat and we got through his *terrible* blowing coat phase, but his hair is different than hers. Her hair is very fine and cottony and seems to break off and felt *much* easier than his. I'm not sure that she would come out of the coat blow without looking pretty raggedy and needing a haircut anyway. The question is whether it's too much to put her through while she's in heat and whether or not my groomer will even take her in that condition. Maybe I can find a groomer that will come to me instead.


Just remember that they are not fertile (or receptive to the male) until AFTER they stop bleeding. There may still be a SLIGHT discharge at that time, but it will be clear, straw-colored. It's about day 13 when they start "looking for it". 

As far as the coat is concerned, just DON'T put panties on her if she's blowing coat, even if it means confining her to an ex-pen to prevent her staining furniture. Unfortunately, we HAD to have panties on Panda during her first heat, because it happened RIGHT when we needed to take my elderly parents away for the weekend. We ended up with her felted to the skin under the pants. It was AWFUL!!!


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## Bnails52

Oh boy! I am glad I read this thread, i have a puppy tbat will be 6 months old august 6th and I didnt have a clue when she would begin her female stuff, (lol) we are planning a cross country trip in October, which puts her at 8 mo ths old, i am going to buy some pants for her just in case before we leave. But then that leaves up looking for a vet in Florida, I do have two connections down there from a previous dog, but I really dont know them. He only had a anal gland cleanout, i have a friend that works for a vet near our florida home that I can go and talk to. I want to have her chipped as well. My question is do you think its better to wait a full year to do this? We will be in a motorhome for two months and at different camping areas, so typically do they ge erally have a cycle before one year?

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk


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## krandall

Bnails52 said:


> Oh boy! I am glad I read this thread, i have a puppy tbat will be 6 months old august 6th and I didnt have a clue when she would begin her female stuff, (lol) we are planning a cross country trip in October, which puts her at 8 mo ths old, i am going to buy some pants for her just in case before we leave. But then that leaves up looking for a vet in Florida, I do have two connections down there from a previous dog, but I really dont know them. He only had a anal gland cleanout, i have a friend that works for a vet near our florida home that I can go and talk to. I want to have her chipped as well. My question is do you think its better to wait a full year to do this? We will be in a motorhome for two months and at different camping areas, so typically do they ge erally have a cycle before one year?
> 
> Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk


Pixel was 14 months when she went into heat the first time, Panda was 10 months. Some go into heat much sooner. It is really very individual. My vet is currently suggesting that bitches be AT LEAST a year old, and having had one heat before spaying. She prefers that people wait until they are over two before spaying.

I haven't found it that difficult to deal with the girls in heat.


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