# in season .. what to do!



## Jan (Jan 30, 2012)

hi. my little baby is growing up! Kutya started her first season this morning (she is 9 months old) and I am not really sure about the whole process. How long does it last, is she fertile the whole time, and any other useful information would be greatly appreciated.
also I am really worried about exercising her. I usually walk her off-lead in a wood where she gets a lot of exercise and freedom. Obviously this isn't an option now but how do I exercise her so that she isn't totally frustrated and bored?!
thanks for any advice!


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## flynnandlunasmom (May 28, 2012)

This seems to be the time. There are a few other posts about this as well. My girls started this week too (11.5 mo) as did several other people's dogs. Congrats Kutya!

From what I understand, she's not even fertile for about another week or so but it's not worth taking any risks. There is a good post on here about it from Redbirdog - do a search on recent posts about heat cycles and you'll find it. 

As for exercising, we've just been doing long walks on-leash (since Monday, when she started). Normally she gets a lot of off-leash time but she's not really missing it. She has been very tired and she's not really herself. I hate to see her so out of sorts but I am glad she's tired because I don't feel so badly about lack of off-leash time. 

Best of luck to you!


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## Jan (Jan 30, 2012)

hi flynnandlunasmom - thanks for your reply. how weird .. something must be in the air! thanks I'll read Redbirdog's post and keep researching.
I think I'll also play it safe and keep her on a long leash - it's not worth the risk is it. I know what you mean - Kutya seemed really sleepy all day and was happy with a walk on the leash which is unusual. I'll keep persevering. 
thanks and good luck to your girls too!


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## flynnandlunasmom (May 28, 2012)

Oops, I said "girls" but I meant "girl". Luna is my only female and Flynn is my male. 

This is our first experience with a female dog in heat. (I know it's correct do to so, but I still can't bring myself to use the "B" word to describe a female dog!)


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## adrino (Mar 31, 2012)

flynnandlunasmom said:


> This seems to be the time. There are a few other posts about this as well. My girls started this week too (11.5 mo) as did several other people's dog.


I was just about to say the same! 
I posted about Elza about a day or two. Since then my breeder replied to me too. 
She said it should last 21 days and I shouldn't take any chance about walking her off leash. Well today Elza didn't bleed at all and her little back side looks less swollen than yesterday. 8) Now I really don't know what to think. We did go out to the park (not dog park) and let her off leash. I know that in the first few days she won't be willing. We chose an open grassy bit where we could see if another dog owner comes near but got lucky and nobody did. Got her ball out and made her run after it until she got bored. Did 10 mins training to drain more energy then back on the leash and walked home. Haven't met a dog so that was good. What will we do when she will want to mate? I haven't got a clue. We might just have to throw her ball in the flat and only take her out for a peepoo. She will go crazy and probably me too!  
Just gotta get through it...


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2011/02/natures-mating-dance.html

Thought you with females in heat may find this interesting.

RBD


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## DixiesMom (Feb 5, 2009)

A word of caution to all of the owners of "seasonal" girls. Your girl will suddenly forget all of the recall training that you have ever worked on, look for ways to escape the yard or dash out the door to have a candestine meeting with that chow mix in the yard a few houses down. 

Be vigilant.


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## Jan (Jan 30, 2012)

thanks for the replies. so far (though only two days!!) Kutya is not her usual bouncy self! she is a bit irritable and very sleepy. So the exercise problem hasn't been a huge issue so far.. fingers crossed it stays that way!
I feel a bit too nervous to take her out because if some male dog did try and mate with her I wouldn't be confident that I could stop it happening! I think I am going to keep giving her drives in my car for a change of scenery, with the window open for new smells and exercise her in the garden as much as possible.
I must admit I never realised that a season was so long .. I thought it was only a week but from what I have read it seems that it is about a month! (roll on the next 26 days!!) 
loved the photos from redbirdog - nature is pretty amazing really !


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## flynnandlunasmom (May 28, 2012)

Jan, mine is feeling the same way. Not herself, somewhat irritable, very sleepy and she just sort of wanders around the house looking lost and confused. There hasn't been very much blood though - she's keeping herself pretty clean. 

We've been doing our long on-leash walks late after dinner when not many dogs our out near us. If they are, they're generally in a fenced yard or walking on leash. 

I know that my husband and I listened to her breeder and we agreed that we'd let her go through at least one cycle before spaying her - but this is hard on me watching her so out of sorts. I'm not sure I would do the same for my next female V?

I have met other V girls who were spayed before cycling and I really don't notice much of a difference in temperament. I guess I'm just feeling a little guilty for putting her through this when I didn't have to.


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

> I have met other V girls who were spayed before cycling and I really don't notice much of a difference in temperament. I guess I'm just feeling a little guilty for putting her through this when I didn't have to.



http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2010/04/unspoken-truth-about-spaying-and.html

IMO you are doing the right thing for your dog. 

And a little story how a heat cycle affects young male Vizslas.

http://redbirddog.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/horny-male-vizsla.html

RBD


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## flynnandlunasmom (May 28, 2012)

Thanks RBD, I had actually read that on your blog a while back when I was doing some research. The hard part for me is that none of the info I can find comes from medical journals re: clinical trials etc. 

So, it's hard not to think of everyone's opinions re: when and/if to do it as just that, an opinion. 

But, I am sure after this is over and done and my little Luna (aka LooneyBird) goes on to live a long and healthy life, I may feel differently. I plan to always have vizsla's (and preferably always at least 2 at a time) for the rest of my life - so I'm sure I'll have a lot more experience under my belt in the future. I appreciate your info.


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

I have met girls who were spayed at a young age and they don't seem to develop as well as those who are either unspayed or were spayed after their first heat. They seem much more leggy to me and their chests don't develop quite as well. 2 of Riley's sisters were spayed before her, so it will be interesting to see if there is a difference in their development.

I can attest to the lapse in recall... Riley very quickly went from 100% to about 90%.  I'm also freaking out because my parent's neighbor's pit bull escaped their yard and they can't find him. I'm almost positive he could smell Riley and took off looking for her. We DO NOT want to add any more Vizsla/Pit puppies to this world. Last night when I picked her up from my parents' house, we made a mad dash to the car after I made sure the coast was clear! Oh, the joys of having a girl in heat. :


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Don't stress, just know where your girl is 24/7.
If your back yard is fenced stay out there with her.


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## Jan (Jan 30, 2012)

hi flynnandlunasmom 
i know what you mean about the spaying ! I was not really given any choice by our vet though - they said they would definitely not recommend spaying until after the first season as it affects their hormones and growth and were unhappy to do it anyway. 
I would love another vizsla but I dont want to be a breeder - I would probably try to get another from the same breeder as kutya so that they were related ! so I am planning to get her spayed after she has finished her season. 
does anybody know how long the bleeding lasts? there are various numbers of days on the internet so am not really sure. Kutya seems to be bleeding more today that any other day so far (it is now day 5 by my calculation!)
thanks Jan


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## adrino (Mar 31, 2012)

My breeder said it lasts about 21 days but I guess it could be between 3-4 weeks. I also read that you still have to wait a few months before you can spay her after her heat cycle. First the hormones and everything has to go back to normal. :-\

Elza's 6-7th day today. She still doesn't bleed a lot but today saw a spot on the floor and it was very thick and dark almost blackish. Went out for a quick walk on a long lead and met a dog but still not much interest in her.  I'm very pleased with that, not looking forward to the hard part. She's already getting frustrated by the lack of walks and free runs. 

Just hang in there and hopefully it will be over before we know it!


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## Jan (Jan 30, 2012)

ok thanks .. 
i suppose its not that long in the scheme of things .. it just seems it at the moment. 
i am thinking i might go for a walk later along the side of a busy road .. boring i know but at least any other dogs there will have a lead on too!! Kutya is beginning to get frustrated now.
good luck with Elza! hang on in there - we'll get through it!!


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Riley is on day 6 as well! We've already gone through an entire BAG of 12in bully sticks. :-o

My mom tried telling me it's "not nice" to let Riley go through heat and that I should have gotten her spayed earlier. I said how is getting her belly cut open and her ovaries ripped out as a baby nicer than letting her go through something that's completely natural? : I have to go through it every month! Riley only has to deal with this every 6 months... LOL.


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

> My mom tried telling me it's "not nice" to let Riley go through heat and that I should have gotten her spayed earlier. I said how is getting her belly cut open and her ovaries ripped out as a baby nicer than letting her go through something that's completely natural?


Threefsh, I think a blog post of this tread would be very interesting. 

The viewpoint of younger female Vizsla owners seeing a dog's cycle as natural and not something to be avoided. Our culture seems to have gone through a phase where we had the attitude drilled into us, like your mom, that it was kinder to cut open a dog for it's own good. That seems completely illogical to me now.

As a male I can't, in good conscious, deal with such a subject correctly. 

If you write it on your blog I would like to copy it.

RBD


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Here ya go! 

http://ltlor.blogspot.com/2012/06/vizsla-heat-cycle-females-perspective.html

I've been meaning to write a post about it - thanks for the reminder!


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## flynnandlunasmom (May 28, 2012)

threefsh, I agree that it is natural for them to go through heat. I even feel guilty about planning to get her spayed after but we don't plan to breed her and it just makes the most sense for us. 

I just wasn't prepared for how long it would last or how out of sorts Luna would be while in heat. She just seems so miserable. And physically, it looks so uncomfortable. She's so swollen and everything has pretty much popped out, for easy access (sorry to be so graphic). My husband keeps saying "Wow, I hope that is going to go back in!"

We did find a closed in field where we have not encountered any other dogs so we've been letting her off-leash a bit (though we didn't hold the leash we had her on a very long line and could grab it if need be). Yesterday, I commented to my husband that it looked like she was running funny and he said "Well, you might too if all your your stuff was hanging out like that." I laughed, but I got the point. 

Though she's not bleeding a lot she won't wear bloomers so she has bled enough to soil a duvet and a chair cover (fortunately it's dog-friendly because it's cheap from Ikea and we can replace the cover). I could keep her more confined to avoid this happening but I don't have the heart to keep her crated all day. 

So, the bottom line is, I know it's natural and probably the right thing to do but a little part of me feels like it might be mean putting her through this. Though, you're absolutely right, it's going to be very mean when I get her spayed. 

My big fear now is if she has a phantom pregnancy after this heat. My heart will literally break in two if my little girl starts treating one of her toys like a baby.


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## Jan (Jan 30, 2012)

loved your blog threefsh
and riley is gorgeous !


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## roxy2011 (May 21, 2012)

guys should i be worried?

roxy is 16 months and still hasnt had her first season...her behaviour has changed this week though shes a little whiney but no blood her bits are all in the right place and sometimes look swollen but dogs havent yet descended on my doorstep so to speak ... :-\


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

The behavior change was our first clue that Riley was going into heat. That was quickly followed by her lady parts swelling, then the bleeding. Dogs will only *really* be interested in her when she starts bleeding. During the "fertile" period, *she* will also be interested. If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to ask! 

The whole process has been much easier than I thought it would be. Riley has matured so much (physically) during the past month or so. Her chest is deeper and she's gained 2lbs!


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## adrino (Mar 31, 2012)

Roxy2011, you shouldn't worry about that she hasn't had hers yet. Lucky you I have to say. Elza was only 6 1/2 months old when it started and it's still going on after 22-23 days.  :-\
My breeder said the average is between 6-18 months. That can differ and I saw some older posts about girls having thiers after 2 years old.

It will come. When? Who knows?! 

I started a thread too about my dog in season, quite a few of us posted in it regularly you could have a look at that. Don't have the link but the name of it "Need help? First season!" I think I said season but it might be heat. :-[
Just write it in the search...


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