# New Behavior after First Heat



## FLgatorgirl (Mar 11, 2013)

I took Ellie to visit my mom a few days ago and to play with my brother's younger standard poodle. The two have played before and done well although the poodle is totally wild because she has little training and never gets to play with other dogs. Since the last time they played, the poodle has been spayed and our girl just had her first heat. Also, we were at my mom's house first and the poodle arrived afterwards (still had them greet in the back yard), where in the past the poodle was there first. 

Ellie immediately barked at the poodle and was chasing her hard until the poodle would lay down and show her belly. They did this in the past visits until the poodle realized Ellie was not going to hurt her and started to gain some confidence. It started to rain, so we went inside. Ellie was being very pushy with the poodle basically making her stay in one area of the room. She growled at her if she came near me and got too close or showed much excitement. It was not an "I am going to kill you" growl, but it was something. I got up and moved when this happened. Ellie also would go take a toy, move about ten feet from the poodle, dead stare at her with the toy in her mouth and growl, like a challenge. The poodle was super confused and sticking close to my mom because Ellie was generally growling at her or forcing her to move if she went anywhere else. Occasionally, Ellie would go over to where my mom and the poodle were and want my mom to pet her. She did not growl or body block the poodle constantly, but she did it a fair amount. 

After about twenty minutes of this and me trying to figure out how best to referee, Ellie indicated she wanted to go in her crate (strange for her unless she is exhausted), so I put her in and decided it was best to take the poodle home and not take a chance of any behavior escalating. 

Ellie played with two of her boyfriends earlier in the week with no issues (and they play very hard/rough with Ellie being the roughest). She had also been around three other female dogs (all older, including one she just met) without any problems. I cannot figure out if now that she has had her heat she is trying to be dominant over my brother's dog because she is younger or maybe she just no longer has patience for such a spazz? Ellie had a big day and it was almost evening nap time when the poodle came over, so maybe she was just tired. I need to understand how best to handle it if it happens again the next time we visit.


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## emilycn (Jul 30, 2013)

I think Lua is going into her first heat soon --- she's 10 months today. I've noticed some signs (no more bald belly, little puppy nipples getting slightly more prominent, vulva-licking but not much swelling, and increased grumpiness/boundary setting with other dogs) --- but of course I have no idea what I'm actually looking for, since i've never had and intact bitch before. 

Yesterday she got in BIG trouble for the first time when she started a tiff with an older, spayed bitch (Alby) that has stayed over occasionally since Lua was 9 weeks old with no issues. Alby walked toward me and Lua on the couch while eyeing a bone, and lua jumped off the couch growling/barking at Alby and some back and forth (gentle -- no marks) nipping ensued. I jumped up and yelled and they broke it up. I was PISSED at Lua for acting like an overreactive, well, bitch. I gave her a serious stink-eye stare-down that she's never seen before and growled at her that she better never let me see that behavior again. She acted appropriately ashamed of herself the rest of the night, and I "claimed" the bone and gave it to Alby --- it's a high-value, novel bone, and I've been leaving it out as bait so that she can practice leaving it. 

I think this behavior change is another sign of an oncoming season--- she's trying to test boundaries with other dogs, and somewhat, with me. But I was pretty impressed with her response to being "corrected" with a stare-down. I think that she's reading me a little bit better as she gets older, which also strikes me as something associated with maturity.

Whatever happened with Ellie's behavior?


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## Carolina Blue (Sep 20, 2012)

Kiya was overly aggressive with my sister's female spayed lab mix. They have played together before with no issues! My nephew had his male fixed lab there too and K was fine with him. I think it is raging hormones. She still gets bitchy with me - biting my shoes, leash which was not a problem until she got closer to her cycle. I think Ellie and Kiya went to heat around the same time - so maybe in a few weeks those hormones will be back to normal. Only to start back up again in June! Kiya's second birthday present will be getting spayed in September. I'm sure she will be thrilled!


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## FLgatorgirl (Mar 11, 2013)

Ellie was definitely "bitchy" towards everyone in the few weeks leading up to the start of her heat. During her heat, she was a bit snappy with males, but she was actually really good with us. She was calmer, sweeter, better behaved and seemed to listen better. She became less busy, more confident and generally did not require as much constant attention. Thankfully, that continued! She seems to have matured and settled a lot. She definitely seems to understand better if she acts out and gets corrected, I can see it in her face and immediate change in behavior. I am not saying she is perfect, but she is a world better than she was prior to her heat. 

Since her heat, there is no question that she is somewhat testing her new found maturity with other dogs. Things that she used to get corrected for, she is now correcting for the same thing (playing too hard, being obnoxious). I have seen her do this with dogs that are male/female, older/younger, intact/not intact. If a dog is respectful of her, she is respectful of them and will play or hang out---she is not just randomly correcting other dogs as a challenge. If I feel like her reaction with another dog is more than really necessary, I will tell her "too much" which she knows and call her to me for a timeout for a few minutes. I think that has only happened a few times.

We plan to let her have her second heat and then decide what to do from there. We might wait another cycle or two. Whenever we do decide to spay, I plan on finding a vet that can do a laparoscopic spay.


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## FLgatorgirl (Mar 11, 2013)

I forgot to mention that after seeing Ellie's behavior with a multitude of different dogs since my initial post regarding my brother's dog, I have come to understand she is just trying to set boundaries. Now that she is a mature young lady, I believe she feels entitled to enforcing some ground rules in how she wants to interact . I also described her reactions to dogs like my brother's poodle to our trainer and the behaviorist and they both said it is because the other dogs are so wound up and basically being rude and disrespectful in dog language. Now that Ellie is older, she feels like she can tell them to back off and chill out. Unfortunately, due to poor socialization with other dogs, not all of these dogs (my brother's dog!) get what Ellie is trying to tell them. I think that is where you have a chance of things escalating, so we try to avoid those situations.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

We just have to keep in mind as our dogs grow up they change. They may have loved to chew, and be chewed on by other dogs as pups, but not as much as adults.
That doesn't mean they won't like a game of chase and rough house. But they decide if/when they want to play it, and with what dog..

Then you have to take in to account that they will not react the same with every dog. Some dogs they click with right away, and others they won't care to interact with.
Kinda like us owners, when it comes to meeting new people.


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