How to cope with a dog in season?

You'll need to avoid areas where she'll be approached by dogs off lead. Take her for walks at less busy times of day to avoid unwanted attention. Be prepared to keep her on a lead in public areas. Make sure any unneutered male dogs are separated from her if they live together, even if the dogs are related. Avoid potentially stressful events, such as staying in kennels, visits to busy places or neutering, unless it's an emergency. Try to keep things consistent, predictable and safe for your dog. Monitor for any symptoms of complications during or after her seasons. Neutering your dog is the best way to make sure your dog does not get pregnant.

To cope with a dog in season, allow them as much rest as they need and comfort them if they seek comfort. Keep them on the lead and away from unneutered male dogs to prevent any unwanted pregnancies. Stick to their routine, as a change of routine can cause distress. If you are restricting certain areas of the house, introduce this in advance so it’s not new to your pup. Monitor their behaviour, this will help you prepare for future heat cycles. Keep your pup on their lead at least a week after bleeding stops, as your dog will still be fertile for a period after bleeding has stopped. If you notice male dogs still showing a keen interest in your dog, keep them on the lead a while longer.

To cope with a dog in season, we were quite relaxed as owners, especially as we only have one room with hard flooring, but I know owners often keep their dog in certain areas of the house during a dog’s season, which is a sensible solution. An easy trick is to get some cheap or old blankets where she might lie to avoid staining. There are also dog nappies that some people choose to use, but it’s worth getting your dog used to these prior to her first season. We kept Ruby on a lead for the 3 weeks of her season, keeping to quieter areas early in the morning or later in the evening, and crossing roads whenever we saw another dog coming our way, especially a male dog, to avoid any possible interactions. It’s probably something to be mindful of, however, to be aware of male dogs sniffing her out from a mile away and jumping walls to get to her. It’s important to understand your dog's cues throughout, so you can make sure you’re keeping them safe and comfortable.

If you only have a female dog the practicalities can be easily managed. She will likely bleed, so you will need lots of towels and washing powder, be prepared to do lots of laundry! You might need some dog pants – I made Winnie some out of fleece fabric and they did the job very well, and looked quite fetching to boot! Make sure they are comfortable and washable! If you do take her out for a walk, maybe avoid the places she will want to run, and keep her on a lead as there are entire males out there that will sniff her out and if they meet up several hundred yards from where you are, it is unlikely you will be able to interact before the males urges have taken over. If you have access to a completely safe, enclosed area to exercise your dog off lead, they will appreciate this and you will too, otherwise all the pent up energy will likely manifest as mischievousness at home! An extendable lead might help her have some independence on walks where she is used to being off lead. If you have an entire male dog in the house you will need to be extra vigilant – not just because your girl is far too young to have puppies, but you may have dogs that are related and a pairing will be completely in appropriate between them. My advice is to get a stair gate or two! It is essential to separate your dogs while in the home, but a stair gate allows them to see each other. Separating them as much as you can is the fairest thing for your boy. I also used Skullcap and Valerian tablets to keep both dogs calmer and it seemed to work for us. If you find yourself in this situation, stick with the slight inconvenience and break in routine, it doesn’t last long and in the long run will far better than the consequences of not being super vigilant during this vulnerable time for your girl.