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Great Danes => Great Dane Discussions => : Luvmydanes August 14, 2005, 03:51:08 PM

: First Heat?
: Luvmydanes August 14, 2005, 03:51:08 PM
Hey everyone! Hope everyone is doing well. We have been staying busy, like always. lol.

Anyways, a quick question - how can we keep Jasmine and Dane away from each other when Jasmine goes into heat? I know they can go as early as 6 months, which Jasmine will be in about another 2 weeks, and we are trying to keep them separated. We divided our yard and put one on each side and they have decided to just leap over the fence to get to each other, which will be bad bad bad when she is in heat! Any suggestions?

Kandi
: Re: First Heat?
: elmo August 14, 2005, 04:05:32 PM
i wouldent worry too much at the moment 12 months pluss is more the norn but if he can smell her he will do anything to get to her
: Re: First Heat?
: Luvmydanes August 14, 2005, 04:18:13 PM
So should I not separate them yet? Or is it just safer to start doing it now? This is my 1st time owning a male and a female together, so I don't have a clue what to do!

Kandi
: Re: First Heat?
: DixieSugarBear August 14, 2005, 05:37:20 PM
I have a seven month old Great Pyrenees.  I use a white tissue to check her daily for discharge so I will know when she goes into heat.  I will not have a problem with my boy Pyr he has been fixed.  I plan to only let her outside when I am with her.  I have some boxer shorts for her inside so the blood drops do not make a mess.  I have only put them on her once so it is going to be fun (not) trying to keep them on her for a week or so. 

Lisa
: Re: First Heat?
: Phillips August 14, 2005, 07:06:15 PM
I suggest sending him to a friends or relative untill its over? Best way to protect accidents. 
: Re: First Heat?
: Phillips August 14, 2005, 07:07:22 PM
I have a male chi and a female boxer. So i am going to let him stay with mother in law or put her outside. 
: Re: First Heat?
: taijinrr September 29, 2005, 07:59:46 PM
keep the bitch or male crated untill the bitch is out of heat

or  do you have a friend or family member to watch the male for you?
best  answer i can give you

we have males and females here and never had the wrong male breed to a bitch

lots of patience and seperation

good luck
: Re: First Heat?
: RedyreRottweilers September 29, 2005, 08:14:27 PM

I have other questions:

Why are both your dogs intact?

Do you plan to show your dogs?

Do you plan to breed your dogs?

What research have you done about breeding and your breed in particular if you plan to breed?

No, a fence will not keep them apart, and your bitch in season will not be safe outdoors when she is in season no matter how she is fenced.

When I have a bitch in season, she is either crated inside my house or she is WITH ME period.

Mother nature has ways of ensuring that procreation happens. Get ready for endless whining, screaming, scratching, digging, panting, and a male dog that does not eat.

Get ready for a smelly messy female who will try just as hard to get to the boys as the boys will try to get to her.

Be prepared to be on the alert for about 60 days after each season for infections or pyometra on the part of your girl.

Your best tactic is to have one OR BOTH of them altered. Keeping an intact male to use on the female you have is not really wise, since if you have the female, you have an entire country of the top males to choose from.

Just my first 2 cents worth....
: Re: First Heat?
: sarnewfie September 29, 2005, 09:25:24 PM
Also beware
PYOMETRA is a killer of intact females.
normally and this is not a rule, they get it within three weeks of going out of heat.
seperating the yard aint gonna do it.
crating the two side by side.
and believe me, having an intact male in the house with girls in heat is h*ll
i have dealt with this for years, and my husband is finally understanding it after six patient years of dealing with it.
i also wonder why both are intact and would say that nueter is the only safe and sane thing to do, unless you were to breed and start a program.
: Re: First Heat?
: RedyreRottweilers September 30, 2005, 09:58:09 PM
**bump**
: Re: First Heat?
: RedyreRottweilers October 01, 2005, 02:53:22 AM
So should I not separate them yet? Or is it just safer to start doing it now? This is my 1st time owning a male and a female together, so I don't have a clue what to do!

Kandi

1) Spay the female

2) Neuter the male

3) Stop worrying about separating them.

;)
: Re: First Heat?
: jinx athena's mommy October 03, 2005, 02:44:32 AM
i have a question that goes along with this when is the best time to alter your pup? i have a female that is 12 wks old.  i have heard it said that it shouldn't be done till after their first heat, some people say exactly 6 mnths and some people say even younger.  the locale spca does pups of pretty much any age over 6 wks.  is this a good idea? i understand as a shelter why with the growing epidemic of unewanted puppies in my city and in the country in general but i have to worry that there may be problems with too young as well as too old
: Re: First Heat?
: RedyreRottweilers October 03, 2005, 04:43:28 AM

You get the most health benefits with bitches by spaying BEFORE the first season.

This radically reduces her chances of breast cancer later in life.

It also eliminates the possibility of any accidental pregnancy, or uterine infections that can happen after a bitch has been in season.

On larger breeds I would recommend 6 to 7 months of age as a reasonable time for OVH (ovario hysterectomy, spay is really an incorrect term that means to remove the ovaries only :D )
: Re: First Heat?
: BabsT October 03, 2005, 05:00:57 AM
I plan on spaying my female caucasian....T he average first heat for the breed is 13-15 months...I am going to do it 11-12 months...Zero will stay intact because the breeder may want him as a stud dog if all the health, TT's and ratings do well...otherwi se I will neuter him by 2.5 years old.. Right now he is 11months and I havent had any issue with him...His temp is starting to show I should say getting stronger by the day but not towards his 'pack'

If for some reason she comes into heat early, Zero will stay with my parents and she will be crated in the house or leashed with me outside in my fenced yard only
: Re: First Heat?
: RedyreRottweilers October 03, 2005, 05:03:37 AM

Having him leave would greatly simplify things for you.

I have had more than one male dog sleeping in a crate in the van in the garage when I had a girl in heat.

LOL
: Re: First Heat?
: BabsT October 03, 2005, 05:11:21 AM
I can imangine...I know I am cutting it close but with breeds like this I am putting it off as long as I can...If she did come into season, how long after her heat is over can I spay her?

My breeder prefers 2 cycles with this breed but understands I have an intact male in the house of another breed and have no intention on wanting puppies or an accidental litter.

These breeds really dont develop fully that is why I am trying to hold off
: Re: First Heat?
: jinx athena's mommy October 03, 2005, 05:12:32 AM
thanks i'm going to aim for the 7mnth mark then
: Re: First Heat?
: RedyreRottweilers October 03, 2005, 05:13:39 AM

I would probably give her 30 days or so post season before spaying her. That gives her time to get rid of the extra blood flow to the area that is present during a heat cycle.

A responsible person can handle living with intact males and females, but most of the time it ain't no picnic.

;)
: Re: First Heat?
: BabsT October 03, 2005, 05:22:16 AM
I know I can handle it if it happened but my issue more so is my 7 year old little boy.  I understand the desire to reproduce is one of the strongest instincts in animals...so an amimal wouldnt act as normal and accidents may happen because of their desire to reprpduce
: Re: First Heat?
: RedyreRottweilers October 03, 2005, 05:44:43 AM

Eggggggzactly.

That is one reason why I have ONLY girls.

;)
: Re: First Heat?
: greek4 October 03, 2005, 07:30:53 PM
My vet was able to spay Maia about 3 weeks after she starting bleeding in her heat cycle and she is still having some blood discharge so I would wait out that 30 days that Red said so you can get the bloody part over.

Rocco is nuetered and it was still a hassle having Maia in heat with him around.  He may be neutered but he got the idea of what his job would have been in the wild and he felt it was his duty to perform his job on any part of her body he could get to.

I have always heard to spay your female before the first heat at 6 months to avoid unnecessary health issues.
: Re: First Heat?
: Talladega October 03, 2005, 08:20:49 PM
Hello... i just want to put a picture of my puppy on here :)~  I have a Fawnequin, Great Dane... she is 9 months
: Re: First Heat?
: sarnewfie October 03, 2005, 08:48:12 PM
In our breed i disagree with spaying BEFORE first season, instead i encourage my people to let them go thru one heat cycle for the girls, and hold off as long as they can thru 18 months for the boys.
the hormones are linked to the maturity etc.. and a 1% decrease in chance of mammory cancer is not enough to convince me that it is worthwhile to spay before the growth plates are closed.
there are many studies out there that are for, and many that are against early altering.
the responsibility lies in the owners hands.
crating the two side by side while she is in cycle.
no together time period.
and no running the fenceline together period.
: Re: First Heat?
: taijinrr October 03, 2005, 09:05:52 PM
we also do not believe in S/N before 1 year old here. our bitches usually come into 1st heat about 13/14 months old
the males are done at 1 year.
they do need the hormones and growth plates to develope nicley.
  we watch our puppy people as carfully as we can, especially with the males, since they can produce at a young age.  if the bitch is in season and due to be spayed,,,,,,,it's the owners responsibility to keep males away from her, not even near her, and drive the poor male crazy. (boys will be boys) best bet is place either one at a friend or family for 3 weeks  untill a heat cycle is sure to pass.
: Re: First Heat?
: BabsT October 03, 2005, 09:07:16 PM
Question..If I allow my female to have her first heat....what is the best way to keep them apart...I would try and keep Zero in another home BUT I dont know if he would do well for 3 weeks in another home

any suggestions... my husband wants to do it at 12 months regardless if she comes into heat or not
: Re: First Heat?
: taijinrr October 03, 2005, 09:14:39 PM
i think you should go ahead and have her spayed,,,,,,,,,,
 better then a unwanted litter at a young age,,,,,,,,
i'm sure she will be fine
at least you are doing the right thing and i sure am glad there are dog owners out there like you,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, want  a ridgeback???lmao,,,,,,,,joking
: Re: First Heat?
: BabsT October 03, 2005, 09:21:39 PM
LOL...Thanks.. .I try...If I do allow her to have a heat...I will give her clorophyll gel caps and take Zero with me for the day  6:30-4:30pm and keep her in the house...

Then when I come home I will move her crated to the spare bedroom upstairs and keep Zero leashed with me when in the house until bed and then crated in my bedroom

Durin the second week of her heat, I will have my son stay at my parents where he used to lvie with me before I got married when it is the most tense and go from there

I guess it all depends on where she is at 12 months LOL
: Re: First Heat?
: taijinrr October 03, 2005, 09:24:03 PM
great,,,,,,,,good luck ;D
: Re: First Heat?
: BabsT October 03, 2005, 09:31:59 PM
I am sure it will be my first and last attempt too LMAO  On the othe hand, I like a challenge