Managing your puppy when she is in season
If
your puppy hasn't been spayed, she'll come into season for the first
time at around 5-8 months. Unless you want to breed, there's no benefit
for a puppy to come into season and many owners decide to have their
puppy neutered before this happens. This is because the cycle, which
lasts for 21 days, can cause a big change in your pet's everyday
routine. When she’s in season she’ll be very attractive to male dogs,
and if you’re not careful you may end up with a litter of unwanted
puppies.
The signs that she is ‘’in season’’
You
may first notice that she is discharging small amounts of blood from
her genital area, which is sometimes called ‘spotting’. You might see
her continuously licking that area, a sure sign a puppy’s “in season”.
How to manage the situation
For
a start, unless you want your puppy to be a magnet for male dogs,
you'll have to keep her confined for the whole time she's in season. If
you do take her out in public, you'll need to be very careful to keep
her on the leash and under control, and try to keep her away from male
dogs. Your dog's hormones may cause her to be very frisky during the
cycle so she may not be as well-behaved as usual.