Hi,

I've got a six and a half month old tibetan terrier and i noticed a few drops of blood on the carpet a couple of days running. I've only had her a couple of weeks and although i've got two other dogs i've not had one in season before.
Is this too young and are there any other signs to let me know. she keeps herself very clean so checking her doesn't show me anything.
Would my male dog even though he's been neutered be interested or not? wellat least want to smell her.
Any advice would be great.

Certainly sounds like she is in season.  Take a white tissue and dab/rub her vulva with it when she has been resting, if there is pink/red stain then she is in season.

Your castrated male may or may not be interested in her.  Many do still mate with in season bitches given the opportunity.

Hi
How long has your male been neutered for?  It can take several months for a male to get rid of the fertile semen...........so if it is a recent castration, BE CAREFUL!  :-)

best tme to rub a tissue on vulva is straight after she wees, you can almost always pick up a red or pink tinge then even if she keeps herself clean

Also, generally you should notice that her vulva will swell up in a few days, so don't be alarmed. :-)

Good point Gunner, your male may be fertile even if castrated if it was recent. Also, even an infertile neutered male can still mate and 'tie' with a bitch, which can be scary for them and if they panic can cause a lot of damage both mental and physical. So if he shows any signs of interest, don't leave them alone together.

hi,
Thanks for the replies. My male dog has been neutered for 8 years and apart from an odd smell of her doesn't seem bothered at all.
I'll try the tissue test when she's had a sleep and see what happens.
If she is in season should i do anything ie spray her with an appropriate dog spray to deter any dog being interested.
also how long are they in season for?

Usually in season for 3 weeks, walking will depend on your area, if there are a lot of young or un-neutered males around you are better off walking at unsociable hours, very early in the morning or not at all, just play in the garden with her to get lots of exercise.

Bitches in season can cause chaos to those with young males off lead so make your decision on your area, dog population and dogs likely to approach her, a dog can get the scent of an in-season bitch from quite a long distance, keep her on lead. :-)

I never realised they were in season for so long. was taking her for her coat t be clipped on friday maybe thats not such a good idea, or is it safe as long as any other dogs there are caged?
I can't let her off the lead yet anyway as she had only knows being in a kennel before i got her and she still spooks at alot of noises.
any advise on the sprays you can get?

The sprays don't fool many dogs unfortunately and some experienced ones actually know what they mean.

I would ring the groomer to ask whether it is still ok, she will know what other dogs she has in, it's not just the fact they can be in cages it excites them and can cause fighting talk and escapee behaviour and also will make grooming more difficult if a male dog is not relaxed and trying to look for the bitch, some bitches can also get a little aggitated when in season aswell, so just check with the groomer for that, and if your bitch gets a little tetchy I would wait.

Re: Spray, not a lover of them myself but you can most probably pick them up from a general pet store, or if not there are plenty of them online, trouble is when your bitch urinates out on her walk they can still pick up the scent of an in-season bitch.

Just remembered i've got training classes tonight so i've cancelled them for now.
Will try and get hold of the dog groomer and see what she says.
don't know if i can seperate her from my other dog at night as she only settles because he's with her. Would it be worth spraying her at night as my dog doesn't seem interested but it may deter him smelling anything that may get him thinking.   

Just spoke to the dog salon and she's happy to go ahead and trim her. all other dogs are caged well away from her.
She's also fine with me touching her rear end and very calm.
Still not sure if she is in season and after trying a tissue when she woke up i still can't tell. 

You really do need to keep them separated if she is in season as even though he's castrated he could still mate her. You can try Sherleys Anti-Mate tablets to reduce her attractiveness, but they really do need to be either supervised at all times or separated to prevent any accidents

Just got back from the vets as they said they could tell if Una is in season.
Anyway still seen no more blood drops so i think it was more likely to be one of my other dogs getting a bit rough during play.
The vet thinks it unlikely she is in season after giving her a good examination so i will keep checking for the next few days but think it's a false alarm for now. 
Thanks for all the advice though.