i have never seen it in a bitch before she finished her season about a week ago and she seems depressed she is not her happy go lucky self,she is eating and going for a walk, but she seems to have gone very quite, she was quite an active little dog but for the three weeks she only stayed in the garden did not do her normal walks and training etc and we still did some agility training but not as much as normal do you think she will get back to normal once normal training etc resumes or do they sometimes get a bit down in the dumps after a season this is her second season.

yes this can be perfectly normal for some bitches. I am going through it with my youngster at the moment. Her mum also did i before she was spayed. She would spend approx 9 weeks sitting around looking dreamy. I swear she thought she was pregnant, then she would dig huge holes in the garden for her imaginary puppies and then spend the next few weeks looking after them, then about 3-4 months after her season she would be back to normal.
I was really pleased her daughter didn't do this after her first season and thought maybe she wasn't going to take after her mum but since her second season she has been very quiet and for the last week has taken to living behind the settee with a squeaky toy. I have just removed it and blocked off her access to her hidey hole now.

I find the whole dog season thing a bit difficult, I don't want to spay my bitch but she is definitely not her usual self throughout. I'm concerned about chopping out bits of a dog because it's convenient- I know there are health benefits but we had a bitch put down when she was left very incontinent post surgery. Wouldn't automatically spay a human would we?!

Our first dog had false pregnancies to the point that she would scrabble around under the table and eat the plaster work (once!) in attempting to make a 'nest' for puppies.  She also got saggy boobs too.  She was spayed at around 3, and this all stopped.  She isn't incontinent. 

However, if I weren't having probs with a bitch (false pregnancy symptoms etc), then I wouldn't spay at that age next time but wait till 5-6ish, I think.  Beyond that, the risk of pyo increases too much.

> I know there are health benefits but we had a bitch put down

I've never heard of anyone having a bitch destroyed due to incontinence. 

> Wouldn't automatically spay a human would we?!

Or, put them down because they weed their knickers.

> I've never heard of anyone having a bitch destroyed due to incontinence.

I've not known anyone do i but I have known of someone who considered it - doesn't happen often but some bitches get very distressed with the leaking.  Not sure if it was on here or another forum but as I recall, the bitch in question was so seriously distraught by her incontinence that her quality of life was being seriously affected - fortunately the owner found something that worked for her but if it hadn't, then PTS was being looked at.

Fortunately Soli doesn't get upset if she leaks but if she did, I must admit I would seriously look at the situation - on top of her normal stressors it would probably be one thing too many for her.  But thankfully it's not an issue :-)

LOL @ jeanSW (nearly weed myself laughing)

To the OP, My girl recently finished her season and although isn't showing all the signs of a full blown phantom she is, like you described...a little bit depressed. I'm just keeping everything as normal as possible with a little extra walking and training to help snap her out of it.
Hope your girl is back to normal ASAP.
Paula xx

we went to training last night for agility and she did it and was happy to see everyone but she was not her normal busy self she was not actually slow but the trainer did ask if she was ok, when i told her she said one of her bitches is exactly the same for about 4 weeks after a season and she said plenty of things to keep her mind off the sulking as she called it, this weekend she is comming with me to her first full kc agility show plenty of wooded walks and streams and things to do so busy all weekend and camping as well so that is taking her out of her home and any nesting instincts she has, i am pleased that other dogs go through it as well and things get better as i thought i was the only one, i am not considering speying her yet but may if this continues as i don't want to see her like this not for me just she looks so sad not her happy bouncing annoying self.

I'm glad she enjoyed her training and the agility and camping sound just the thing to cheer her up. :-)
If it gets worse or she starts to produce milk then a trip to the vet may be needed but hopefully it won't be necessary.
Good luck at the agility show.
Paula xx

well we all went to the show and camped so she was away from home from friday till sunday late afternoon , the first day in agility she was so slow a snail passed her on the way around the course, and the look she gave me when i asked her to climb the A frame you could see it ''i possibly could not do that big A frame i am with babies'' get up that A frame now and she sighed and went up it she did everything else and when i came out the ring my friends where laughing and saying she is not herself is she , but we kept on going into the ring she went , and i would not give in to her and by sunday morning she had started to chase my other dogs for the ball and then would go OH god i can't or should not be running with babies , but she started to forget about her phantom we have been home for two days now and i can see glimmer of her comming back to normal, she chased a pigeon on the path yesterday and she chased the puppy for her toy and she does not look so down now, so  i think taking her away from home did her good as she started to forget and she is going swimming today , and training later tonight and then tomorrow training and then a day off and then a weekend of competing again but she has not started to produce milk or take any toys and try and mother them so hopefully that is a good sign

Haha I can just imagine that look!! My bitch has phantoms but luckily only a slight physical one in that she produces milk, she doesn't nest or mope or anything.

Oh good, I'm glad she is starting to come round and that you enjoyed your little break. :-)
Paula xxx