Esme's seasons are usually around 8 months apart, give or take a week, but I'm still waiting for her to come in now. She was due in November. This will be her 1st season after having a litter. Do bitches usually stick to the same "schedule" after a litter or is it just a case of wait and see?

My problem is that I'd agreed to have her son back for 5 days over the new year, thinking she'd be done and dusted by then. I do have means to keep them separate but had hoped it wouldn't come to that.

My bitch had always been regular at 6 months but was 2 months late after her litter - ie. 6 months after birth of pups not after her season.

I know of several bitches that are late with this season, so it may well be that they have all been talking to one another, just to annoys us ;-)

Though with the seasons (spring, summer, etc) being out of sorts it's not any wonder that the animals are confused.

In my own experience every one of my bitches has gone at least an extra 4 weeks between the season they were mated on and the one following a litter.

My limited experience (one bitch, 2 litters) was that she came in at the usual interval but after the litter, rather than the mating. So my girl is usually about 7 months between seasons, but her post-litter seasons were about 7 months from litter birth. No idea if that's common though!

> but her post-litter seasons were about 7 months from litter birth. No idea if that's common though!

So she was about a month late like I have found (18 litters, 8 bitches).

No, she was nearly 2 months late, counting 7 months from birth of litter rather than from last season.

That is what I meant they go a month or more late from the previous season.  Mine normally go around 27 weeks between seasons but after a litter is is usually 30 - 34 weeks, always counting from start of previous season.

The girl I bred last year was on 8 month seasons. First after her litter was 6 months. Next was her usual 8 months on.

I guess I'll just have to "be prepared".

My bitch was a month late when she had a litter.

Well we are still waiting ... now coming up to 10 months (from start of previous season, so 8 months from birth of pups).

Just as an aside, whereas it would be normal to have a season between litters, in this situation, if she goes more than 12 months between seasons would it be OK to mate her again, so in effect she would be having a back to back litter albeit 12 months or more apart?

I'd just add, I have no plans to mate her at this season (if it ever arrives), but was just curious as to whether it would be considered ethical?

>I'd just add, I have no plans to mate her at this season (if it ever arrives), but was just curious as to whether it would be considered ethical?

Perfectly ethical.  If a bitch is in fit condition, and totally recovered from a litter, I see no problem.  It may "technically" be a back to back litter, but we have no control on the gap between seasons.

Just thought I'd update with the news that Esme has come into season at last, almost a year since the last one where she had her litter. I wonder if she'll now revert back to the usual 8 monthly intervals?

They seem to be a law unto themselves.

My girl who had gone 6 - 7months previously went as I would expect went 7.5 months from the season of having the litter (as I normally expect 4 - 6 weeks delay due to puppies), now her next season has taken 8 months, came in yesterday.

I had not entered her fro Manchester expecting season, but have entered her for Crufts next week(she came in yesterday), so Crufts entry down the pan.

My girl who normally has 7.5 - 9 month intervals came in after only 7.5 months after the season of the litter, but this time has already gone over 8 months (expect her half sister will bring her in within a week or so now, as showing slight swelling).

To answer your question they do seem to usually revert to usual pattern, but I have found as they age the season intervals extend a little.

I dare say she'll bring her daughter in this time as she is now 9 months+, just in time for one of the shows I've entered towards the end of this month!