Just after some thoughts really.
I had always been told that a bitches seasons often followed her Mothers patterns.
My bitch Minnie ( Giant breed) had her first season at 14 months.Her 1st daughter has just had her 1st season a few days shy of 9 months,and her 4th daughter 5 days after 9 months - should we expect the other 3 bitches to be any time soon ?
My own thoughts are it may be due to diet - Minnie was on adult food from 12 weeks old (something I do with my giant breed puppies as the protein is way too high in giant breed puppy food and just makes them grow far too much far too fast) and I wonder if this slowed her hormones along with her growth - I kept a bitch - 3rd born bitch (Darla) and she is showing no signs of being ready at all yet! despite her Mother recently being in season (October) and both her litter mates who are in season coming to stay with us (I take back the in season bitches if the owners have entire males).
Not bothered or worried at all - just pondering!

Don't think it is either myself, the season is controlled by hormones and they can be effected by almost anything but the pack situation probably has the strongest effect - you know the sort of think one on all on or in the case of the bitch one season is followed very quickly by another, depends on how many bitches you have.

Lets just hope my little one holds on till AFTER Boston !

I'm stewarding at Boston, don't know what ring I'm doing on your day though.

Oo! Well I'll be with the newfies - in the puppy and junior class - probably wearing something orange !

I don't know. I kept 2 litter sisters and obviously fed them the same diets etc. One was bigger and much more mature looking than the other. However it was the smaller puppyish one who had a season first at 9 months old and her much bigger, mature sister waited until she was 13 months old.

The mother and daughter I have  at the moment, Mum had her first season at 15 months like her mother before her, but daughter had her first season at 10 months. they also all had 8-9 month gaps between seasons to. Unfortunately all 3 generations seem to have inherited the gene for awful phantoms.

Unfortunately phantoms are just what nature intended and domestication does not seemed to have changed this in some individuals.

If I am in or near your ring I will know you by your number, will keep a look out but I may well be miles away.

Just realised that working is the same day as the hounds and I know I am in a hound ring that day, still will keep a look out for you, usually find I have a ring where I am stuck till about 3 but you never know your luck I may be finished earlier.

> Lets just hope my little one holds on till AFTER Boston

Me too here also and also i'm hoping mine has hers before Crufts...

Her litter sisters had theirs at 7 and 8 months, her mother apparently was around 8 months also, my girl is now 9 months and her behaviour is saying she might be and then she drops off again..

I always assumed my girls followed their mother's pattern (approximately).  Certainly, for many years and over several generations my records indicated this may be a possibility.

However, seasons in this household have gone "to pot."  The senior (older girls) continue to cycle as predicted but the younger girls are not following their mother's (or grandmothers and those that have gone before) or anyone else's lead! 

Average age for a first season for our girls was between 11 - 16 months and thereafter at 9 - 10 monthly intervals.  Now the average age for our girls for a first season is between 20 - 29 months and intervals of 2 + years thereafter.

All are healthy/optimum weight, all fed the same food, all live in the house and well cared for/exercised.  Nothing has changed.  The change just happened. It's not been a case that age for a 1st season and interval thereafter has crept up a little with each generation.

My older girls are not dominant (in an aggressive sense), all our dogs live happily together and are the best of pals but I get the feeling that somehow they are suppressing the cycles of the "junior" members of the pack.  Even if there is a "senior" girl in season, only another "senior" will follow them in, the "junior" girls seem stuck in their own pattern come what may.

My only explanation is the dynamics of the "pack" is altering their seasons.

Is it just us or does anyone else have a similar scenario?

Mostly, with the pugs, they follow the "pack" thing, coming in soon after one another.  They tend to have first season 9 to 12 months, and then adjust afterwards to be in the pattern with the rest.  The American Cockers were generally more strictly 6 monthly girls - not necessarily bringing each other in when I had a bunch of them.  However 1 particular bitch line were I think definitely hereditary in the season patterns, in that they did not have a pattern!  Sunny had very eccentric seasons, with anything from 4 months to 14 months between seasons, her daughters thankfully were much more normal, but ongoing generations seemed to pick up on the odd patterns, none of them did the 4 month thing, but several were 14 to 18 months between seasons.  Very frustrating.

Granny 1st season at 1 year. Her daughter 1st saeson at 2 years (sisters all 5 of them between 9 months and 2.5 years) Grandaughter 1st season at 9 months and her sisters all between 9 months and 2.5 years - so all over the place really - LOL I am niow waiting for Great Grandaughter she is 9 months . . . . .

ahh the dynamics of the bitch hey !

the mother is now back to being humped again by my neutered female - despite her season being in October - she has been checked out for pyo as all the dogs are sniffing her and 'scenting' - the horrible thing they do with their head !
We get another pup back today who is in season . . .hope it dosent bring my pup in!

It was my youngest bitch who brought her dam and my other bitch in early when she was 10months old and continued to lead the seasons by a few days between each of the girls, all 3 getting it over and done with together meant my males were only upset for shorter periods every 8-9 months.

If I recall correctly Ellie's mum cycled pretty quickly at around 4 or 5 months, luckily Ellie is nothing like and cycles at 7 or 8 months. So far Hetty has been 6 months apart but she's only had 2 seasons, she's coming up due for another come to think of it, it'll be interesting to see if she brings Ellie in on 6 months or whether Ellie sticks with her 7 months.