It hardly seems like 5 minutes ago we just got her, but our lovely girl is on day 2 of her first season at age 9 months and a week. My three boys are are safely crated and quiet for now as I've been getting them used to sitting in with a good oxtail.

I do realise that this is the calm before the storm :-) and was wondering if any of you actually use bitch spray, pants for your bitch or anything else, or whether these are more likely to irritate and distract them. We have got sufficient crates and rooms to keep everyone away from each other but we do have nice neighbours and I would like to keep noise to a minimum for their sake.

Also, can anyone suggest how long it would need to be before she can go into the show ring again? In the general scheme of things JW points are the last thing on my mind, but it would be nice to have a good run at it...

I've never kept entire dogs and entire bitches at the same time (one or the other!) so can't advise on that, but I'm sure you're aware that in a week or so the boys are likely to start getting really agitated!

As for showing, I personally don't take my bitches to a show while they're in season at all, so IMO you need to wait three weeks before you consider taking her. HTH. :-)

thanks Jeangenie--I would never take her into the ring in season, but was thinking I might have to keep her out of the ring for 28 days. It helps to have some feedback from CDers so I can make some better informed decision on what shows to she can be entered for. Hopefully she will hang onto her coat till after Crufts :-)

Can't see the point in using artificial thingies to disguise your girl's season. The only stupid beings they disguise a season from are us humans! Dogs know better. It's really not that difficult to keep entire dogs and bitches apart ... hopefully your girl's season will be at it's height by day 14, or day 31 if like one of my girlies !! But then she's just a little bit special :-)

Keep the boys and girl apart as much as possible. Wont stop the boys knowing she's in season but might just help them deal with it a bit. Get a bottle of Kalms in case they're not dealing with it well! Just ensure that if all out together then they are supervised by you ... would you trust anyone else to supervise them?! Otherwise, boys out and girl out at different times.

Can't comment re show ring, but can re other rings - no difference in my view! I'd wait a couple of weeks until season over before returning her to the ring. She will smell interesting to males for that time.

Sure you'll be fine, it really, really isn't rocket science :-D

That's good to know, Trialist. I ordered some K9 Calm with just this occasion in mind, so hopefully we have everything we need to keep it together.

I've had a fair bit of practice keeping dogs separate over the last few months ever since my two oldest boys fell out with each other. Once Rye's season is completely over I will be working on trying to reintegrate them all.

Thanks again--I'll be on here again if I have more questions, so good to know that there people who have been through it and have come out the other side with sanity intact :-)

After day 24 it would be safe and fair to show her again. They usually look lovely at that time, in full bloom. Make the most of it because she will no doubt drop her coat in a few months.

Thanks tooolz--is there anything you would recommend by way of a shampoo to get rid of any lingering eau de season?

My lads whine under their breath but are never banished from the room where we all are so have no reason to think they are missing out and get upset.

I have one crate elevated off the ground where the female goes if I have to leave them all alone.

Vanilla Extract[not essence] masks the scent to some degree at the height of the season and allows the males to get some sleep, a few drops on their chest, the girls tail end and on tissues/rag attached to crate/baby gate where the dog pokes his nose through, this tip has allowed me to travel long distance with all the dogs and stay in B&B or with friends for outside matings without disturbing everyone around us, only problem is you are sick of the smell after a few days.

I', sitting at my desk with the girl asleep at my feet, one dog asleep next to the radiator and the other two are crated--they are all sound asleep for now.

I have plenty of vanilla extract on hand--my dogs have white throats and tails, do you think think the vanilla extract will stain their coats?

Don't know, try putting it between the front legs of the lads and inside back legs of the girls, the body heat will help release the smell. I don't start using it till nearer the fertile time when the lads can get wound up.

I'm the same as Rhodach, mine are not in different parts of the house.  Although I do appreciate that this will differ on breed and temperament.

I have 2 x 4ft crates in the kitchen, one on top of the other.  In season bitch, or bitches go in the top crate.  As they have toys and chews up there, I often get a spayed bitch asking to go up top too.  I don't mind, I'm happy for them to have company.

Boys go in the bottom crate, and my boys will wash each others faces so I don't get fighting.  I do however, get a choir once the bitch is getting close to being ready.  Again, spayed bitches will ask to join the boys.  I'm happy about that too. 

They take it in turns to go out for a wee and a play in the garden and it works for me. 

that's great, Rhodach, will give this a try. As you say, no need to do anything now because they are all calm and sleeping happily

With my toys, I put both the bitch and the dog in top crates, and I don't keep either of them confined for too long, they have to take it in turns. (It was musical dogs here just recently as I had a bitch in season and had the stud dog for her here, and he and my own male dog did not get on so it was a right jigsaw to make sure the wrong ones never met yet everyone got enough time out of their cage!) I found by keeping the bitch on top, it will help a lot when the dog is not confined as in particular he has no way of trying to mark on her cage!

I also find the dog only gets whiny for a few days as they know when the bitch is receptive -unless they are very young and haven't learnt yet.

>I found by keeping the bitch on top, it will help a lot when the dog is not confined as in particular he has no way of trying to mark on her cage! <br />

Marianne, that's exactly why my girls go up out of cocking leg distance!  :-)

While a major consideration is to keep the boys away from your girl, do you have measures in place in case your boys start to disagree with each other, possibly they won't for her firsts but it's a possibility to think about.
Would you consider Suprelorin on any of the boys?
I'm waiting for my girl for her 3rd and this is my first bitch, always having males, which I have to admit to preferring ;-).... Anyway he's always liked to smell of her but at the optimum time they are split, he doesn't cry for her and hasn't done what others have experience which is making way through doors and walls to get to their bitch!!! To be honest he's not ever seemed to fussed by her, we'll see how we go as her seasons go... He will go back on Suprelorin if he gets a lot more interested and bothersome... When I'm there they switch rooms and also in and out of crates so they can still see each other.
As for showing you'll find people showing throughout seasons, only one bitch have I seem very mucky with blood around her trousers and this was a Saint at an open show... You'll also find some people will show for the first week and last week but the middle section keep the bitches away.. It's up to you how you feel
about it!!

Good point, suejaw. We have already had a taste of challenging for top dog. My oldest boy, bless him, is a one ball wonder (hope I am allowed to say this :-)) aged 5 years 3 months --I decided against full castration at the time and had only the retained testicle removed. I never show him and he has always been top dog.

Next up is our permanent lodger, an entire male aged 4 years 10 months. He is not as well socialised as my oldest boy and has been challenging for top dog. He and the oldest boy have scrapped  and as a result the oldest boy is kept apart from the two younger boys at all times when they are in confined space (e.g. the house or car) but they run together happily off lead and get on absolutely fine on walks on lead. I occasionally show this dog, as does his breeder, and as he got the reserve at the breed champ show recently he will probably be out in the ring again before long. He isn't mine to decide whether or not to inject and clearly if he is due in the ring this wouldn't be advisable.

The youngest boy is aged 3 years 6 months. He is my main show boy and has started to do pretty well, so I wouldn't consider having him done. He is also very pally with the lodger and eggs him on against the oldest boy.

The arguments started about three months ago and were very occasional, relatively minor events usually triggered by food or who was first in the car. The last one ended in my oldest boy getting a puncture wound, which is why they are strictly separated now. Only the lodger and the youngest boy are allowed out together in the house and for now they are being crated separately just in case.

I haven't wanted to upset the order in the house by injecting the oldest boy, who is really the only one I could have treated. So my compromise is to keep them all at a safe distance from each other at all times, not just during her season.

I have been shuffling one or 2 intact males and up to 3 intact females since 2006 without the need to consider chemical castration, it is trial and error till you find the right routine, there is only me here so no fear of anyone letting the wrong dogs mix, the garden is secure and they are let out seperately during seasons and supervised.

I wouldn't be wanting to mess too much with the hormones incase they didn't return to normal.

My boy won't ever be used so I'm not fussed if he doesn't get full hormone levels back again. I've not had any negative feedback on it and know many an owner who use it on their males and remove them from it if they wish to use them at stud.
It's an option if not going to be used or not any time soon. All it does is decrease the size of the testicles which isn't a major issue.

Jay15 good luck with moving the dogs about and hope its no real
Hardship through seasons x

LOL suejaw--we are counting the days!

I've always kept mine close but seperated in cages. Never had any problems except occasional weight loss.

Sorry at Boston show today.....

I wash the "nethers" twice with Head n Shoulders then condition  :-)

a bit of weight loss wouldn't do any of the boys any harm :-)