Well my little girl isn't such a little girl, she's started her first season, part of me is quite sad ( am I mad) could this be why she's been off her food (as was mentioned in a different thread) and she's the biggest whimp ever- a flapping bin liner is scary, the bin has been blown over and she can't possible walk by it, the parcel on the floor terrifies her lol and they are the ones I can explain, I've no idea what she was frightened of in the hall yesterday but I love her to bits (even the weird bits lol)
So what advise have you all got for me, what do they go through at this time is it anything like us, or s this just how she is,  I just wonder sometimes.

Just like us ladies, I find that my girls are all very different whilst in season and also vary from one season to the next.

I have one that tends to go very grumpy, one that becomes so clingy you feel like you have an attachment on your leg and one that just breezes in and out of the whole thing without a murmur.

During their season their hormones can be all over the place so you can get a variance of behaviour from day to day. Good luck with your own little lady....

Thanks darwinawards I find it very interesting hearing different story's.

Is there any do's and don'ts apart from the obvious.

None of mine change behaviour with seasons, I'm very lucky! Can't think of do's and don't apart as you say from the obvious, keeping her away from males - be aware some bitches can go to extraordinary lengths to find a male, it's not just keeping males away, it's watching she can't slip off anywhere!

Also keep her away from males for 4 weeks just in case she is a late ovulater.

Be are the end of bleeding is not the end of the season (I ahve lost count of the owenrs who think that theri bitch is safe once the birght red blood has stopped!!!), as some bitches do read the book and their loss becomes straw coloured at the most fertile time, mine they bleed throughout for up to a month.

Thanks brainless that's definatly worth remembering, it's been a very long time since I've been here so lots to relearn.
Just wondering when you think the best time to have them spayed, I'm thinking once she's finished this season, how big a cut should I roughly expect and what's recovery time like

> best time to have them spayed

The best for the bitch is a minimum of 2 months after her season & better 3 months.

You dont state an age but you have said this is her first season. I would wait & let her have another season(at least) before you spey her.

That's interesting levy. She's 71/2 months old GR. I thought it was once they've had there first season, is there particular reasons or benefits for leaving it longer.

You need to allow her to grow up and the hormones settle or they get stuck in what the call
Permanent puppy stage. Let her mature first before spaying.
A lot of people recently have been electing for key hole surgery so there really is no major incision.

Here http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf is a balanced article ref the pro's and cons, but definitely there are more negatives if the animal has not finished developing.

A goldie bitch won't be physically mature until 18 - 24 months, and mentally probably longer than that.

By having at least two or three seasons you then know roughly when the mid point is, which is the best time to spay.

I wouldn't consider spaying a GR till she was about 2!!  My GSD is just turned 1yr old and has had 3 seasons so far, to major incovienience to us all, but she still won't be spayed till she turns 2.  If she continues to come in every 3 months, I'm going to go mad though!!
I walk my in-season bitches far away from any other dogs just incase.  Although, I have 2 in season at the minute so I took to the local moors last week and ended up with 2 stray dogs following me on a 7 mile hike through heather and up hills!!  I did try to scare them home but to no avail so they would just get a kick up the jacksy if they managed to get too close.  Turned into a VERY stressful walk!  Thankfully, I had driven the car there so we just got back to the carpark and hopped in, leaving the horny dogs to wonder where we went.  I was so glad I didn't just walk from home as they would have been camped outside I think!!