Hello to all

I am waiting for my female (whose name is Nimue!) to come into heat.  She is 2.5 years old, and I plan to mate her.  She was first in heat at age 11 months and then 9 months later again, which was in April 2015.  So I have expected her to come into heat now in January, 9 months after the last heat.  Some weeks ago I noticed her "flirting" just a little bit with my male, and so I thought she would soon come into heat.  But nothing whatsoever has happened, and somewhere I have the feeling that it was "about" to happen, and then it didn't.  Can't explain why, just a gut feeling.  Nimue tends to be a very submissive female, fairly low on the totem pole in terms of rank, yet she came into heat twice so far.  Perfectly normal heats.  The boys went crazy.  But of course I did not mate her.

We've had two litters of pups recently, born three weeks apart in October/November (the last pups are just about ready to leave), so there has been a lot of stimulation of various kinds.  My two females (who produced these puppies) came into heat together in August/September, one of them only 5 months after her previous heat.  Had Nimue come into heat then as well, it would have also been for her only 5 months since her last heat.  So I was glad she waited (especially as I didn't want to have three litters at the same time!), but now I really hope she will come into heat as soon as possible, for various reasons.  Any ideas why nothing is happening?  I'd also like to know if there is a way to test to see if the heat is imminent, or if nothing at all is taking place.  I sort of asked my clinic, and they sort of indicated that no, not really, but I didn't push for an answer.  I believe one can measure the progesterone and determine where in the cycle a female is, n'est-ce pas?
I'd like to stress that I will not be messing around with any kinds of hormones no matter what.  But I'd be interested in what you have to say and advise.  Many thanks!

> Any ideas why nothing is happening?

Because you have plans.

I have had bitches come in a month early and also two months late when I have planned to mate them ;)

>Because you have plans

That's just what I thought

Try entering a show you really want to go to, that usually works!

Hee hee.  I guess I deserved that!      

HeHe, I really wanted to go to an Agility show at the end of Feb, bitch due in season any time from early Jan, thankfully she came into season yesterday so we will be fine but usually its when we are going away to a show for a week or something

I have to smile!!    As they say 'a watched pot never boils'.   You can't do a thing about this, much as it is said having bitches around other bitches in season CAN bring the others in.

And yes, enter a show!!!