Hi,  I intended to mate my 3yr old girl at her next season - although I had no idea when that might be.   The reason being that she didn't have her first season until she was 2yrs and three weeks old and I was thinking maybe the 2nd one would be about 12 months later based on the first one!  We all know how difficult that can be.  Anyway, I had sorted a stud and everything was in place for whenever she was going to come in and didn't she decide that she would take me by surprise and come in at the beginning of May!!  Oddly, I didn't even notice until she was quite heavy and had left marks but I took that as day one and took her to the sire on day 13.  This would be my girls first time so I wouldn't expect her to be as keen but the sire tried to mount her - very gently, bless him - but no real effort by either of them.  I was going to go back two days later but it seemed that everything had stopped so I decided to wait for next time.  OK, the story told, the reason I am posting this is that my girl is acting a little out of character in that she is very clingy, she is close to me anyway but she's following me everywhere and doesn't like me out of her sight.  She is also starting to scratch up every so often which she has never done before, although she isn't coveting any soft toys or whatever.  In addition, she has started to hump her Mum, which she had done before when her Mum was growling at my older girl (no relation) but she's doing it at "playtime" as well which she hasn't done before.
I just wondered if that sounds like symptoms of a phantom pregnancy - had the mating gone ahead the pups would be due this week.
Would appreciate any opinions
Many thanks in advance

It could well be a phantom pregnancy, but that can occur anyway, whether or not you've attempted a mating.  The hormones which a bitch experiences every cycle are almost identical whether pregnant or not-pregnant so to some degree every bitch goes through a phantom pregnancy after every heat - it's just that some manifest more obviously with physical and behavioural symptoms. 

People often talk about phantom pregnancies as if they are pathological or abnormal, when in fact they are very normal and common and nothing to overreact about... :)

I hate to suggest this but if this is a phantom, chances are she'll have more unless/until you get her spayed.  Given she has what I'd suggest are abnormal season intervals (given that some breeds do only have one a year - Basenjis being one and my Whippet's mum and half sisters went a significant time between seasons), you may find she has some hormonal imbalance and that ultimately it may be better to get her spayed sooner rather than later.  I had one who was quite the opposite compared to how mine were (seasons every 8 months starting at that age, regular as clockwork) and came in bang on 6 months and then started cycling every 5.   She had no false pregnancies, but after this happened, I had her spayed.   It was pulling her down to be continually gearing up to come into season and the seasons themselves.   It just happened that as she matured, she really wasn't as good as her early promised suggested (re showing and breeding) so she just lived out her days with us, as a much-loved pet.  She was a singleton puppy, and spoilt rotten so she ended up very much the matriach, bossing everybody around.

She probably will have more, but the majority of women who get PMT get it every cycle - and we don't have hysterectomies to stop it. 

False pregnancies are a very normal occurrence and nothing to worry about at all.

Thank you for all responses xx

I'm sorry but although false pregnancies may be considered 'a normal occurrence', I would be concerned to see one of mine going through one after every season.   I believe it pulls them down and although of course, women who have such problems don't have hysterectomies, with a bitch who continually has a false pregnancy, it can be solved by spaying.    If it's there, use it!!

It kind of depends on the extent of the false-pregnancy really.  If it is mild, as described in this case, then certainly it's very normal and no reason to suggest spaying - especially a relatively young dog. 

Obviously if a bitch is actually producing milk every cycle, or eating holes in furniture to make dens, then it might be decided to spay her.

Spaying is not some miracle cure without any side effects.  There is a 33% risk of spay-induced incontinence, there is a hugely increased risk of cancer and joint disease, it affects the immune system and increases the risk of reactions to vaccines, it increases the risk of behavioural problems from reactivity to separation anxiety. 

A false pregnancy every 6 months for a few weeks, is nothing compared to the majority of items in that list...

Not replying to any body in particular. A GSD bitch I had many years ago had a phantom, dug a nest under the compost heap, appeared to put on a bit of weight. So long ago I can't remember all the details. This only happened on one occasion when she was fairly young. She wasn't spayed until she was eight going on nine and then due to pyo. The rest of the time she was just calmer for two months after a season which, considering she could be a bit hyper was not a bad thing as far as I was concerned.

"Phantom" pregnancies are a natural occurance & go back to pre domestication of their ancestors.

Breeding from a female with a history of phantom pregnancies doesn't preclude reoccurence, the only 100% way is spaying