Just wondering what ages your bitch first came into season ? And what the first signs were that you personally noticed.
I have read the "book of the bitch" and so I am aware of the signs to look for but wondered what you personally noticed first and what age your bitch was ?

Hi Lel,
Rio came in season at 8 months, practically to the day.
Toesy showed slightly more interest in that area for about a month. Also Rio started swelling slowly at the back end for a few weeks before she actually came into season, which was noticable.
I still think she is still slightly bigger in that area than she was before her season.
Does anyone know if thats normal. I'm not saying she's noticably swollen, but just not as flat as she once was.

Mitch.

wispa 8 1/2 months then goes every 6month
brie  8 1/2 months  then every 4 1/2
gollie 16 months then 13 month apart
teyha just had her first at 16 month.

no two bitch are the same.wispa is the mum of brie and teyha both them have not followed their mum with seasons

So does 8 months seem to be the average age then for a first season ?

Fen was my first girl...Ever always had boys, one day saw tiny spots of blood on my kitchen floor....went round the whole house checking all the animals paws.....Drrrrrrrrr. :D  We have come a long way since then...lol my other girl was 11months old.

Sal too was 8 months to the day almost and then has been (so far) every 5 months. Same signs as Mitch  noticed too slight swelling for about a month 3 weeks before and she has kinda stayed that way too same as Rio but not as noticable as when in season. Oh and I notice too she "wee's" more often when she's due in season - but that could just be her of course.

Her two full litter sisters one came in season at 6 months and 9 months and a few days. So no uniformity there to go by sorry. 

I must say though I use with Sal the guideline of the frequent wee's as the most telling sign in her case.

Karen 

Our bitch is 11 1/2 months and hasn't come into season yet - though she is now blowing her coat so she could come into season in about 2 - 4 weeks time :)

Hi Lel,

Typical of the girls like to keep everyone guessing :-)  Some bitches will come in as early as 6 months and I've known others being two years!!!  Also some breeds mature more quickly than others and so always seem to come on quite early compared to the larger, slowly maturing breeds.

A lot can be gathered by knowing when her dam first broke down as often timings run like clockwork in certain lines - but then then some of the little treasures still keep us guessing on purpose <LOL>.  Teri ;-)

So anyone know the average time for a boxer to come into season then??
Spoke to the vet today about spaying her and he said anytime from 5 1/2 months onwards as long as she is not in season. Any views on this greatly appreciated as i feel that she is too young but if the pro's outway the con's then i'll go ahead and have her done.

I personally would wait until 3 months after her first season. Then you know she's not about to come in.

it to earley to have her spayed,i would wait untill she had her first season then wait 3 months after that.so that every thing settel back down again,
there been studies in the states that earley spaying cause problem with bone and cartilrege in young dogs

Excellent advice from both briedog and Jeangenie :-)  :-)  :-)   Unless there is some dire medical reason to have a bitch spayed earlier, they should always be allowed to have at least one season - and (as both also say) wait a good 3 months after that to be on safe side that everything has settled down etc.

Bitches of any breed that are spayed too early will not go on to mature fully in body or mind -  just as with humans :-(   While the hormonal changes are going on so are changes in a lot of other body functions.   Skeletal changes, bone formation all sorts too long and technical to go into here.  Bottom line is if you are determined to have your girl spayed you will be giving her the best possible chance of normal development by letting her progress through normal "puberty".

If you haven't experienced a bitch in season yet it's not probably anything like as difficult to cope with as you imagine.  Just take sensible precautions about her exercise, keep everyone in the family very vigilant about securing exits at all times etc, make sure your garden is both escape proof by her and entry proof by visiting paramours, don't take her into public exercise areas from around day 7 to day 21 and be very much on guard either side of those days - they are not exclusive <LOL>

Best of luck -  Teri :-O

ps. You are probably looking at an average first season age of commencing around 11 or 12 months     

Thanks
I also had thought along these lines as i too think she is too young (she's still a baby) but was just a bit shoked at the vet offering to do it so young. I had planned on letting her have a season first and then getting her spayed so i think i'll stick to the original plan.
Thanks again :-)