HI, Is it true that 2 bitches living together (different ages) can come into season at the same time.

Yep 4 of mine do within a week of each other

Yes.  Megan used to bring all mine into season within 2-3 days. and now Emma does the same.  Tia had her 1st season at a year old and I am convinced she held off until Emma and Penny started theirs, Tia followed 2 days later :)

So can bitches choose when they come into season then?

They dont really "choose" - it is the pack thing. The alpha female has the babies and there are other females able to look after them because they had their seasons at the same time and then have phantom pregnancies and produce milk so the pups have surrogate mums while the real mum is off hunting or whatever. (So I read)

No, Tia would not have chosen to hold off, but her hormones would kick in when the others started.

My older bitch has had a couple of phantoms after her season, do you think this is a problem

It's normal for bitches to have phantoms after seasons - some have them very mildly and some can make themselves quite unwell. It depends on the bitch.

One of my bitches use to have phantoms. I swear she could feed 20 pups the amount of milk she used to produce, got so bad she had to be spayed. They are quite normal but, as Jenegenie said, can make a bitch very ill.

She`s not unwell when she has a phantom but she does produce milk and my 10 month old thinks she can help herself lol

Yes, sometimes this happens, just as it does in convents and girls' boarding schools. Unfortunately my bitches were never this helpful!

Sorry, I meant my 10 mth old bitch was helping herself.

My girl was CONVINCED she had had puppies last time. She had a litter the time before and one pup was very fat and greedy and would lie lengthways so the others couldnt get a look in. I used to put him and one of the other (for company) in a box in the dining room while the rest suckled, and mum always knew they were missing and when the others were full she would wait at the dining room door til I brought them back. When she had her phantom she insisted on searching the dining room for the babies she didnt have :(