My Dobe (7 1/2 months old) girl is in her first heat. In the last week, she pooped in the house twice, and peed several times. Before this she was 99% housetrained. Yesterday I was with her in the garden, she peed, then we played a bit, and she indicated she wanted to go back inside, so we did. Within minutes she proceeded to poop on the dining room floor just a few steps from me, in my plain sight.

Normally, if she needed out, she would come to me and whine, but this time she just did it.

I am scratching my head wondering whether it might be caused by the hormones (heat), or if for some weird reason she forgot all about being housetrained? Nothing changed in our routine or anything.

Any advice?

Katie

Hi,

Bitches can need to wee a lot more when they are in season and can find it harder to control their bladder - so it is likely connected, as for the pooping I don't know if that can be affected by seasons hopefully someone else will be able to help on that one, but in the meantime I would go back to basics and take her out for potty breaks very regularly and lots of praise when she does her business, my girl goes for a wee on command which I find very useful, so if she's not trained to do that already it may be worth starting that with her :-).

Karen

Thank you, Karen.

Sometimes she will pee on command and sometimes not (i guess in these instances she doesn't need to go?)

I don't know how to teach her to poop on command as she usually goes in her little corner of the garden "to have privacy". Not that she was that concerned about privacy when she pooped in the dining room last night, hee hee ;)

I am keeping a close eye on her today and take her out regularly. I really hope this is just a temporary regression...
Katie

As it's her first season I wouldn't worry too much. A lot of bitches are so confused by what is happening to them (just like humans!) that their housetraining takes a step backwards for a little while. Don't make a fuss about it, just clean it up, and take her out a bit more often into the garden so that she can relieve herself. It should pass when she back to normal :)

Thank you for reassuring me, LindyLou :)

Katie

I have found that occasionally in season bitches have accidents, I think the hormones make them less able to hold their water/produce more wee, a bit like women in pregnancy.

She also seems more clingy, and more wary of strangers. Oh, and doesn't have much appetite. Is it also heat related?

Katie

Yep, think PMT.

Oh my, poor girl!

After the seasons come.....the dreaded phantom pregnancy ;) Well, sometimes :) My previous bitches had them, to one degree or another, but Seska doesn't seem to be bothered, yet :) Maybe in a year or two, after she's had a litter.

Is it something that can be prevented, or is it just something I have to wait and see if happens?

It is best to keep up lots of excesrsie and not alow any moping about or getting too comfy and nesting.  It may or may not happen.

My Dobe bitch has had a phantom, first season too. Dobes are born to breed it seems and if they arn't mated, they'll pretend. They are great foster mothers and will come into milk way after their season, just so they can feed and adopt another bitches pups! Don't worry about all the weird changes in her, it's normal. Expect everything and you won't be dissapointed.

She is alll over me, always wants to climb in my lap and lick my face, is extremely cuddle-needy. This being my first dog, everything is new and unknown. I have the book of the bitch but there really isn't much about the behaviour changes in heat. Thank goodness I have this forum to ask questions :)