Change in behaviour whilst on heat? - Pet forum for dogs cats and humans

dannyg1001 · #1 December 6th, 2010, 02:52 PM

Hi there

Although I am a relatively experienced dog owner, this is the first time I have owned a female dog that has not been spayed (yet!).

Casey is currently in heat, and for the last few days I have noticed a distinct change in behaviour.

She has absolutely no interest in my girlfriend, she will not come when called when normally she is very obediant and smart, she barely pays any attention to my GF at all! Normally she absolutely loves her.

Me on the otherhand, she will not leave alone. She follows me everywhere and if i am not looking at her she will whine and cry and push herself right up against me. She will also constantly lick my arm (?) and roll around like she is going crazy next to me, half licking and half play biting... she will also make a weird grunting noise! I can calm her down for a bit if i throw her ball for half an hour, but once she has had a rest it will start again!

Is this the kind of behaviour you can expect for a dog in heat, or is it just a bad habit she has picked up that i need to correct?

What do you think?

Here is a pic of her as I know everyone likes to see them

Marty11 · #2 December 6th, 2010, 04:13 PM

I'm gonna warn you everyone here is gonna say get her spayed. After my mastiff had her first heat, lets say she became very dog aggressive, I'm not blaming the heat but she was never the same. Hormones and stuff I guess. Casey is very cute, I love the ears.

Geezer · #3 December 6th, 2010, 04:50 PM

This reminds me of my daughter's cat that stayed with us for a year while my daughter stayed with us after her divorce.

She warned me that the cat hated males and would not come anywhere near me. That was before she went into heat! Then suddenly this cat couldn't leave me alone. She kept rubbing against me, meowing and generally driving me nuts! She also wouldn't have anything to do with my daughter until her heat cooled down. Then she shunned me entirely.

I guess they become a bit feral and are driven by their brain stem rather than their cerebral cortex.

And yes, unless you are going to breed your dog it is best to neuter her. Then she will be a

rather than a

hazelrunpack · #4 December 6th, 2010, 10:12 PM

The heat cycle is marked by hormonal upheaval. Your dog's behavior will probably go back to normal once the hormones level off again--however, the hormones will cycle for another couple of months so it might take a while. We've had a couple of girls go into heat while waiting for their scheduled spays--one of them went through a false pregnancy that ended two months later even though she was spayed in the meanwhile, and the other developed a pyometra that was luckily successfully removed during her spay. A pyometra can be life-threatening and must be treated immediately, so watch your girl closely for any signs that she might be developing complications.

Casey is, btw, a total doll! Love those ears!

dannyg1001 · #5 December 7th, 2010, 10:39 AM

Thanks everyone! Yes I am getting her spayed, when I first got her she went through her first heat cycle right away and it caught me by suprise, she is getting done in February.

Glad to know its probably just the hormones, she was at it again last night, she is an affectionate little thing at the best of times but this is over the top ha ha.

Yes I love her ears as well, its amazing how much she can communicate with them!!!

She is a mix of 2 popular breeds, without cheating and looking at my past posts, can you guess what they are?

Marty11 · #6 December 7th, 2010, 10:53 AM

Shih Tzu / Terrier???

dannyg1001 · #7 December 7th, 2010, 12:26 PM

Shih Tzu - No...

Terrier... yes but what kind of Terrier?

Marty11 · #8 December 7th, 2010, 12:57 PM

Jack Russell/Border Collie? I am really guessing.....

dannyg1001 · #9 December 7th, 2010, 04:41 PM

Nope!

The ears are the biggest clue!!!

dannyg1001 · #10 December 7th, 2010, 04:44 PM

Funny you should say border Collie as she has the EXACT same markings as my last dog, Lucy (RIP) who was a Border Collie.

Greatest dog I ever knew. A sheep dog allergic to wool ha ha, unfortunately she was also allergic to red meat and dust. She was on Steroids as a pup and they said she would not live past 3 years old.

She was put to sleep last year at the age of 16!

Ever heard of 'window aggression'? She hated the window cleaner, and would growl and snarl at him through the window... then she would run outside, jump up, wag her tail, lick him to death... then run back inside and go mental through the window again!!!

Casey is actually wearing her old collar in that pic!