[CyberKitten]

I agree with Sable Collie. IF she has not already had at least one heat, there could be a medical problem and you are taking a chance with a mixed dog from - I hope you did not pay a lot of money for her and she does look like a poodle (I have had a poodle and adore them, they are very cute dogs so I can't imagine why anyone would want to change a good breed - ie, flirt with nature deliberately anyway. I can understand how a Yorkie and poodle may end up mating by mistake, still not good but it's not a human effort,Did you rescue her from some puppy mill that was selling these dogs, telling people that Yorkiepoos would not shed - such a lot of malarkey. I have a friend who breeds Yorkies and she says they can come into heat quite early and I would guess that is true of breeds mixed with Yorkies as well. With your kind of dog, it is hard to know how much of each of his lineage she has which is one of the drawbacks of this trend to "Breed" various breeds together and call them some term they come up with. It makes it more difficult to ascertain the known medical problems that come with each breed since no one - not even me with my lab that does DNA analyses - can ascertain how much of each breed your dog has. (Maybe given a lot of time and lots of RNA and DNA and cellular material but I am getting off track.)

You might want to get your cutie to the vet asap for a check up at the very least and to be spayed as soon as possible because no matter how we try to keep in a dog or cat or rabbit in heat, inside, they and the determined males seeking them,as evidenced by the anecdotes outlined here , will find a way ti get there!! And a spay with puppies or a mama plus puppies is a huger and more expensive undertaking than just spaying your dog!!

Is it possible she went into heat and you did not notice last year? (with so much on your plate as you described, it could have occurred.) If she is not fertile - a GOOD thing, lol - you may be fortunate but that is very rare. Still, it seems to me she would give off the scent that dogs do.

I can recall my own anecdote as a teenager babysitting for someone and their dog was in heat and I had to get into the house past a plethora of male pooches outside the house - it was not fun and in fact even for me, a dog lover, it was scary!!! Some of them nearly attacked me! So I think until you have her spayed, the best place for your child and your dog is inside!!! (except for her necessary walks and to do her thing. <g>)

Good luck!!