# 3 Bitches in heat... OH JOY



## Southern by choice (Nov 2, 2014)

Yep! Three!
Our boxer/lab farmdog mutt- Lu
Our German Shepherd Dog- Lena
Our Anatolian Shepherd- Callie

Can I just say how NOT lovely this is.
 The poor males are having such a hard time. I even had to move Amy out to another field because Badger is jumping all over her- she isn't in heat but because of all the estrus scent in the air he is just beside himself and I think Amy is about to bite his head off. 

Badger is losing so much weight because he won't eat when females are in heat.

Meanwhile Lu walks to the fence and puts her tail up. BRAT!
Lena is clueless and runs the fence.
and then there is Callie- out back with "D" and Tiggs. She isn't quite ready but that isn't stopping D from trying and she will have none of it and poor Tiggs- D is all over him trying to dominate him.  Tiggs is no match for D. Everyone thinks Badger is big but D is HUGE he is 33 inches tall now and just a beast... well he will get Tiggs down (lots of noise but no real fighting) and Tiggs doesn't know what to do. Well Callie adores her new Toli and decides D can't mess with Tiggs. So Callie takes after D and now there is noise and commotion and of course no real teeth but still.

The pups are getting just as confused. Got humping all over the place, heads, each other the growls and what do you think your doing growls.

I keep telling myself it will all be over soon.


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## OneFineAcre (Nov 2, 2014)

Question
Do GPs have there first heat around same age as any other dog or later?


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## Southern by choice (Nov 2, 2014)

Some as soon as 8 months. Most will have their first heat at 9-10 months. Pyrs as well as most LGD  breeds are on the early side compared to most breeds. 

Also they can be "sneaky". Many pyrs are very clean and you may not see any blood because they are _so clean. _Like any other female look for that swelling.


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## Baymule (Nov 2, 2014)

You could spay the farm dog Lu and that would help a little. If she's a mixed breed, you wouldn't breed her anyway. Of course, that does nothing to change the other females.........

Oh, just thought of something! Have any NEIGHBORHOOD dogs showed up to join the hump party??


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## Southern by choice (Nov 2, 2014)

No neighbor hood dogs as there is no neighborhood. LOL Stray dogs around here are shot. Farmers don't take kindly to stray dogs in these parts.

No spaying. Both boxers and labs are highly prone to cancers and brain tumors... spaying her will guarantee her cancer within 6 months. She is almost 9 years old now.

I am not into ripping out their endocrine system. Affects so many organs.
I will be having Amy's tubes tied though. She will still cycle without being able to get pregnant.

Human endocrine glands are essentially identical to dog and cat endocrine glands, both in structure and function. The endocrine glands include the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, pancreas, adrenal glands, ovaries, and testes.

The endocrine system is the system of glands, each of which secretes a type of hormone into the bloodstream to regulate the body. While powerful, the endocrine organs are relatively small.
Hormones are chemical messengers that have many different functions. In the bloodstream, the hormones travel throughout the body. Their effects vary widely, and all are important for life. Some familiar examples of hormones include insulin, thyroid hormone, and cortisol. These hormones are important in the development of diabetes, hypo- and hyperthyroidism, and Cushing’s disease, respectively.

Humans-

Pituitary Gland
Hypothalmus
Thymus
Pineal Gland
Testes
Ovaries
Thyroid
Adrenal Glands
Parathyroid
Pancreas


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## Pearce Pastures (Nov 3, 2014)

Very interesting.    Now, yesterday I was at my mothers who has two female LGDs and she thinks one of them is in heat.  She is bouncing and mounting the other dog.  Could just be being playful or dominant but how do you know in the absence of a male?


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## Southern by choice (Nov 3, 2014)

Roll her over, look for any "weeping" little pink or blood. Watch for swelling.
The LGD breeds seem to cycle a little different. Many dogs bleed for 10 days then go to clear or light pink discharge and swell very large - kinda like  and then they are prime for breeding. Vulva will be extremely pronounced and sticking out.  So most are "ready" at days 11-13. The LGD breeds seem to be ready at days 8-11. 
Then you have Toli's that often cycle for 30 days. Again look for that real swollen vulva. With the harrier breeds you need to roll them over to check.
Another way to see if they are ready is to touch around the very base of the tail. They will flag, not like a goat LOL- they will lift and move their tail to the side and "stand". When they hold that tail up and over to the side that is a really good indicator. By up I don't mean up over their back, just the base.

Yes, female dogs will try to mount.  Especially young dogs that are just getting that hormone surge. They often mount another dog's head.


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## Pearce Pastures (Nov 3, 2014)

LOL I had to redirect a buck this week who kept doing that to a doe.

Do you ever do any shaving of their furry behinds when you are actually wanting to breed (we aren't breeding and if we did, it would be a few years from now so just curious)?  The one girl is a Pyr/Toli cross and she does have very furry hindquarters.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 3, 2014)

No, there is no need.


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