In heat? Questions

Hello everyone! Have a question here! This is my first experience in owning an unspayed female pooch so I'm wondering what to expect? I realize...just like the human ladies..that every girl dog is different. I've been noticing a pee smell on my rug that is by the back door (where I take her out to do business). She lays there by the door at night but I smelled a strong pee smell only on the 2 end corners of the rug. I have hardwood floors so I would know if she was just randomly peeing thru out the house. Since the poo accidents earlier this last week she hasn't had any more accidents (thankfully!). So my question is, could she be marking her scent to lead male dogs on the rug? This would be her first heat so Idk what to expect here! lol. I know I found out with my female cat when she went into heat she peed EVERYWHERE in the house so we took care if that immediately! So are female dogs like that too? I have a neighbor that just lets her dog roam the county & hes a male. Assuming hes not fixed. Hes been coming over to my property alot lately it seems. I ALWAYS keep her on a leash too when outside. I don't trust her not to take off
TIA!

To be honest, I don't know. I have never had a bitch that scent marked indoors when she was coming into heat. It will be interesting to see If anyone else has noticed this.
If you think she may be due to start her heat, dab her vulva daily with a white tissue so you are sure of the first day that she shows colour. It can be very slight to begin with.

It may also be urine residue coming from her fur onto your rug

Can't advise on the 'heat' situation, but it could just possibly be a urine infection if she is dribbling rather that full out peeing

Thank u! Its winter time here where I live...does that matter if she goes into heat or not? I just took a paper towel & checked her vulva...nothing. So maybe My bear Yoji is right. Could be urine residue or like Chris B said an infection. Gosh I sure hope she doesn't have the kinda heat like my aunts dog has! her Rottweiler bleeds for 4 wks & has to put a diaper on her! hoping Mila's first heat isn't like that!

Could it be that she is leaking tiny amounts of urine in excitement as she waits to set off for her walk?
Or, ( this is a Merry trait), does she pee only just outside the door, so she gets it on her feet as she is coming back indoors. Poor Eddie sidles past as if it was a lethal substance, but the scruffy madam just doesn't care!

Lol no Mila doesn't pee right outside the door. I have a deck back there. I know when she gets excited she piddles (especially when she sees hubby) but its all over the hardwood floor when she does that. As far as I can see I didn't notice her leaving tiny amounts of pee as I was getting my coat & boots on. Normally she'll stand by the door while I get my boots & coat on & like this morning she didn't piddle. I'll have to pay attention to that

Sounds horribly like Pereg's first heat - on a pale apple green sheet - but it eventually stopped and three-months later she was spayed.

In the meantime, where was she, and I, going to sleep?

Luckily I had a load of maroon and black patterned sheets...

Oh gosh I bet that was a terrible experience! Mila has all that hair back there & I would hate to have that mess all over the house! lol. She would rip a diaper right off! Hopefully Malamutes r different & wont be messy like that. I really would like to get her spayed before that mess happens but we'll see if finances allow it

It happened - she was just five-months old - she got over it and somehow so did I - but I had to then wait for three months until my vet considered he would would spay her.

In all the years I used to breed Griffons, and then little Lexi before Pereg, I had NEVER had a bitch with such a yucky heat. Mostly it was impossible to tell, including Lexi, and of course with Tikki being spayed at [much too young in my opinion] before her first season, I had none of that worry.

I know that most vets looking after larger breed dogs do prefer to wait until the dog or bitch is mature - I am just lucky that only Pereg decided she was mature enough to "paint" my apple green sheets when she was so young.

as noted they are all different but of the 3 heats Everest has been through, the first was the messiest but wasnt all that bad, odd bit of spotting on tiles when she had been sitting about for 2-3 weeks the other 2 were barely noticable, though she does have a short cycle it seems of 4-5 months. Never noticed any urine smell (and i have a son who i am sure is part bloodhound who would have noticed) the only dead giveaway was she whines a lot and carries a toy around with her.

I have not had a messy in heat bitch either. As you say Allan, maybe a little imprint when sitting on tiles during the first week, but mine were always good about keeping themselves clean. I am a little allergic to dog dander, so I have never allowed them on our bedding though.

I think that Pereg was too young to know what was happening. And only being able to go out of the front on her tether, with all the loose/stray dogs was frightening as her vulva was so swollen and leaking, she had no idea about keeping herself clean.

But in between once she had stopped bleeding and the three months later when Ram would spay her, seemed like a it had all been a nightmare.

They are all so different though. None of my Griffs ever left a mark let alone had a swollen vulva - neither did Lexi. Trust Pereg to be the only one - and yes, the apple green sheets washed out perfectly!

Thanks for the responses! as I have been watching here carefully I realize shes not in heat. this is totally a new experience for me here! I appreciate the advice & help on here!

What are you expecting her heat cycle to be like exactly? When a female comes into heat it includes bleeding and many people use diapers or boy underwear with sanitary pads. Female's might bleed different amounts and length of time but 3 weeks or so is pretty common. The color typically starts vey red and will be lighter at the end.

amazing the differences in countries....

I have never seen nor even heard of dog nappies until less than a year ago but it seems to be a common enough thing in other places (I live in Scotland) though spaying/neutering seems to be the most common practice here, usually recommeded as soon as possible by vets but that's perhaps changing a bit now.

Then again, most people are very surprised that we use a cage as most people here don't (if im right in thinking their use is banned except for essential use/transport in Finland i think) ...but i think that's more common in the USA.

Really? I didn't know that. I wonder how they cope at shows if they have more than one dog? I saw some pictures from an outdoor show in Finland the other day - the ring just looked like a cleared patch of snow!

I must admit Ive never used a crate unless for travelling
I could be wrong but I think we adopted the ‘nappies and ‘puppy pads from US

Swedish law on crates
It may not ever be kept in a crate with a closed door. Exceptions are: shows, competitions, exams, hunting (up to 8 hours), during transportations (may not be crated for more than 3 hours in a standstill vehicle). Play pens are also illegal.


It is against the law to neuter dogs in Norway, unless for medical reasons http://sciencenordic.com/should-dogs-be-neutered

Great information Vee!

Wow, as Allan says “ amazing the difference in countries “
I also haven’t heard of dogs wearing “ garments “ during their season, I would have presumed she would tear them off. some probably do I’m guessing
These comments have all been an eye opening reads, thank you all