10 questions about dogs in heat

*phil pet finder

an interesting topic/stage on your dog's life.

1. What is heat?

Heat is more properly called the estrous cycle. During this cycle, female dogs may get pregnant. It’s equivalent to human menstruation.

2. What are the symptoms?

Females bleed from the vagina sometimes with swelling of the vulva and increased urination. Don’t expect bleeding comparable to a human female.

For small dogs, it’s usually not much and you may need to pay close attention to your puppy to identify her first cycle. Other than the bleeding, the most noticeable symptom may be
male dogs hanging around your house.

3. When does a dog come into heat?

The average female dog has her first cycle about six months of age. A few dogs start earlier and few dogs later, even as late as 14-months.

If you have a new female puppy, you should watch her and note when she has her first cycle. If she’s 14-months old and still hasn't’t been in heat, you should take her to a veterinarian.

4. How long does the heat cycle last?

The average is three weeks or 21-days. In some dogs, it lasts only two weeks while others go four weeks.

5. How often will she be in heat?

Most female dogs have regular cycles usually every six to eight months. It’s quite typical to be in heat twice a year.

6. When can she get pregnant?

She can get pregnant only when in heat. Some breeders
test for progesterone levels to identify the most fertile days but the rule-of-thumb is that the most fertile days are 11-15 of her cycle.

Note – when she’s in heat, the average dog will permit any male
dog to mount her. Few females, however, will accept a male when
they’re not in heat.

7. Can she get pregnant her first cycle?

Yes. However, responsible breeders generally would not breed a dog that early. For one thing, you need to do genetic testing and some serious problems such as hip conditions do not show up until a dog is approximately 2-years of age.

8. Can I take her on walks during this cycle?

Yes with care. She has no problem with the exercise but she’s a walking magnet for male dogs.

Even the best trained and behaved female dog will succumb to hormones. You can’t trust her off a leash or out of your control. Never let her outside by herself even in a fenced yard if there is any possibility of male dogs nearby.

For walks, if there are male dogs in your neighborhood, it’s a good idea to take your dog in your car and drive to a remote area. Take her for the walk there and drive back home. Otherwise, the scent of her urine and vaginal discharge will blaze a trail to your home.

9. When I can have her spayed?

The answer to that one has changed continually over the
25-years I’ve been in the dog business. People used to be told to let their dog go through at least one cycle or let them have one litter.

Today, veterinarians are doing it much earlier. Some vets spay as early as 6-weeks of age! Talk to your veterinarian about your dog and the vet’s preferences. The state of veterinary medicine also is much improved over the past 25-years.

10. If I don’t have her spayed, will she go through menopause.

No. Her fertility may decline but she will not go through menopause comparable to a human’s. She won’t lose her ability to become pregnant even as a senior so if you don’t want to her to have any (or more) litters, she must be spayed.

Louise Louis is a certified canine specialist and the creator of http://www.ToyBreeds.com, your online resource for Toy breed dogs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Louise_Louis

what is separation anxiety on dogs?

Very social animals, dogs prefer to be with others. When left alone, some companion canines become very distressed, suffering from an attachment disorder known as separation anxiety. Dogs who suffer from separation anxiety just can’t learn to cope with being alone, and they express their anxiety by barking, howling, whining, chewing, soiling, and/or attempting to escape. Usually, you can diagnose separation anxiety if the dog becomes anxious and worried or severely depressed as you prepare to leave, and acts as though you’ve been gone for years when you return!

Separation anxiety is often triggered by a traumatic event or disruption in the dog’s lifestyle, such as a change in the family’s work schedule, an adjustment in the family composition, the death of another pet, a move to a new home, or being boarded or hospitalized for a period of time. Purebreds are more likely to suffer from separation anxiety than mixed breeds, and adult dogs who have been re-homed are especially at risk.

Step-by-step method to ease separation anxiety
The most effective treatment for a dog with separation anxiety is to accustom the dog to very short periods of time alone. While at the same time, you must pair the experience of being alone with something wonderful, such as his favorite treats. For this exercise, you’ll need some hollow toys into which you will stuff tasty treats; these are readily available at pet supply stores. Just before you walk out the door, scatter a selection of toys around the room. Step out the door and wait for no more than 30 seconds to one minute. Come back in. If your dog is still working on the toys, excellent! Remove the toys so the dog learns that he only has access to them when he’s alone. Repeat several times each day, gradually increasing the time you are outside the home. Periodically revert back to shorter times so that the dog is forever hopeful that you’ll be right back. Take things slowly! You should initially increase the time you’re away by only seconds, and then work up to minutes. When you hit 30 minutes, begin to take jumps of five minutes. When you achieve two hours, take jumps of 15 minutes. When you can be out of the home for four hours and your dog stays relaxed, you can probably be gone for a full eight-hour day. Continue to leave food toys that will occupy the dog for at least 20-30 minutes.

You will greatly increase the chances of successful treatment if you make arrangements for your dog to be with someone whenever you have to be away from home for longer than your dog is prepared to handle. For instance, take the dog to doggy daycare, hire a sitter to stay with him, or take him with you.

If your dog isn’t interested in the food toys, just ignore him and retrieve the toys. Wait 20 minutes or so and try again. If your dog won’t eat from the toys when he’s alone—even after you’ve skipped feeding him one meal, and you’re confident he’s hungry and likes the food you’ve left him—then your dog has a more serious case of separation anxiety and you will need to seek the help of a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Veterinary Behaviorist, or Certified Professional Dog Trainer. Your dog may need drug therapy in addition to behavior modification to help him.

Should you leave your dog in a crate?
Placing your dog in a crate when you go out may prevent destructive behavior or stop him from escaping. However, he will still feel anxious and may howl, bark, and soil in the crate. Some dogs will even panic and injure themselves trying to escape from the crate. If your dog is accustomed to a crate and treats it as a "safe haven," then it would probably help to use a crate. Place the dog in the crate and go through the steps as outlined above.

WHAT TO DO:
- Whenever you are getting ready to leave the house, make your routine less predictive and obvious. You can ignore the dog, practice obedience behaviors, such as “Sit” and “Down Stay,” or distract the dog with a chew bone or toy.

- Keep your departures and arrivals low key so the dog doesn’t associate comings and goings with arousal and stress.

- Practice short absences and gradually build up the time you are gone.

- Use reward-based training, practice out-of-sight “Sit” and “Down Stays” around the house so you can be in one room and the dog in another.

- When not training the dog and, until you have the problem resolved, arrange for someone to be with the dog at all times when you are away.

- Teach the dog mannerly ways to gain your attention, such as “Sit,” “Down,” and “Bring a toy.” If your dog has learned to gain your attention when you’re home by barking, pawing, and mouthing, then it should come as no surprise that your dog has temper tantrums when you’re away.

- Give your dog plenty of physical exercise before leaving your dog for lengthy periods of time, especially if you leave first thing in the morning.

WHAT NOT TO DO:
- Do not confuse your dog’s anxiety with revenge, spite, or dominance. Your dog is genuinely upset and distressed and needs your help. Punishment will only exacerbate the dog’s anxiety.

- Do not continue to confine your dog to a crate or room if the dog is injuring himself trying to escape.

- Do not attempt to reduce your dog’s attachment to you by constantly ignoring him. Some experts believe that “breaking the bond” will fix separation anxiety. This can actually make the dog become even more desperate for your affections. If done repeatedly, this approach can even be inhumane—because canines so need social contact.

an old issue,still many people don't know

*post from paws' yahoo group here's the link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/whatsuppaws/message/2314

Chita Manalili wrote:

To whom it may concern:

I am Ma. Chita Narvasa-Manalili a Quezon City resident and an employee of the Social Security System. I have a concern regarding a complaint involving a Victory Liner Bus conductor. The incident happened today April 13, 2008 (Sunday). My sister, her husband, and her daughter went home to the province in Pangasinan early this morning on board an airconditioned Victory Liner Bus. Along with them is a young half-breed labrador dog. My sister secured the dog in a box (with a huge hole enough for the dog to have a breathing room) just to make sure that the dog won't mess inside the bus. So before boarding the bus, my sister thought that they could actually get the dog inside the bus with them and even willing to pay extra just to get the dog inside with them. however, this irresponsible bus conductor told them that pets such as dogs are not allowed to get in the bus. so the bus conductor instead placed the dog inside the compartment of the bus- take note: the compartment of the bus definitely has no breathing room! the bus conductor even reassured my sister that the dog will survive inside the compartment for he done so several times! My sister, left with no other choice gave in to the idea of the bus conductor trusting that their dog will survive the 6 hour drive inside the compartment. upon learning that through a text message from my sister, i immediately tasked her to check their dog during their stop over. Unfortunately, the dog had died i guess even before they reached their stop over in Tarlac. i was so furious with the incident and i felt pity for the dog. i called Victory Liner and voiced out the incident. the lady i spoke with told me that pets are not allowed in their airconditioned buses, but are allowed to get in the ordinary buses- how come the bus conductor didn't inform my sister about that? or they could have left the dog in the terminal and instead have someone from us pick up the dog...? i am really disappointed. the worst part is that when they arrived in Pangasinan the body of the dead dog inside the compartment is nowhere to be found! i spoke with the bus conductor and he told me that they already disposed the dead dog's body! and it happened without my sister nor her husband's or daughter's consent! the bus conductor even told me that he would replace the dead dog with a dalmatian. this incident is very unacceptable. i don't care if the bus conductor will replace my sister's dog with a dalmatian. i wanted this bus conductor and the Victory Liner Bus Management to learn their lesson. is it possible to file a complaint against them? what steps should i do first? i would be needing help from you guys. thank you very much. i hope to hear from you soon.

God Bless!

PAWS wrote:

Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 06:24:38 -0700 (PDT)
From: PAWS
Subject: Dog dies in Bus Luggage Compartment
To: Chita Manalili

Dear Ms. Manalili,

This is horrible.

Dogs are not to be placed in luggage compartments /trunks no matter how short the trip is.

This is a violation of Republic Act 8485 or The Animal Welfare Act (specifically the recently published Administrative Order on the "Rules and Regulations on the transport of Live Animals by Land"under the said Act). A copy of the Act is available on our website www.paws.org.ph under CAMPAIGN.

You can file the case with the fiscal's office - where the death occurred.

You need to get the name of the conductor, the bus driver, the owner of the Bus Liner and put in all the details (date, time, other documentation/proof) in an affidavit. I will send you a sample of a complaint-affidavit in a separate email.

Please write the Management of the Bus Liner informing them of what transpired today and demand that they give to you the body of the dog or to tell you where they disposed of the body. (The body may be crucial to the case. In the absence of which, eyewitness accounts of dog being placed in the compartment have to be secured.)

I will be out the whole day tomorrow but if you could text me your landline number, I will try to call you in-between meetings. In the meantime, please secure the documents that I mentioned above right away. My mobile number is 0917-*******.

Thank you.

-Anna Cabrera

Program Director

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)

p.s. I have "BCC"d PAWS volunteer lawyers with this email

Anna Hashim-Cabrera Program Director The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) Last year, only 31 cats were adopted from the PAWS shelter. "1-2-3" is one of those cats still waiting for a new home. If you are ready to have a pet, make "1-2-3" and other cats like him happy. Make adoption your first option. Call PAWS at 475-1688.

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