Nala has just started her first season.

As I said, Nala just started her first season last night. She sleeps in our bed and we woke up this morning to see blood spots on the covers and cushions. She is normally a cuddly pup, but even more so today. She won't leave my side and evry time I sit down she snuggles up beside me putting her head on my shoulder. Is this a normal thing with her being in heat?
Will have to take her down to Pets at Home and get some hygeine pants. Just hoping she doesn't mind wearing them because as I said she sleeps in our bed, so will need them at night time. What have other staffy owners experience been with the pants, do they tend to chew them off or accept them?
Will she be okay on walks? It's such lovely weather that I'd like to take her to the park, but worried about there being other dogs there. She doesn't get off the lead anyway (we always use a long lead in the park anyway because she's not car smart and the park is surrounded by roads), so I guess it should be okay?

Totally normal. When walking try and choose times when there aren't other dogs around or just walk in different places.

Moo wore the pants but only at night and she was fine in them, but she doesn't bother about much anyway! I did have 1 problem with a male dog and it was quite scary because she was being a tart as well!

It'll be fine, but if your letting her on the bed it might be a good idea to get an old sheet to protect your covers, even with the pants it can leak depending how heavy you girl bleeds Xx

The whole season thing and behaviour seems to vary from dog to dog , and not even staffy specific. From my own experience , Tilly went very mard and just wanted some mummy and daddy love all the time, off her food a little, walked like John Wayne and generally slowed down a bit . We didn't use hygien pants. You've just got to judge how she is and treat her accordingly. In our case though and it maybe isolated she did get a little strange on the behaviour and growled a couple of times at my daughter , but ONLY on her second season , so if you've got kids then just keep an eye on her as her hormones are all over the place , and obviously eagle eyes around other dogs and keep her on the lead at all times through walks. Hope this helps

I have heard that the little knickers are a great idea, hope you can get some for her, although you may want to leave her at home while you get them.

What sort of age do they have their first season, our little Delilah is now 24 wks and was wondering if she is near and what are the signs to look for before the bleeding?

samg wrote:What sort of age do they have their first season, our little Delilah is now 24 wks and was wondering if she is near and what are the signs to look for before the bleeding?

Tilly had her first at 8-9 months (ish) look for a little spotting , puffed up lady bits and mayb some character change

The average age is about 6 months but it can be sooner or later than that. You'll notice there bits start to swell, and they lick it a lot more, hope that helps

Dave, Bella does the John Wayne walk as well, so funny but I feel so bad laughing at it
Bella is 9 months and she's in the 3rd week of her first season. She is quite clingy anyway so there hasn't been much change there but she has become a bit of a wee madam, barking at Millie when she's lying somewhere to get her to move so that she can lie there and in the last few days she has been acting like a bit of a tart with Millie who is soo not impressed, she walks away in total disgust

Bode has just finished her first season, or so I assume, been a couple of weeks since any bleeding now.

At night she normally sleeps at the bottom of our bed, during her season she went in her crate with clean bedding every day, any attempt to put a "nappy" in her ended in it being ripped to bits lol.

Her behaviour didn't change too much, apart from trying to hump our son now and then haha.

Went for walks as normal, but very strict on the lead if other dogs were about.

How long will it normally last? We are going away for a couple of days in two and a bit weeks and were thinking of putting her in kennels to see how it goes before we arrange to put her there while we are on holiday this summer. Not sure whether it'd be a good idea to do this while she is in season, or if they would even take her.

JillyNala wrote:How long will it normally last? We are going away for a couple of days in two and a bit weeks and were thinking of putting her in kennels to see how it goes before we arrange to put her there while we are on holiday this summer. Not sure whether it'd be a good idea to do this while she is in season, or if they would even take her.

Most seasons last approx. 3 weeks, but can go on a little longer. I doubt very much if any boarding kennel will take an in season bitch - too many opportunities for disaster & very unsettling for all the other dogs there.

hi jus a lil tip with the pants my older 1 ate 3 pairs not chewed ate!! the 4th she still has but has learnt to keep herself so clean that the dreaded pants don't come out also when on a walk a lil bit of tcp on their bits stops the smell and annoying other dogs seems to work with mine.