We often have clients ask; will we watch your dog when she is in heat? Well, the short answer is yes. The long answer is that there are a lot of stipulations we require in order to make this safe.

 Our primary concerns with dogs in heat are safety and time.

 At Home on the Range Pet Sitting LLC we want to be overly safe. We make sure we do not run into any problems, so we have put together these rules:

1. Dogs that are in heat will only be exercised under supervision within their own yard.  This means that they will not be taken on walks.  If there is not a fence, we will walk your dog in the immediate vicinity around your home.
2. When the fence is not found to be enough (too short, dog is able to climb it, holes, etc.) the dog will be kept on leash even when in your own yard.
3. If there are intact males in the house, then there must be a foolproof way to keep them separate.  Solid walls, preferable two, will always need to separate them!
4. We will change diapers if the female is agreeable, which must be determined by our sitter before the trip.
5. Any messes must be contained to hard floors, we will not clean up blood messes on carpet or in crates. We will change out blankets when needed.
6. Appropriate time must be scheduled taking all the concerns in consideration. We do require 30 minutes for dogs, but if your dog’s cannot be together then we might require a 45 minute or hour-long visit in order to make sure they all get enough attention and activity. We also need to factor in any cleaning time that might be needed

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Every four to six months, a dog goes into heat with some larger dogs going once. This is a very sensitive time for dogs, lasting for a minimum of 2 weeks or a maximum of 4 weeks. As a dog owner, there are certain facts you should know about dogs in heat? Female dogs need more attention compared to male dogs. So, what can you do to make sure your female four-legged friend is well taken care of? Here is a detailed look into crucial facts pertaining to dogs in heat;

What you should look out for:

As a new dog owner, how can you tell that your dog is on heat? There are a few common tell-tale signs. They include;

• Constantly licking herself – they like licking their fur and the vaginal area
• Bleeding from the vagina -the dog bleeds from the vagina for some time as the uterus prepares itself.
• Swelling of the vulva – it takes on a red color and becomes three times bigger than its normal size.
• Strange behavior or becoming aggressive – sometimes female dogs do not like it when male dogs come near her before she is ready. Making mating movements-the dog keeps rubbing its body on other dogs and sometimes mounts other dogs.
• Change in position of the tail- the dog tends to place her tail sideways to make way for mating to occur.

 Keep your dog away from male dogs for 4 weeks

Look out for signs that tell you that your dog is on heat. During this time, limit dog walks to the backyard where there’s little chance of meeting with other dogs. When your dog is in heat and you do not want them to get pregnant keeping them isolated for at least a month is the only sure way of making sure. If you have other male dogs, regardless of whether they have been neutered or not, keep them away. You can opt to have a responsible friend take care of your male dogs for a few weeks at least until the heat period is over for your other dog.

Dogs need to be spayed:

In simple terms, spaying is sterilizing of female animals. Spaying is very important as it keeps dogs from contracting serious conditions like cancer. It is recommended for dogs to be spayed before they first get into heat. If your pet is already experiencing her first heat cycle before you’ve had a chance to spay her, you must wait. Some dog owners opt to spay during the heat cycle, but it is best to wait at least two months after the heat cycle is over so that you can spay the dog.

Bleeding and aftercare:

For the first two weeks of a dog’s cycle, bleeding occurs. During this time the vulva swells and over time, the swelling goes down. During this time, the uterus prepares itself for pregnancy. Many thinks that once the swelling is gone and the bleeding stops then the heat cycle is over. However, it is during this time that the dog is most fertile. If you want to breed your dog, this would be the best time to cease the moment.

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