Is my dog in heat?

Question
Hello, I have an short hair American Akita and i was wondering if she is in heat, and when do female akitas go in to heat? She is approximately 5 months old and when I take her out she urinates several times in different areas and she is also a little swollen.

Answer
Bitches come into season at five to eighteen months for the first time, with six to eight months being the most common time.

It does sound as though your bitch is starting to come into season. Check her nipples and see if they are starting to develop, and use a tissue to see if she is starting to bleed. She will need to be supervised and confined for the next 3-4 weeks to make sure that a male does not get to her.