Boxer - first heat

Question
QUESTION: My boxer is nine months old - when could I expect her to go into her first heat? Apart from bleeding are there any other signs that I can watch out for?  She is frequently around male dogs and I am anxious to separate her as soon as she goes into heat.

ANSWER: Fiona, I would keep a close eye on her for the next few weeks, because it should be any time now. The first sign that you should look for is swelling of her vulva, which is just underneath her anus, or 'butt hole.' When you notice that, you should start making preparations to keep her separated from the boys (and by separated I mean completely separated; dogs can even breed through a chain link fence!) for the next 3-4 weeks.

I'm wondering, though, if there is a particular reason you have not had her spayed yet. Are you planning on showing her?

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Many thanks for your quick response. We are hoping to breed her at least once in the future.  Our vet advised that she should go through at least one heat before we look at any other options.

Answer
Fiona, I just want to say that your dog should be at LEAST two years of age before she is bred. That means you have several heats to go through before she should be bred. The reason is because all of the proper health clearances cannot be done until the dog is at least 2, and health clearances on both the male and female should be done before they are allowed to breed. Also, dogs should not be bred unless they are excellent specimens of their breed and will contribute to the quality of the breed overall if they are bred. That cannot be known unless they are shown. I hope you will do the responsible thing here, and either get involved in showing her or have her spayed.