I cant tell if my dog is in heat

Question
I have a female malte-poodle mix, 13 months. I hear dogs go in heat around 8-9 months old.  I can't tell if she was in heat or not.  Just recently, she has been behaving strangely. She is potty trained, so she normally takes care of her business on the pee pad, but she has been pooping in all different places. It seemed like she was complaining about something, and I couldn't figure out what.  And today, she had a play date with another female malte-poo and she mounted her and started doing the humping motion like a male dog would. Could this mean that she is in heat?  She is very small, and cleans herself a lot, so I'm not sure if she cleans the blood before I even see it.  And could her potty behavior be due to the heat, if she is in heat?  

Answer
Irene, because your dog is a small dog, it is likely that she has already gone through her first heat several months ago, as smaller dogs tend to begin their cycle earlier than large dogs. If she had her first heat at, say, 6 or 7 months of age, then it is nearing time for her to cycle again, but the symptoms you're describing are not normal signs of coming into heat. Mounting and humping behaviors are dominance displays. You should not allow her to mount other dogs because it could result in a fight if the other dog does not want to be dominated. Many people think it's funny or cute, but it is neither.

The potty behavior is strange to me. Have you taken her to the vet to see if there is something going on that may be causing her to go all over the place? Is there any change in her stools? Does she still pee on the pads?


Generally the first sign that a dog is coming into heat is the swelling of her vulva, followed by a bloody discharge. Some dogs are cleaner than others, and will keep themselves meticulously clean, so you may not notice the discharge, as you suspected. After the bloody discharge, it will change to a more yellowish hue, then to a brownish hue, and then it will stop. The entire heat usually lasts about 3 weeks. It's very important that you keep her on a leash whenever you take her outside, even if you have a fenced yard, and you should not leave her alone outside, again, even if you have a fenced yard.

I would recommend, because she is a mixed breed, that you talk to your vet about having her spayed. If she is, in fact, coming into heat, you will have to wait until she has finished before having her spayed. Then you won't have to worry about it anymore! :^)