Maltese Female

Question
Hello, I have a 10 month old female purebred Maltese dog. When should I expect her to go into heat for the first time? Thank you.

Answer
Hi, normally a female dog will go into heat around 6 months old, but some dogs come in a little later.  She might have had what they call a silent heat (which means she happened to show no outward signs of being in heat).  This is more common the first time a dog comes in heat. If she does not come in heat by a year, then you should check with your vet to make sure that there is nothing wrong with her.  Hope this helps,

Dawn