[Aimee61]

Hi, I'm the happy mama of 2 GSP pups. Lui (male) is 9 months and Zuzu (female) is just 4 months. I have an appt. set up for Zuzu to be spayed in 2 weeks, however, just today Lui has started trying to mount her and really sniffing her 'hoo-hah' a lot. I'm a little worried that she may be already coming into heat--I really don't want her to get prego at this young age, she's just such a little thing herself! Are these just preliminary signs of normal adolescence or do you think she is really coming into heat early? Thoughts...??? (We were planning on waiting to have Lui fixed until he is at least a year old).
Thanks for any advice/help you can give.

 

[traciek88]

4 months is way too young. I've never heard of a dog coming into heat that early. I think if anything this is more a sign of Lui maturing and becoming more interested in the opposite sex. Zuzu may just be a puppy, but she's an intact female, and he can smell that. If it bothers you just separate them, and she'll be getting spayed soon anyway. (But they'll likely have to continue separation until she heals as well.) You can consult your vet if you want to be sure, but I think this is just puppy puberty on Lui's part, not Zuzu's.

 

[Elrohwen]

4 months is young. Even 6 months is pretty young but possible. If an experienced intact male started sniffing like that, I would take it seriously. My older male knew 2 weeks in advance that my puppy was going into heat. But a young adolescent is probably just sniffing because she's maturing and he's interested. I've seen adolescent males sniff like that at neutered male dogs - they are just nosey.

Even if she does go into heat, she won't be fertile for 10-14 days after she starts spotting. There's no need to separate them now at all.

 

[animalcraker]

In addition to what Elrohwen said, it is incredibly unlikely that she's coming into heat this young. However it's not impossible, usually there will be some swelling of the vulva before they start spoting, so keep an eye on that if your boy is refusing to leave her alone.

I've only seen 1 dog go into heat before 6.5 months old. It was a small chihuahua who had h first heat at 4.5 months and continued to cycle 3 times a year. The owners had intended on breeding her, because they spent so much for a teacup chihuahua. They weren't too happy when our doctors advised against because of apparent hormone imbalances. Thankfully for the pup her false pregnancies had continued to get worse with each cycle, to the point where the owners couldn't take it anymore and spayed her before they got the chance to breed.

 

[Elrohwen]

My Welsh springer puppy started spotting on her 6 month birthday exactly. So it's not unheard of for them to go in at 6 months. But everybody was shocked when my puppy started and it was really early. So 4 months is super early and I've never heard of one that young. Like I said, my male knew (and I totally didn't believe him because she was only 5.5 months) but he was right. But then he is experienced and knew down to the 4 days she was fertile. As a 9 month old I wouldn't have trusted him to have any idea what was happening.