Okay I am brand new to this part of owning a male and female dog. My 11 month old female is just starting to menstrate.I have Chlorophyll and as of now she has been given tablets, I would have started sooner but there were no tell tale signs until last evening when we got home from work. I have tried vanilla and vicks on the male and I have even rubbed a little at the base of her tail. We live in a small home and our dogs live in the home with us. I do have crates but only the female is crated when we are not home (about 10 hrs a day) and at bedtime. I believe this is a 3 week process........HELP WE ARE GOING TO GO NUTS.......... I will be buying doggie pants for her, what else can I do, how long will the menstration last? I believe from what I have been told and read we have made it through the 1st stage of the cycle,so am I looking at another 3 weeks????????????? This newbie really needs help and input here, and it will be greatly appreciated.

Have you spoken to your Vet yet? Perhaps he can shed some light for you.

First, stop calling it menstruation. Dogs do not menstruate. You have to keep them separated when you are not home. Do not leave the bitch in a crate with the dog lose. He will try to breed her through the crate and may be successful. Or, he could injure himself severely trying. I have found the dog is less stress when he can see the girl. So crate them in the same room. Are you planning on spaying this bitch later, or breeding her. Having an intact bitch in your home with an intact dog is always nightmarish for all involved. Some breeders have some luck by collecting the boy.


Instead of menstruation, use these terms. Or, simply say she is in season or in heat. :

Proestrus: Proestrus typically lasts about 9 days. This is the reproductive phase that immediately precedes estrus. Estradiol concentration increases as ovarian follicules mature and the uterus enlarges. The vaginal epithelium proliferates accompanied by diapedesis of erythrocytes from uterine capillaries. Thus, erythrocytes account for most of the cells observed on vaginal smears at this reproductive stage. Grossly, vulvar edema, hyperemia, and a serosanguineous discharge occur.7,8

Estrus: Typically, estrus lasts for about 9 days. Estrus is characterized by the period of acceptance of the male by the bitch. The female will seek out males and stand for them prior to copulation. This stage of the reproductive cycle is difficult to determine cytologically because distinguish features are only present microscopically at the beginning and the end of estrus. During estrus, glandular secretions increase, the vaginal epithelium becomes hyperemic, and ovulation occurs. This stage of the reproductive cycle is influenced mainly by estrogens. The interval between successive estrus cycles is typically seven months.

Diestrus: This is the period where corpora lutea (CL) are present. The CL are fully functional and secrete increased large quantities of progesterone. During this phase of the reproductive cycle, the bitch refuses to accept the sexual advances of the dog. Physiologically, the uterine glands undergo hypertrophy and hyperplasia. The cervix constricts and vaginal secretions become tenacious. The length of diestrus is variable; however, regression of CL requires approximately 70-80 days.

Anestrus: Anestrus is a prolonged period of sexual rest where the reproductive system is quiescent. Secretions are minimal and very tenacious or absent. The cervix is tightly constricted and the vaginal mucosa is pale.

Ask a friend to take care of your boy or board him. Don't risk crating if you aren't going to be there to supervise... if there is a will, there's a way.

You will need to completely separate your male and female for around 28 days at least to make sure they do not breed. Since you are inexperienced and are not really sure when she came into season, you should start now. You cannot leave her crated and him loose or vice versa, or they can try to breed through the crate. Having an intact male and female together in a house is not fun at all and not easy either, you can expect your boy to drive you mad each and every time for an extended time and it is work to keep them apart. Being that they are in such close contact with each other chlorophyll is not going to do much, there will be nothing you can really do to make your male not know she is in season and he will want to get to her in the worst way. Unless you have a really good reason for having them intact, then my advice would be to alter at least one of them or both. Or you may want to find someone who is willing to keep your male for a month until she is out of heat. You also cannot leave her unsupervised outside either or a wandering male may find his way into your yard and breed her.

Thank you for you help.
My reason for having them intact, I currently show my male, he has to be intact. My female is my foundation bitch & should be in the show ring soon.

Thank you for the education, my breeder/mentor never spoke about a dog being in season in your terms.
I do know that they need to be separted and watched every second. I have no intention of leaving them unattended nor do I let my dogs outside alone.
I will ask my breeder about collecting my male.

Good luck. I might be overstepping, but I wouldn't consider an 11 month old bitch that you haven't shown yet your "foundation". She may never be proven in the ring and she may not pass clearances. No problem in wanting all that but understand that she could very well not be your foundation at all. I would also rethink a breeder/mentor who doesn't use the right terms about a bitch's seasons. You want help from someone that knows what they are doing. If they don't use the right words, I am not sure how much help they'll be. There is ALOT to know about managing different sex intact dogs in a home and it honestly sounds like you are over your head. Please find a mentor that can actually HELP you.

Please do not even have them in the same room together loose, even if you are in it with them! My rule of thumb is to always have 2 barriers between dogs and in-heat bitches - either 2 crates, 2 runs, 2 fences, 2 doors, etc... It only takes a moment for a dog to get a tie! I agree - I think you are way in over your head and have no idea how to handle an intact dog and bitch who may or may not ever work out (does your boy have his clearances already, too?). Can you get your "breeder/mentor" to keep your boy (or the girl) for the duration of the heat cycle?

OP - There is a lot of good advice in the previous posts. However, don't worry about the "you're way over your head" comments. We all started somewhere and you came here to learn.

Currently I don't own a male which of course is much easier. When we had a male I found keeping them both crated in the same room was best. I also found giving the male a brisk walk several times around the perimeter of our 15 acres and throwing him lots of bumpers helped tire him out and lessened his drive. Playing soft music in their room drowned his constant whimpering. It goes over sooner than you think. I certainly agree don't let either of them run loose in the same room where the other is crated! All the best, sure hope both finish as Champions and pass all clearances

Thank you very much for your support, you are correct we all start somewhere and I did ask the forum for educated information and help.
Male has passed all clearances and has done well so far in the 2 + years he has been showing. My female is to young for all her clearances and will begin showing soon.

As a matter of fact yes my boy has his clearances and has done very well. I am not a ignorant to what it intales to eventually breed nor the cost to do it properly.
I am not naive, I do know what was in store for me having both intact sexes in my home. I though this fourm was a place of education and help for those asking.
Could I take the easy way out and have someone take one of them for the duration sure......but what am I learning by passing it off on someone else. I intend to breed in the futur which means there will always be both sexes in my home. I need to be able to deal with my choice, I did not expect to be torn apart by people who once were in my shoes.....how soon we forget where we came from to get to where we are now.

You only need to keep a male to be a breeder, if you intend to just breed him to your girl(s). I have several champion boys in my house (I do have a kennel set-up so that I can do this comfortably) - I can count on one hand the in-house breedings I've done just because the dogs you have don't necessarily compliment each other.

Please get a mentor who is better equipped to help you with your situation - one who does not know about proper breeding terms makes me wonder...

That's why God made bedroom doors!!

As someone with boys and girls living in the same house, we use our bedroom as the safe room and just rotate so that neither boys nor girls are the ones locked up all the time.(that's assuming you allow your dogs loose in the house?)

And separate walks...course it's always fun to actually get one or the other out of the house!!

It's only a month, it works out but it's a pain!! Wine helps, too!!!

Yes, one month every six months or so. So actually quite often if you are managing all of this in your house.

Good luck!

Thank you so much, I appreciate your kind help.

Yes we do allow them the freedom of our home when we are home. What also works is the set up of our home, we have the ability to be on separate floors with each of us keeping one of the dogs with us.

I have been taking my male and walking the development where we live while my husband walks our other 2 in opposite directions leaving at a different time than I do.

Lucky for me there is a sale on wine this week!!!!!
Thanks again

Good luck, Kim. It IS hard keeping them apart, but I think the best advice you got is to keep them crated in the same room so that the boy's anxiety level is decreased. Frankly, once I even boarded my boy when two girls came in, one right after the other. My boy's moaning was louder than most dogs' screams, and I thought I would lose my mind.
Back to your question about chlorophyll, though, I too would like to know when to start it and whether to give it in pill form or the liquid form with food. Thanks.