kelpiegirl Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Hi everyone No, not the spring/summer/fall/winter, but the seasonal heat. My girl just came into heat, and it made me wonder if this could have any effect on her working attitude? I noticed a few days ago when I worked her that she was really not "thinking" or listening.... Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipedream Farm Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 I think it will be individually based. We have not noticed any differences with our females, but others have noticed changes in their females. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Hey Julie, Hormones can have some very powerful effects. Have you ever been "boy stupid?" I had one bitch that turned into a giggling schoolgirl every six months until I had her spayed. I've worked with others that you'd hardly know anything was up with them (except that the dogs were fighting and howling and not eating). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiegirl Posted March 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Hi Bill Well, a few days ago I was working her, and I noticed that she was just sort of off. Like, I put her some where, ask her to lay down, she gets up. I put her back down, she gets up. Now, she will do this sometimes, once in a while, but certainly NOT to the degree that she was doing it then. She also found one particular male quite awesome She also is a bit of a bitch to the other dogs... I haven't been boy crazy, since, well, I can remember, but then again, if you said I could go on a date with Tom Selleck, umm, then I might be able to sympathize ;0) Julie Hey Julie, Hormones can have some very powerful effects. Have you ever been "boy stupid?" I had one bitch that turned into a giggling schoolgirl every six months until I had her spayed. I've worked with others that you'd hardly know anything was up with them (except that the dogs were fighting and howling and not eating). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 The only trouble that I consider hormone-related that I've had with my bitches was getting Twist back to her normal "self" after whelping. It took *months* and was extremely frustrating. But I've never noticed any difference in their work when they're in heat. Others seem to have different experiences--as Mark said, it must be an individual thing. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Julie, I've never noticed a difference in my bitches when in heat and working, but have heard others talk of the problem, so I guess like Mark said, it's probably an individual thing. The only problem I ever had was trying to get Twist back into normal working form after whelping. It took months and was extrememly frustrating--like working Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde--she was quitting, not trying to cover--all sorts of things that just weren't her. Thankfully, she seems to be back to normal now.... J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockdogranch Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 I agree--must be an individual thing. I've never noticed any difference in any of my working females (and all but my old guy are intact females), but have heard lots of people say their dogs act a little off. I never even noticed any difference in Riddle after she whelped--still the same old reliable girl Anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 I don't notice much difference when my girls are in heat. Spottie was a little weird when she was first bred, but other than that i don't ever notice any difference in her around cycles. Jet, on the other hand, works very strong and pushy about 4 months after a heat - when she's blown her coat and would be weaning pups if she'd been bred. Naked Jet = pushy Jet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiegirl Posted March 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 I don't know if it was related or not- but this is her first heat, so she must be a bit off- I sure would be.... Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockdogranch Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 All of my girls, especially Riddle, do go through a false pregnancy thing every time, though. With most, it's a physical thing--swollen mammaries and so on, but with Riddle, 2 months after her cycle, when she would have pups if she were bred, she gets really clingy. Can't get physically close enough to me, and adopts one of the stuffed animals as her *baby*--carries it around with her, licks it to clean it, tucks it under her, etc.; that's in the house. But when it's time to go out and work, she's back to her old self. I was hoping that might change after she'd actually had pups, but nope. Anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 I've only had 3 intact females so my experience in limited. My first would act a bit more needy. She wasn't a working dog so I can't comment much on how she changed. One acts like an idiot right before and during her heat cycle. I will give her a command and she acts like she has never heard it before. She will see something she has seen every day of her life and have a "Holy cow! What is THAT?" reaction. I have learned that entering her in trials during that time period is a waste of my money. It is a total pain and I might spay her so we can concentrate on work. Another of my females acted like nothing had changed, even when she was in standing heat. If one of my neutered males tried to mount her she would side step and look at him as if to say, "Do you mind? I am trying to work!" She did get a little more affectionate but she was no less focused on work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 I knew a bitch that would take shoes into the corner with her and growl at anyone who came near them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockdogranch Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 I knew a bitch that would take shoes into the corner with her and growl at anyone who came near them. Go figure...I guess it's not just guys who can have a shoe fetish, eh?... Anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipedream Farm Posted March 18, 2007 Report Share Posted March 18, 2007 As Mark said, our females have always been the same. All I ever notice is the males acting like jerks when we used to have males. Stopping to mark on the outrun,etc. Renee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiegirl Posted March 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2007 Well guys, apparently seasons DO have an effect- maybe. My girl has been in heat now for 10 days. We haven't worked for two weeks. Today she was the best I have seen her. She was calmer just being there, didn't push too hard on the fetch, and was in general a gem (to me). I know we have a long way to go, but I am just revelling in it for now Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.