Malti-Po First heat symptoms

[patnoscar]

My 7 month old Malti-poo is having her first heat. I want to breed her later on. She seems to be a bit depressed and sad looking. She doesn't have much energy and is not eating like she normally does. Is this a normal ? How long will this last. Please help, I'm a first time puppy owner.

[Jas]

Many females in heat exhibit the symptoms listed. Bitches can be bred during any normal heat - even their first so you are going to have to keep her separated from any intact males as I am sure you want to wait to breed her until she is older than two years and has all her health testing certifications - OFA www.offa.org - hips, elbows, CERF, BAER, thyroid, heart and any other diseases/conditions known to both the poodle and maltese breeds. Standing heat can be anywhere from about 2 - 21 days - so keep the boys away!!

If you plan on breeding I suggest you invest in some breeding, genetics - health, disease and canine structure books NOW so that you can become a responsible well informed breeder. There is a lot more to owning unspayed females than some people think. There should be a good reason for wanting to breed also - like your dog is an extremely good representation of the breed in conformation, health and temperament (and you have the knowledge to decipher what this means). Fact is most dogs should be neutered/spayed only a select few should be bred. There is a "sticky" post bookmarked at the top of this forum - http://auspet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3848 a good idea to read through the informative links.

good luck
jas

[puttin510]

No dog should be bred till you know for sure that she's passed all health tests. Just because she's in heat does not mean she's ready, remember that. She is still a pup herself. Good luck in the future.