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First Heat

3K views 12 replies 11 participants last post by  Cedarswamp 
#1 ·
My chocolate lab female just turned a year old on August 18th, but has yet to have her first heat cycle. At what point do I start to get concerned?
 
#4 ·
There are many factors which determines when your girl will come in heat. Your best bet would be to ask the owner of her mother when she came in for the first time since it often runs in the family. Also, if you only have the one dog or just females around and they don't often interact with the opposite sex, things could be delayed. Amount of body fat or the lack of it will also delay heat cycles. The first heat cycle could be minimal, very little swelling, very little to no noticeable bleeding, and could last for a very short duration- under a week. Black dogs are also better at keeping these things "secret" over yellows which seem to be a lot more noticeable. :)
 
#5 ·
What Raina said!
I have never had a female (from my current family of Labs) that has had her first heat cycle before 12 months. Normal for us is in the 14-17 month range with a few a little sooner or later than that.
 
#7 ·
The three bitches I have now from oldest to youngest; 21 months, 35 months, and 7 months.
 
#8 ·
Mine are all around 18mt. first; then every 7mt like clock-work. I got a 9mt old pup now, if she'd hold off until 3; I'd be very ok with it ;)
 
#12 ·
Mine came in for her first time in April. Vet noticed this weekend that she's starting to swell a little. She's scheduled to run HT 9/28 and 9/29. Imagine that! Looks like it'll be just me and my male going to Ruston. Maybe he'll get to sleep in that king size bed with his Daddy that weekend. Gotta get my money's worth of that $50 nonrefundable pet deposit that HI Express is charging me. We'll leave the girls home to bond that weekend.
 
#13 ·
Ours is normally in the 14-18 month range. Have one that her first was 22 months, second heat was 8 months later (had a litter of 9). I LOVE the once a year girls since I tend to have at least 2 bitches in the house...the every 6 months ones suck then. But if they don't take, you have another whole year to wait (NOT good when they are older girls and time is "limited") vs the every 6 month girls...darned if you do and darned if you don't.
 
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