Advice and tips for owners of intact bitchs (seasons)

Kira being on season plus various other members asking advice on other forums prompted me to post this

Before the 1st season:
Bitches usually come into season for the 1st time from 6 months onwards, heres a few tips to get prepared beforehand...

•Scout out local park/fields etc at random times for a couple of weeks, this will give you an idea as to when places are usually dog free.
•Decide wether your willing to clean up after her or put something over her to 'catch' the flow (much like humans!)
•If you have nice carpets and dont want to clean up after her you can either get 'bitch nappies' or young boys pants, pants work much better than boxer shorts at keeping a pad in place but you do have to cut a tail hole.
•If your going to be using pants/bitch nappies, get her used to them before they're needed.
•Make sure your garden is secure! even if she has no history of escaping the hormones from her season will make her want to find a sexy man (kira didnt escape till her 1st season, and after that there was no stopping her!)
•Decide wether sleeping arrangements are going to be the same. If she sleeps on your bed it is worth investing in a large blanket or 2 to throw over the bed (ours is red lol), if she sleeps in a crate or on a bed of her own can it be washed?
•If you have a bitch and an entire dog, 2 crates will be a godsend!!
•Stock up on wet wipes, some bitches can be very messy, especially during the 1st season (kira was and still is), and can get blood on their legs, tail, feet (you'd be suprised where they manage to get it lol), and you can also clean her 'lady bits' for her if shes not great at keeping up with it herself. Make sure they're not antibacterial or anything, just plain ol' wet wipes or baby wipes.
•Buy some choc drops!! Girls, you know chocolate is the answer to all our problems.... maybe she'd like some too... doggy of course! lol.
•Have a few quid in the bank for the mismate jab... should the worst happen (not sure on how much this is, check with your vet).

During the season:
Seasons last 3-4 weeks, heres a few tips for during that time...

•Never let her out into the garden alone, entire males could jump your fence to get to her, and dogs CAN mate through wire fences, so always supervise her.
•Be aware that your schedule will probably have to change to accomadate her needs, you may need to get up earlier and stay up later to walk her when there are less dogs about, or spend more time walking her if you drive to somewhere people dont walk their dogs.
•If you have an entire dog in the house keep them crated when you cant watch their every move, its only takes a couple of seconds for a slip mating to occur, and she can become pregnant from this!!. Keep them both crated, and dont put the crates right near eachother, incase they make through the bars lol.
•Never let her offlead, even if she's fine usually, the hormones'll send her a'running!!
•Dont leave the pants/nappy on her all the time, if shes crated, take them off, when she's outside and out walking, take them off, give her bits some time to breathe and her a chance to clean herself regularly.
•If she is mated with ring your vets asap, they'll advise you when to take her in.

Remember!

•A bitch should NEVER be bred from on her 1st season (it is advisable to wait until she is 3 years old), she may be able to carry the pregnancy through but she is still a developing puppy herself, even if you want to breed her, pull out all the stops to ensure she isnt mated until she's old enough.
•A slip mating can result in puppies!
•It costs a hell of a lot more to whelp and raise puppies than the mismate jab, if you cant afford a mismate, you cant afford a pregnant bitch!