Advice for bitch in her first heat

Our pup is 7 months old and has just literally started. I know you can get hygene pants to protec the house from being marked, has any one used these if so what did you think of them.
She went off of her food recently but we put it down to us being on hol for a week and her missing us and she's been going out to the garden more than normal most of the time just to play. I didn't link these together until now.
Does anyone elses bitch get very cuddly when they are in season? I don't know if it's just in my mind but she seems to be snuggling up more than normal next to us on the sofa.
Any advice on this would be apreciated.

Also how long should I expect it to last?

Up to 3 week's give or take a few day's, my dog's our outside dog's so I don't need the pant's but maybe if you get some old sheet's over the furniture it will help.And one of mine get's very cuddly when in heat, the other's just get grumpy.

i prefere to use sheets etc for covering furniture and keep a mop in the corner ,than use these doggie pants as i think it dosen;t encourage them to keep themselves clean after all they can;'t wash what is coverd up !

Seasons vary tremendously - my current bitch lasted only 2 weeks last time, but they can last up to 4. The thing to remember is that it`s the end of the season that`s when they`re fertile - e.g. when they`ve stopped bleeding. It`s also when they`ll `stand` for the dog. I`ve never bothered with pants for mine as they`ve all been very good at tidying themselves up, but I do cover their beds with old sheets and change them as needed.

Zoe was very cuddly when she had her first season last summer. But she was very miserable during it, so I think that is why she wanted the cuddles

both my two were in season at the same time and more or less cut themselves off from us - it was like there was just two of them in their world!

I too wouldnt use those pant things - as others have said use something to protect the furniture and she will clean herself too.

Please please please dont leave her out of your sight. I left my two in their kennel in our garden with 8 foot walls all around for about an hour only to be met by the local "wide-dog" who had scaled the wall and had a ball while we were out. Not a road you want to go down.

Generally a bitches season lasts between 2-4 weeks.

Some bleed, some don't, some only bleed for a while and not the whole season, some bleed for the whole season, and the amount varies with each bitch.

My bitch does get cuddly when she's in, but some get grumpy instead.

Some are cleaner than others, many bleed a lot but you may never see it, as they are so clean.

My bitch never wants to be on the sofa when she's in season, which is just as well, but for some reason she must know she wouldn't be allowed anyway

Some people also limit walking when a bitch is in season, as an off lead dog, will smell her from miles away, and theres no way you would part them, even if your bitch was on a lead.

I hadn't thought of that! Thanks for he heads up!
Thank you everyone for your help. So far Nala seems to be handling it well, she's back to eating her food! Yay! Not really noticed it much but the first sign that it was her season was a mark on my jeans after she was sitting on my lap! Yuk! Anyway these things happen she couldn't help it.

When we had Star and she was in season she wasn't too interested in going for her walks anyway, she was very moochy but wanted lots of cuddles. Let's face it though ladies, there's nothing worse than period pains and for them to go on for up to 4 weeks, no wonder some get grumpy.