Is Your Female In Heat?: How To Keep Your Male A Part Of The Family

When your female is in heat, is it a constant struggle?

Do you feel like your life revolves around watching your dogs to make sure nothing happens?

For those of us, who own a female and a male dog, when both of them are not fixed, it can be a very difficult time for the entire family. When your female comes into heat, as both of our little girls do at the same time, life is excruciating for the males if you don't desire them to mate, for whatever reason.

In our case, our girls are only 1 yr old, and we are waiting until they are 2 1/2 yrs old. Our poor, little Kaptain doesn't know what has hit him now. He just cannot understand why all of a sudden he is in absolute love with our little girls, when they were just playmates thus far.

Now, Kaptain is the most obedient dog we have ever seen or known. However, when our girls are in heat, it is like he tunes everyone else out, but them. He is difficult to deal with, to say it nicely. He won't listen, and will not leave them alone for one minute. Our girls get very frustrated with him as well, as he just won't leave their side for any amount of time. Every time we look up, he is right there on their tail.

If we want Kappy to go outside, without the girls of course, and it means being separated from them, he just won't come to you. It's like you just don't exist. Foremost, however, is the fact that he wants to mate with them, and whether your females are not old enough yet, as is our case, or if you just don't want puppies again yet, the males don't understand that and want to go through with the act...Often...As often as they can. Very annoying, and messy (let's be honest).

WE HAVE A SOLUTION:

If your dog is small, up to maybe 20 lbs, there is a viable and inexpensive option. We have found that we can put an infant bodysuit on Kaptain to ensure that mating does not actually happen, even if we leave the house.

Kaptain is about 14 1/2 lbs and is a miniature schnauzer. He is small for a mini, as he was the runt, but our girls are of a normal miniature schnauzer size and the bodysuits fit them as well. For Kaptain, he is in an 18 month old infant sleeper with snap buttons (short sleeved, and legless). Most small terriers will fit into a bodysuit, as they go up to 24 months in this style.

The best part is that these little bodysuits only cost between $2.00-6.00 from WalMart. Here is a great example, and I can say so, these are a really great price, as we just bought some this week for $5.97 each.

Baby Connection - Bodysuit 5-Pack for Boys, in Blue

This ensures that he is unable to actually penetrate the females while trying to hump them. It contains the mess as well, and we rotate about 5 sleepers to be sure we always have one ready.

The snap buttons down the front with the flap that wraps around the bottom, and the style where there are just 3 snaps at the bottom work both equally well.

* Tip: It may sound strange, but if you put the sleeper on backwards, as in the back on their belly and belly on the back, this method works much better. Instead of having to snap the buttons on their belly, which may be messy and invasive, you can just pull it up their legs, and snap it on their back and snap the bottom flap on their lower back, instead of their belly as well.

* Even with the style where there are 3 buttons between the legs, if you put it on backwards, and leave the middle snap open, there is a hole for their tail to poke through. It is in just the right spot.

* If there is no hole for the tail, as with the front snap with the flap, you will need to cut a hole in them, with a cut about 1 1/2". *** Use pinking shears, so as to cut the fabric without it fraying, as you will be washing these bodysuits often. It will look like a zig-zag cut.


Kaptain does not get alienated, as most males do when the girls are in heat. Many owners, and even breeders (from home), have told us to just put the male outside during the duration of the heat. Well, this would mean we would need to keep Kaptain outside for about 1 month. Before our females start bleeding, he is interested about 1 wk before, and at least 1 wk after. This past heat, both of our girls didn't start together either, so this would prolong this outdoor stay to about 1.5 - 2 months. That means, almost the entire summer, he would have to be outside.

This is just not fair! He is a part of our family, and it would cause more of a problem trying to round him up before we let the girls out. He would be so distraught to be left alone outside for this length of time.

With this method, at least for your smaller varieties of terrier/dog, you can alleviate all of the worry and stress, even when you are out, of having your dogs get out of their rooms or pens and mating.

In all honesty, Kaptain has never even tried to rip of this outfit at any time, and neither have the girls, even when they play as hard as they do everyday.

* Final Tip: Please make sure you take the bodysuit off before you let the dog out. Yes, I know, common sense, right? It happens, especially when you are in a rush and not really paying attention.

These bodysuits get the job done, and he looks so cute to boot!

This is our solution, and it works so well for us. We hope it works for you too. Let us know if this keeps the stress level down at your house.

Kimberly Edwards :D

Technorati Tags: terrier dog breeding mating heat

At The Beach With Your Dog: 12 Steps To Fun!

This summer, I hope you have the opportunity to spend some time with your furry friend at the beach!

I brought my newest puppies to the beach in July this summer in Port Franks, ON. What an absolute blast. We had fun in the sun, and enjoyed every minute of it, but only because we were prepared!

Here are some guidelines to follow to make your outing a fun one:

1. Permission: Make sure the beach you are going to permits you to have your canine friends there.

2. Bags: Please make sure you bring plastic bags to pick up your dog's refuse. There is nothing worse to other people, than to sit next to your dog's poop! This is the main reason dogs are not permitted at many beach locations. Help out your cause, and clean it up!

3. Leash: Make sure your dog is on a leash, and if you allow them off of the leash, make sure the leash is available readily. Many people are afraid of dogs, even if they are as small and sweet as my miniature schnauzers, so make sure to allow everyone to have an enjoyable outing at the beach, and pay attention to how others are reacting to your dog. It only takes a few people to complain to have the city revoke the permission of allowing dogs on the beach.

Also, if your dog does not get along with other dogs, children, people in general, or does not listen and obey well, ensure your dog stays on the leash as much as possible if others are around. If you are on a secluded beach, you may be able to let them off their leash. Use your common sense, as you know your dog best!

4. Bring Water: Your pooch will be thirsty because it's hot, they will be playing, will potentially have sand in their mouth, and the body of water may be saltwater. Salt water dehydrates your pooch, and yourself, so make sure you bring water. If your dog is uncomfortable drinking from the bottle, bring a small bowl, or for a small dog, use the cup of your hand as a bowl. They'll be so busy playing, they won't want a lot at one time, but make sure to offer them water frequently.

* Tip: I also bring a bottle of water to soak their fur and skin. Just as the water cools you, it will cool your dog.

*Tip: Use a plastic water bottle, and fill it halfway with water. Freeze it. When you are ready to go to the beach, fill the rest of the bottle with cold water. This will definitely keep the water colder longer.

5. Shade: Bring some way to shade your pooch. If you are going to spend the day at the beach, shade is a must at some point for your pet. An umbrella works well! If they are small enough, as our dogs are, they will be able to sit under your lawn chair for shade.

* Remember: Your dog has hair and has a higher metabolism than you do. They will be even hotter than you feel.

6. Water Safety: Is your dog able to swim? If you don't know, go into the water with them. Do not go deep into the water. If they feel uncomfortable swimming, they may panic, and it will cause them undue stress.


Make sure you know the layout of the area in which you will be enjoying the water. Where we take our dogs, the water is very shallow for up to 100 yards out. However, even though I know that they can swim (as we slowly discovered), I went into the water with them every time. Do not allow them too far from you, as undercurrents could pull them under.

If you have more than one dog, it is a good idea to have more than one person watching them while in or around the water.

It is a good idea, as we have seen, to purchase a life jacket for your dog. They have them in all sizes and many different colors.

* Here is an example:

7. Toys: As you know, dogs are like children. They want to play, and can get bored easily. Bring them some toys to occupy their time. The reason you brought them is for fun in the sun, so enjoy each other's company, and bring a ball or Frisbee to play with.

* Here's a Few Fun Ideas:
Kong Puppy Flyer, Blue

Canine Hardware 4 Pk Tennis Ball 2.5"

8. Snacks: Just like you, your pooch will get hungry with all that fun activity at the beach. Be smart and bring them some food or snacks (in a Ziploc). If they get hungry, they may start trying the eat the sand, and that's neither tasty or good for them. They may also start to whine, and this will cause your outing to be prematurely shortened.

* Tip: Use their Frisbee as a bowl for their food. This works well, is washable in the water, and you will only want to put small amounts out at a time for them to eat.

9. Towels: If your dog is anything like ours, the first thing they will want to do after getting out of the water is to roll around in the sand to dry off. Yeah, not so nice! Don't panic, take them back into the water and wash them out. Then make sure you have a towel handy to dry them off as much as you can. Dogs will be dogs, and they will be sandy, so if you can't handle that in your car, bring a towel for them to sit on in the car. All in all, we brought 1 towel/dog (as we had 4 dogs at the beach). We used them for different purposes.

* Tip: Like you, your dog would probably be more comfortable sitting on a towel, than in the sand. The sand gets very hot, and they are walking barefoot, so to speak, pay attention if they are in pain from the heat. Either carry them (if they are small enough), bring them to the water to cool their pads, or change the distance of your walk to be shorter.

10. Sunbathing: Make sure when your are sunbathing, that your dog is tied up, in case you fall asleep, which does happen, or if you are not paying full attention. We used our lawn chairs and large umbrella embedded in the sand. Another good idea may be a heavy cooler. Stay close to your dog, and don't wander off on them.

* Tip: For those of you, who have hairless varieties of dogs, make sure you apply sunblock to their skin, as they can burn easily. In fact, it is important to protect any dog. This is a good option that is safe for your dogs that we have discovered:


11. Common Sense: All in all, use your common sense, and as you know your dog best, plan according to their specific needs, as every dog is different.

For older dogs, it may not be a good idea to stay out too long with them, as the heat could be difficult for them to deal with. We have seen people use children's wagons to transport their older dogs to, from and at the beach. Puppies may have a more difficult time as well dealing with the intense heat.

12. Have Fun: Most importantly, have fun! It is important to have fun, or it's not worth the effort!

These 12 tips to having fun at the beach with your dog will ensure you have a blast with your pooch.

We had so much fun with Kaptain, Knosey, Kurious and Sugar at the beach, and we cannot wait to do it all over again. We played with the Frisbee, the ball, chased waves (and seagulls), swam, enjoyed campfires, and played tag. The dogs fully enjoyed themselves and were pooped out, but ready to do it all over again every day while we were on vacation. It was so much nicer than going to the beach by yourselves, and worrying about your dogs, either at home being babysat, or sitting by themselves at the cottage. It was a full-on family affair!

I would love to hear your feedback and stories from this year's outings at the beach with your furry friends! Feel free to post pictures as well. Let me know if you have any other great tips for other dog lovers.

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