# Labrador 12 months and no heat cycle



## jackelrs2000 (May 1, 2013)

Hi everyone I have a 12 month old bitch (Mia) well 12 months next week, Im getting worried as she still has not come into season. I have another Labrador (Roxy) which has just come into season and Mia's vulva swelled up but after a few days it went back to normal with still no signs of , her coming into season, I have just noticed that if you scratch her back end she moves her tail, Is this normal?

Any info or help on the situation would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks


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## Devil-Dogz (Oct 4, 2009)

Maybe she has had whats known as a silent season, where she wouldnt bleed. Or maybe she is just a late maturer and not has one yet. 

Some of my girlies, love their back end scratches and 'flag' regardless of in season!


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## haeveymolly (Mar 7, 2009)

Molly didn't have her first season until she was 16 months


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

jackelrs2000 said:


> Hi everyone I have a 12 month old bitch (Mia) well 12 months next week, Im getting worried as she still has not come into season. I have another Labrador (Roxy) which has just come into season and Mia's vulva swelled up but after a few days it went back to normal with still no signs of , her coming into season, I have just noticed that if you scratch her back end she moves her tail, Is this normal?
> 
> Any info or help on the situation would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Many thanks


If when you stroke or scratch her back and she stands and flags her tail to one side and holds it there is sounds like estrus the fertile part of the season, they will often do it then.

Dogs can have a whats called a silent season where you dont see discharge or full signs you would expect, possible this is whats occuring if she is flagging her tail. Some bitches are so fastidious at keeping themselves clean sometimes you dont see any discharge or very little anyway. Often two entire bitches too will synchronize it has been known.

Keep an eye on them too, as some bitches in season can get really uppity with other bitches, sometimes it can be the one in season starting it, or even the one that isnt that starts on the one that is. If they have synchronised and are both in it may be worse still. Even bitches that live together in harmony the rest of the time it can be a different story in season. They may well be OK, but ust be aware for any snappy signs.


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## jackelrs2000 (May 1, 2013)

Ok brilliant. Lets say she comes in to season at 12 -18 months will she always come into season at 12-18 months


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Unfortunately no. I've been waiting for my youngest to have her first season, her dam came in at 9 months, so did her Auntie, and her Grandma, but she waited until 12 months. It could be that was always when she was going to come in, or that the adverse weather made her body tell her to hold off, and then my other entire bitch came in so that could have also delayed a season, but it might not. They are a law unto themselves. Usually you can generally say that if one bitch in a household comes in season, it will bring the other entire bitches in if they're also due any time soon. But they don't all cycle regularly, or even the same time apart. Mine have been fairly text book once they come in, having seasons approx six months apart, but I await to see what happens with the youngest, I'm sure she's keeping me on my toes - she's a Labrador btw.


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## 1290423 (Aug 11, 2011)

jackelrs2000 said:


> Hi everyone I have a 12 month old bitch (Mia) well 12 months next week, Im getting worried as she still has not come into season. I have another Labrador (Roxy) which has just come into season and Mia's vulva swelled up but after a few days it went back to normal with still no signs of , her coming into season, I have just noticed that if you scratch her back end she moves her tail, Is this normal?
> 
> Any info or help on the situation would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Many thanks


no problem, my bitch a weim, which is around the same size was 14 or 15 month when she had her first season


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## BessieDog (May 16, 2012)

My Irish setter was 12 and a half months before her first season.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

jackelrs2000 said:


> Ok brilliant. Lets say she comes in to season at 12 -18 months will she always come into season at 12-18 months


Not necessarily it could well change it may not its unfortunately one of those things that you will have to wait and see how it regulates and what is normal for her, it may be every six months or it may be longer.


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## shamykebab (Jul 15, 2009)

Anything up to 18 months in medium to large breeds is normal - she could just be a late maturer.

After that it's usually an average of a 7 month cycle (but they're not always textbook!).


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## Freyja (Jun 28, 2008)

My ex racing greyhound was 2 1/2 when she had her first season they do surpress greyhound bitches to stop the seasons while racing but she wasn't she was a late developer.

I do have 2 italian greyhounds both 18 months old and neither has a season. We think Tabitha has possibly had a silent season but Micca has still not come in.


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## chaka (Feb 19, 2012)

My young GSD has just had her first season at 12 months, its not all that unusual. I had a bitch who was 3 before she had her first season, she then went on to have perfectly normal seasons roughly 6 months apart.


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## blakesmum (Oct 11, 2011)

one of my bitches flags every time you scatch the base of her tail, regardless of whether in season or not. she just loves being scratched  my first bitch (labrador) didn't have her first season until 13/14 months old, and she came in every 8 months after that. her daughter, came in at 9 months old and was regular every 6 months. they are all different


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

My bitch had her first season at 15 months, her next 15 months later, the third was 10 months after that. The fourth? I'll let you know when it happens.


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## swarthy (Apr 24, 2010)

jackelrs2000 said:


> Hi everyone I have a 12 month old bitch (Mia) well 12 months next week, Im getting worried as she still has not come into season. I have another Labrador (Roxy) which has just come into season and Mia's vulva swelled up but after a few days it went back to normal with still no signs of , her coming into season, I have just noticed that if you scratch her back end she moves her tail, Is this normal?
> 
> Any info or help on the situation would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Many thanks


As has already been mentioned - she could be having a silent season and this is why she is flagging (definitely take the precaution of keeping her away from males and not exercising her in areas where many dogs "hang out" - and definitely no off lead.

=================

On a more general note - not having a season by 12 months is nothing to worry out - if she is getting close to 24 months and not had one, then it might be worth speaking to the vets - I've had bitches come in as young as 6 months and as old as 22 months.

IME - first seasons can often be almost missed on occasions - particularly if a bitch doesn't swell much (I've had a couple of these) - putting a white sheet in her bedding area to see if is spotting any blood and just happens to be very clean. Some bitches do however stop bleeding when ready for mating.

In a nutshell - 12 months is no age for not having had a first season - you've easily got around another 12 months before I would start raising concerns with the vet.

If you have any suspicions she is having a silent season - then take the responsible steps you would if you knew she was in season.


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