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Guide To Australian Shepherd Training & Care

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When Should I Expect My Aussie To Go Into Heat?

by Shannon Goodwin
(St. Martinville, La.. )

I have an 11 month old female Aussie, and the vet said she should enter heat cycles between 8 months to a year, she's not shown any signs of starting a heat cycle. Could there be something wrong with her?

Thanks in advance.
Shannon

Comments for When Should I Expect My Aussie To Go Into Heat?

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RE: aussie heat
by: kym

Dont be alarmed. Dogs are like humans and all mature at different times. I have had aussies *forever* and they have varied coming into heat from 6 months to 13 months. No need to be alarmed or concerned UNLESS you feel there is reason to be. Things such as not acting right,going off food,lethargic etc. However, these symptoms too can be signs of coming into heat. You may want to keep in mind that sometimes its easy to miss the first heat cycle as it can be very mild and short. Im sure everything is fine with your girl and nature will be sure to take its course in due time.Good luck!

Expecting aussie to go into heat
by: Anonymous

I hate to be blunt, but if you don't even know when she's likely to go into heat, I sure hope you're not planning on breeding her. Ignorance costs lives and not being expert in your breed and doing everything possible to insure her health and quality before breeding is ignorant.

A) Good breeders NEVER make a profit on their dogs. Good breeders spend too much on vet bills--certifying eyes and joints--and also on showing their dogs to prove they meet the necessary standards of the breed. Then there's the expenses related to caring for a pregnant bitch, the possibility of complications during whelping and then the intense care and costs of raising quality bred puppies.

B) We destroy hundreds of thousands of dogs and pups (mixed and purebred) in our nation each year because there are not enough homes for them all.
Even if you find excellent homes for all the puppies your bitch pumps out, that means that YOU are responsible for that same number of pups that will die in a shelter for lack of the same great homes yours took up.

Please enjoy your baby girl and don't breed her unless you're willing to go the distance, invest thousands of dollars and she's out of proven, show stock and has also proven herself in the rings of conformation and obedience/agility /herding as well.

To Anonymous
by: Darlyene

Ok Anonymous, so I'm guessing you were born knowing all about Aussies. Correct? Apparently so or else you would not have given Shannon such an ugly response to his/her question. I think it was a very legitimate question. People like you are the ones who just can't wait to jump on someone else because of their lack of knowledge on a particular subject matter. People like you just need to shutup and go boss your own dogs around since you're such an expert!

kym
by: Anonymous

I agree that she was quite nasty about the question. She never said she was going to breed her dog or even suggested it. This site is supposed to be for aussie people to post stories,pictures,etc and ask questions and get honest, non-judgmental answers, sometimes second and third opinions or find those of us who just care and enjoy other aussie people.
However, maybe her vet should have been more clear so that she understood the 'goings on' of her dog. I respect her just knowing that maybe she was a little unclear, or nieve to understand. Maybe he just didn't answer in a way she understood. Some some of us need more 'laymens' terms for us to understand.
I hope you have a more understanding of your dog, Shannon. I also hope you stay with 'Aussie Lovers'.
P.S. It's people like that that made me quit showing Aussies. Very smug,'better than thou' attitude.You should be helping people. You should be ashamed of yourself. Be a help not a hinderance.

Female Aussie
by: Anonymous

I also was wondering the same thing about the heat cycle. I have 4 aussies all male of which as my children grew up and left home they each took a dog with them. This is my first female. I dont intend to breed her I would just like the information so that I can read and learn about it.

Re: heat info.
by: Kym

Please keep in mind above all else, that if your female is not spayed, she runs the risk of getting a pyometra. This is a uterine infection that can be FATAL!!The bacteria/mucus can close off the cervix (closed pyo) The saying in a veterinary hospital is 'Never let the sun set on a pyo' meaning, this can kill your dog within hours!!! The older she gets the higher the risk. Please keep this in mind, regardless of breeding plans or just a family member.:) Hope this helps too!

Thank you
by: Shannon

Thank you to all those that responded with HELPFUL and kind responses. To the ignorant jerk that was rude. I've never owned an Aussie before this, and was merely curious about something. 1.I am highly intelligent, and will make my own decisions about my dogs. Does this mean I'm breeding, no, I was asking so that I would know that was all.

Kim, thank you, I never knew that, we're planning on spaying her very soon. :)

RE: Heat
by: Kym

You are very welcome Shannon.This website should be a place for ALL aussie owners to come to share our stories,learn from others,help others,and to express our love for our dogs.
I am very sorry for the negative response you recieved, and I hope that it will not discourage you in the future.
For the most part, I have found, that the majority of people on this site ARE very helpful to our 'fellow' aussie owners,and others for that matter.
Regardless of your choice, I commend you for trying to learn about the things you may not know, for the well being of your dog.
Take care and give your girl LOTS OF LOVINS!!!

The heat cycle
by: Anonymous

I too have been wondering when my girl Lilly would go into heat. I have two other female dogs (not Aussies) and they did around the first year. I have not noticed this with my Aussie and she is now 16 months with no sign. I am curious because I would like to prevent her from having an unwanted pregnancy. We also plan to get her spayed this fall. Puppies are to much work and costly. We did that once. Not interested in doing it again.

WOW
by: Mimzy822

Commenting on "RUDE ANONYMOUS"
does it mean if I don't spend thousands showing my Aussies to prove to others that my Aussies are worthy of walking the earth that I don't love them as much as you? Are you kidding me? People like you make me so mad and another reason I don't show my Aussies. You should be ashamed of yourself for judging anyone in that manner...Shame on you!

low $ Aussies are just as good
by: LoveMyAussie

I have owned Aussies for 25 yrs. I know quite a bit but far from an expert. I've owned high dollar high quality show dogs which I could have papered but never did. This last time I opt for a pure bred but no papers & not from show stock. The lady is a horse breeder not an Aussie breeder. She absolutely made mistakes. But none the less even though my Annie Oakley doesn't have a docked tail or papers. I will tell you she has the same intuition as my others. My two best Aussies are Annie Oakley & my other one I had Miss Behavin. She was about to be culled out because her nose didn't turn all the way black. So a high breeder that dumps thousands in to her dogs doesn't always mean they're the best. So for the smug lady Im very disappointed & actually quite ashamed of your attitude. I've had people look down their noses @ Annie because of her tail. But if you could watch her with her chicks as their hatching all the way through for many years you would be amazed at her dedication

Unexpected
by: Anonymous

I googled this subject, I grew up with labs (breeding and training) my entire life and my fiancé introduced me to this breed. Aussies are very loving. We take ours to the vet routinely and the vet did tell us somewhere between 8-12 months old. I googled this subject to see what others whom have owned this breed would say. I was shocked to read the extremely rude and asinine comment. I plan on breeding our girl and having pups because she has such wonderful genes and markings. To the rude person, your the reason I will do a background check on people interested in adopting so the pups will go to a loving and caring family not a conceited ignoramus. Thank you to the helpful answers and to the person who asked the question I searched for.

To Anonymous
by: Edmundson- Holt Alpaca Ranch

No wonder you remain unnamed with the accusations of ignorance at such a natural and sporadic subject. ... Shannon, our pup started today out of the blue and she is six months... she did begin acting a bit different and was very swollen in the genatalia area. She also took off out of our 5 acre ranch and we had to chase her down for about 30 minutes while she was sniffing every other ranch around us. So behavior changed drastically and she had been very pouty...kind of like us women. By the way we had no idea it was coming either...I guess we are ignorant. NOT! GOOD LUCK!

Not Everyone Breeds for "Show Quality"
by: ReynoldsN

I just wanted to say to some out there talking about responsible breeding, and show quality/agility when breeding. NOT everyone breeds for that. Some people have lives that require a working dog to do just that--work! We who have Aussies, know how amazing the breed is and either want another with the same genes as our "babies" or to share the offspring with family and friend's so they dont pay as much as we did. So as one of those Aussie owners that actually require a working dog and want to share that dogs amazing-ness with loved ones, but have never bred a dog before; we are just looking for quick answers. Its nice to have a place like this to seek advice from experienced individuals. Thanks for that!

What a Helpful Thread
by: John from UK

So, Bella is my 7 month old gorgeous Aussie who is flat out asleep after chasing around with next door's dog (as in male) in the garden. It got me thinking about 'heat' and spaying etc. So this thread has been really helpful and thanks so much.

Pepper
by: debsv

Hi there folk, just reading all your comments, its nice to know there are other people out there just as smitten with aussi's as I am! And I'm a newby!
I was given my little girl as a puppy, and have been enarmored with her since! She's only 5 months old and already has me and my husband wrapped aroundher little paw!
I have had nnumerous different breads of dogs over the years and all were special but Aussies are in a class of there own.
Unfortunately we believe she's got hip problems but we'll see one day at a time..

RE: Rude Comment
by: Mike

Legitimate question Shannon. My Aussie is about to turn 8 months and she just started spotting. Through a little research and asking my veterinarian I pretty much know all I need to know about my baby Aussie. She comes from a great bloodline and she would make an excellent breeding candidate. I know the last thing we need is more dogs but I am going to breed her one time then have her fixed.

To the one that made the rude comment. It is my opinion that you should probably go get spayed yourself so we have less rude morons walking around.

Spay?
by: Amorea

My baby Sydney is in heat for the first time. She will be a year old in a month. We want to spay her, but it makes me nervous. We spayed a boxer when she was only 4 months. afterward, she had accidents everytime someone came to our house, or when she was really happy or scared. (she hated thunder!) I heard to wait til about a year old to have the surgery, but have second thoughts because I dont want it to change her personality or her to start having accidents. She stays in the house with our male boxer who has been neutered. She is such a happy and friendly baby! She loves frisbee and her toys. Wanna do what will be best for her though.

what is wrong with having a dog having puppiies
by: Anonymous

i have a aussie and love her very much, but i want to have the experience of holding puppies, i have not puppies since i was a child am i commiting something horrific , am i going against nature

Mini Aussie
by: Jeanine

Hello!
I have a 6 1/2 month old Mini Aussie. All your comments have been very helpful. I am debating to wait till she goes through one cycle before spaying her due to all the research I have done. But, I am curious to know how it works when she would/could go in heat? It has not happened to her yet. How long do the cycles usually last? Do they usually have heavy bleeding or just more spotty and swollen down there?
Just curious because I am very new to this! Thanks for all the help!

Have a mix breed Aussie/lab
by: Anonymous

I don't know if I qualify to comment/question here because I have a mixbreed Aussie/Lab and don't know if this forum is strictly for Purebred dogs. I'm having the opposite issue and was actually wondering whether Aussies were prone to come into heat sooner and more often because my baby girl was barely 6 months when she came into heat and then has just come into heat again barely 4 months later now. She is happy, eating and drinking normally and is eliminating the same as before, just seems to be going through another cycle. For all those who have had Aussies before, are they prone to differences in their cycles, or is it just because she's a pup still at 10 months old? Also, not that this is the reason the author of the question gives to not spaying, but I have two daughters and have never considered removing their uterus to prevent them from becoming pregnant, so when I decided to find a pup, and ended up with a sweet little girl who hadn't yet been spayed by the man who had gotten her originally, I saw no reason to do so myself, when proper care and boundaries could prevent pregnancies. Now I do understand that other things can be occurring when there are different issues with cycles and the like and that is why I am on here looking for answers.

For the lady who was wanting to know about heat and to the lady that was rude to her she wasn't asking to breed and if she does want to breed she can from free spirit
by: Anonymous

Just had a litter of beautiful soft hair Australian Shepherd pups 4th generatiack with little white no tan is black and white she is so cute got some that have some tan on them too and then I have a beautiful red one with some tan and Y so beautiful I am so excited and proud mother this was her first litter she was an excellent mother I knew she was going into labor and she let me know and we started having puppies I will post pictures they will be ready they were born this morning at 6:15 a.m. On the 26th they will be ready to go to their home in 5 weeks they cost $500 they are registered with the National Stock dog registry you can also register them with the American stock Dog Registry they just need the number they are so beautiful as I could I keep them all for males 2 females two of them are already sold sight unseen they are raised in my house by will be house broke and be around horses not mistaken this will be the 6th generation they have an awesome pedigree I'll be ready to go to their new homes the first part of August and two of them are already gone maybe 3 how to the rude person either but I think that was very uncalled for I was told everything under the bed because I register with the National Stock dog registry because when I got my babies years ago that's who the people went through they were the only ones really around I've been in business for 61 years so I kept the same company since my pups and being generated down from my sire from there sorry to my side they got an awesome pedigree it doesn't really matter to me who you can use that my can be rationed do like AC the National dog stop by I'll register E CKC long as you have the numbers when you buy the puppy you can read drum room whatever you want to do that I do through the National stop dog registry my babies are beautiful I'm sending three pictures side just like anybody else would two sides 1 front don't worry I'll send anymore because I have taken them and I want them to be here when I bring my dog my dog comes in heat I stay in a gazebo that I've got that no dog can get in or get out of which is really cool the new gazebos their building for some reason I cannot figure it out and nothing to do again but my dogs are kept in my house and night I hope that believe it or not in my house then the Aussies go out and play and I am with them there is a yard we're nothing can get to them this lady was really rude and tell me that my registry who I registered through was not any good well that's funny the people from Texas that I got my dogs from they use that company and its great mother registered you can get them registered through a different company if you like but you had to have the male and females name that's up to you to you want to go through but my dad will give me a certificate saying minor sound in mind and I'll rise good dog my pants to go out of here housebroken if you want them try and I will try and meet him I am a trainer of horses and dogs and I work on a farm and I break horses so I have a lot going on I don't have time for people to sit here and be rude to people that ask a simple questions she was not talking about bringing her dog she was just wanting to know a simple question ever people like that that yes si bad name is like our dogs are not good enough theirs is the best what I need to check back and take 3 steps back and look at their self in the mirror and quit coming down on people we all are awesome lovers and other pups and other dog lovers we don't need somebody like her she should not be the one that has all these because the way she talks to people I would sure hate to buy one from her just say with that attitude I would not buy nothing I am so sorry that the lady got jumped onto that was asking about the heat about when I dog should come in heat the lady that answered she was totally wrong the Mr know it all and telling her that she shouldn't breed honey you do what you want to do if your dog doesn't mean hate please go to the vet and have her checked out sometimes it can be a short hate and you won't even notice it if you take care of yourself and if you want to breed you breed and I wish you all the best with your awesome they are the best pups and the best dogs around in my eyes I hope you all can understand this because I'm not a good texter and I cannot see after it take on this phone thing so I hope it comes out right and make sense but don't listen to all the negative people especially that one rude person I wouldn't buy one from her I wouldn't take one from her if it was given to me you do what you think is best and everybody thanks for being so supportive may God bless you and keep you all even the lady that made the rude comment maybe a few prayers and make her change her mind and maybe she will talk to people a little bit better only thing we can do is pray for her let your puppy or your dog will be just fine and if you want to breed you breed I bet you have the best puppies if you do breed and you take care of yourself and my god bless you and lets try to send out some prayers to the rude people and again I hope this makes sense I do not get to see it all in till after its done

curious
by: My Beautiful Sheila

I just purchased an amazing and beautiful female. She is blue Merle with ice blue eyes( both). She is by far the smartest dog I've ever owned and she jumps like a deer and is as fast as lightning. OMG. I purchased her only a week ago.I drove eight hours to pick her up and then eight hours home the next day. She is housebroken but she had no manners when I picked her up. I'm guessing the people who owned her bit off more than they could chew. At least that's what I thought.

FYI for the lady who through out a verbal rampage about breeding, boy oh boy you're going to hate me!!!! Lol
I have already bread my lady xborder collie/lab/healer with my male sheltie/sheperd and all 8 healthy pups have been placed in beautiful homes with people that went though an 8 week courting process. Yup that's right the must court my pups and get approval from my sire and his bitch. No I am not an expert, but I love my dogs and I want to help people learn how to have the best possible start with there best friend😜.

Anyways back to my Sheila... So I picked her up on Saturday drove home on Sunday introduced her to my email on my mail on Monday brought her to the vet on Tuesday where we realize she had started her heat.... Oh my that was fast... So now I'm racing find out everything I can find out about my lady. And I start reading about Leathal whites... 😢
Pretty much everything I read made me want to cry
Especially considering I could see the that pink leather around her left eye, and parts of her nose and mouth that I thought were perfect are exactly what makes her quite the opposite to the pure breeders. In fact I'm sure they might wish her dead.😁
I am the other hand in love with her. And she doesn't want to leave my side. She's amazing and perfect and I do want to breed her. But I do not think I will ever breed her with another Aussie, as I fear the litter would be devastatingly white. She seems to see and hear just fine... but I'm no doctor. Does any one know if her pups will all be Merle if she mates with a male who has no M Jean???
The chart says she will only pass one of the Merle jeans is this true???

Heat
by: Anonymous

I to had been wondering. My Pieper Ann is almost 8 months old. And I wasn't sure when she would come into heat. I've always owned male dogs. So having a female was new. I don't want to breed my female...but we have a male dog and we wanted to make sure to take proper measures to avoid pregnancy. We are not sure yet if we want to breed later on....that's why she hasn't been fixed.

Learn something new everyday
by: New Aussie addict

I too am new to Aussie Breed having owned Boxers and Rottweilers my whole life. I rescued a male and am looking at getting a female. Whether I neuter/spay I am not sure. Each of my female boxers and rotties have come into season at varying times one was 18 months before her first season. What I am curious about is how can you tell when they are going in to season. In my short hair breeds you could see the swelling before hand so knew to prepare. This obviously wont' be the case with the length of fur around the area on a female Aussie. My other girls were easy kept clean as they could wear pants with disposable pads inside. Would be interested to hear what others have done with their pride and joys.

another question
by: lynn's human

so reading your question made me think about this again, sometimes it happens that a dog has very irregular heat periods and never really atracts males, or just never gets in heat.
some people think there might be hormones in dogfood, that makes dogs unfertile, did anyone have such experiences? do you think it can happen?
my 8 1/2 month aussie is in heat right now but i can be quite relaxed since all the males around have already been sterilized (i live in switzerland)
some people commented that if you don't spay your dog she can get sick of many different things and dye, some people also say they have a greater chance of getting cancer and breast tumors, I don't think that is true, they can also get all sorts of diseases while beeing sterile.
thanks for all the people that wrote their opinions and that ask the different questions, this is also a great way of learning. =)

Curious Sheila
by: Sheltiemom92

I know the love you have for your Sheila, but please love enough to spay! Love Aussies enough to improve the breed not be destructive by irresponsibly breeding lethal whites. PLEASE. There are too many shelters out there filled with hopeless dogs. I couldn't live with myself knowing that I could've ever contributed to one of them. I also couldn't bear it knowing that I was deliberately breeding pups to be deaf, mute, or doomed to death. I am NOT trying to come down hard on you, I promise. I'm just passionate about this. I've seen it. I've seen it too many times. And it's breaks my heart. I've seen lethal whites in horses. I love mutts. But I hate this "Designer Dog" thing. WTH? People are looking for problems. What happens when that's all that's left & our dogs are all blind, crippled & a lifespan of 1 1/2 year? To all, please think ahead, not about ourselves but about the animals we all believe we love and do All we can to preserve their HEALTH and their futures. Aussies, Shelties, collies, foundation quarter horses, thoroughbreds, etc.
No more shelters & rescues!

Responsible owner!
by: Anonymous 😃

I'm a newbie, but we love our Aussie! She was born in June & had her first heat in April. The breeder told me that they usually have their first heat around 8 months, and approximately every 6 months after that. She has not had a second one yet, and it's November. It would seem that they are kinda like us, their cycles vary. I was drawn to the original question on this post, because I'm interested in preventing unwanted puppies. She's a mini, and the neighborhood dogs are a lot bigger than she is. I was surprised at the answer that assumed that the owner wanted to breed because she wanted to know how her dog's cycle worked! That's responsible ownership in my opinion! It's important to know all about your dog to take proper care of it.

Thanks for the info.
by: Anonymous

I needed to know at what age an Aussie goes into heat to assure she is scheduled for her spay procedure before she goes into heat! I do not want her having puppies; but did not want to schedule her at too young an age.

Aussie almost 5 yrs old.
by: Anonymous

My Aussie will be 5 yrs. old in May 2016. Last Nov. 2015 was the first time we noticed she was in heat. She kept wanting her belly rubbed & she kept howling. Is there something wrong with her or did she just take care of herself? Can we still get her spayed? When will she be in heat again? If possible, can someone answer our questions. It would be wonderful to get the answers. Thank You.

New Aussie mommy
by: Anonymous

I just got an Aussie/ pyr mix last month she is now four months and getting her fixed tomorrow since I know that dogs in general can start at six months and we cannot do an entire litter of puppies, did two litters of kittens and that was not fun. I know it's best to wait until she is just about to start, but I've never dealt with a dog in heat and I don't want to accidentally stumble into it. I was wondering is anything I should be worried about getting her fixed so young? And also is this a place for Aussie mixes as well because I think this site would really help with me figuring out the best way to train her. Thanks ☺️

female humping a dogs head and also humans
by: bootsrwakin

I Have 51/2 months old female Aussie Blue Merle, which I adore. I had one years ago and this dog is much different in that she is very very active and demanding. She may be starting to come in to heat for the first time. We noticed her humping our older dogs head and also a toy bear we got her to chew on and play with. Today she was humping my husbands leg. Do female Aussie suppose to hump like a male or is this just a sign she is coming into her first heat ever?? Can someone tell me if they have any information on this. Thank You people.
I wanted my dog bred one time so I can give puppies to my grandchildren then I will get her fixed. She is a registered Aussie.

My puppy is bloated
by: Help please!!!

Hi everyone, I have a 11 1/2 month old Aussie/Collie/Queensland mix she has not gone into heat, but she is bloated there has been no change in behavior or eating. I've looked up what it could be, but she doesn't seem to have the symptoms of what I've found. I will be taking her into the vet tomorrow but was hoping someone could maybe give me an idea of what it could be or if they have ever experienced this with their dogs...

White Aussies
by: Anonymous

I have a white black and gray Aussies with two blue eyes. She can smell and see just fine but she is totally deaf. I have taught her signs so that she knows what I want her to do and she is the most loving dog I have ever owned. It does take a special person to deal with a deaf dog but I would not trade her for anything. She is very loyal and very intelligent. Her mom did not come into heat until she was 24 months and Samantha did not come into heat until she was 24 months either. Someone gave her to my sister - in - law because they didn't think she could have pups. Samantha will be 3 in April and is in heat now for the second time. I am having her spayed this fall because of all the health concerns but wouldn't trade my deaf puppy for anything.

First Heat
by: Anonymous

I have a female, blue eyed Red Merle Mini Aussie, who I co-own with her breeder. Ruby is almost 9 months old now. Her breeder wants to breed her, which is fine with me. In the past several days, Ruby has started to pee in the house, even right after she has been outside and peed there. Her bottom is also very slightly red and slightly swollen. This is not her usual behaviour so I am wondering if she is starting to come into heat and this is her way of marking her territory. I used to raise, breed and show Alaskan Malamutes and their heats were always strong and they did not do this peeing behaviour, that's why I am wondering if Ruby is coming into heat. Has anyone else experienced this kind of marking behaviour when their female comes in heat? Thank goodness my 2 male Italian Greyhounds and my red merle mini Aussie are all neutered!

Time of first heat
by: Momto4Aussies

My two older Aussie females were spayed at five months. I now have a three month old female, and my vet says that many vets prefer the female has a first heat before surgery, so that she has had a chance to completely mature. I am trying to time the surgery for just before she would go into heat, perhaps scheduling surgery for her at 6 months. My first two females are now 7 and 9 years old, and the 5 month old spayings did not deter any of their development (very healthy). So, people are interested in first heat timing for other reasons than breeding.

soap boxing
by: Anonymous

Oh my goodness I found this thread just curious what the menstrual cycle of an aussie was and wham! agendas

I have have heard every BS rationalization for spaying your pet - none really get around the benefit to man rather than animal. Voluntrary surgical procedures should never be rationalised as beneficial for the animal from the perspective of the owner. If you cut the balls off a male dog they run 0% chance of testicular cancer - voluntary mutilation is not moral high ground. Breeding fro profit, yeah Im not into it. Puppy mills are as bad as the Iphone factories. But brainwashing people into mutilating a species while telling themselves its right is no different than how the slave traders and owners felt. Responsibility folks. There is a right scenario for involuntary sterilization, but dont pretend its for anything but your convenience. WTF procreation is the biological prerogative-controling it for your convenience is not exactly responsible otherwise do it to your kids. There are bad people, and bad circumstances, but warped selfish minds dont prevail. Humans control and dominate - its not a moral thing until you consider all life and nature sacred. Im not PETA, not a sterilizer, not a breeder... I came from a loving home that owned dogs and I dont subscribe to these polarizing ethical/moral debate of how to best OWN CONTROl DOMINATE the loving pets we know as dogs- look screw cats, im biased and allergic so hey Im a dog guy.
But seriously - my family owned dogs, we loved them, they had litters of puppies now and then. We loved those puppies, never sold or gave them up, and now our older dogs have passed and the litters of puppies have grown to be old themselves. This is not something that is beyond control. But dont force your morals on others. The abuse is the issue, so dont attack people and steamroll your ideals. You can own a dog and allow them to breed or control that by separating them during certain times. But you are responsible for them, and the same reason you dont want your kids having babies at a young age or beyond their means is the same for dog ownership. if you cant afford your kids - handle that! I am a male who got a vasectomy at 25, my choice and reversible. Surgically alter yourselves but dont mutilate animals and call yourself a saint. Dont force others to feel guity when they dont exactly want a potentially damaged and often abused animal as though thats so amazing and generous. Im not a saint but you dont save a life you arent willing to be responsible for, you dont start a life you arent willing to be responsible for. Presecute the abusers, save the ones you can and yes unfortunately there is a limit. If your seeking population control it does not matter if you seek that from the begnning or end of life cycle- no where in between is ther a moral high ground. We control the world and good or bad that means we control all other species. Treat them well, but stop feeling good bout it. If other species could overtake us we would seek to control it. If "pests" seek to infest us we control it. You terminate the unwanted masses due to a gap in power. Sterilize or terminate. OR change the approach to one of responsibility rather than monetary, moral, judgmental type approaches. When you surgically sterilize your pet you are abusing a position of power for your convenience while telling yourself its for that poor creatures benefit - then feed it food that gives it the same preventable conditions that we suffer from. Dogs with cancer and diabetes, renal failure... either way we seem to be harming them. But we could again change the stance to one of education and responsibility. At least stop pretending to be moral as we control a species through either termination or sterilization. My 2 dogs are coming into their maturity and they want to breed, I separate them for my convenience. When they eventually have puppies I will give them to my siblings and they will years from now see many of there lineage. They may spay and neuter, but either way the dogs want to procreate as a biological prerogative. If I become so lazy I decide o spay and neuter these puppies I wont feel good about it, because that would entirely be for my convenience and my benefit while entirely taken out of there self interest. fake statistics and BS rationale doesnt change the reality of the discussion. Treat your dogs well and be responsible for your actions. Now someone PLEASE tell me how to train my mini aussie to do a flip off my chest while catching a Frisbee !:)

heat
by: beth

I was also wondering when mine would go in heat..
.not going to breed her...referring to ____ that commented...mine goes to daycare and I can't take her....just planning....we plan on spaying her when she is at least year old...Some research says if too early can affect growth plates...hormones. ..so we are waiting!l

Breeding Aussies
by: LW

I don't understand why many people say a good breeder spends thousands of dollars breeding their dog, vet bills, etc....They don't sound very smart. It doesn't take that much money to buy, maintain, breed, find homes for pups. They must be doing something wrong, and investing way more than they need to. My daughter purchased an unpapered dog for $300. Had a litter of 8 pups whom she found a home for 7/8 in 2 weeks into the pregnancy. She didn't list the 8th pup, because it had a random *not genetic* defect. Didn't have an eye! She didn't even have to list the *pirate* pup for sale. Sold it 1 week after the others went home. All sold for $700/each. She spent a total of $1300 raising/vac/med the Bitch for the 1st year, and received $5600 back".
As far as shelter dogs go, in our state, the majority of dogs in shelters are a form of/or are, pitbulls. Perhaps a ban on breeding that type should be in order. Or just for a period of time, till the supply is more in line with demand. That could clear up a lot of space in shelters. Nothing personal to pitbull owners. Just wonder why so many pitbulls in shelters, but that's another story.
On another note, no new breeder "has it all together". I've bought dogs from "Good Breeders" and the Bitch purchased had problems that couldn't have been caught by genetic testing, or a wellness visit. One girl had pyometra at 14mths old!! HAD to spay her (she was for breeding), or she would have died. Another one from a different breeder had a ruptured umbilicus and one of the last ones had a tucked vulva (thank goodness it was minor, but still.) All from different "good" breeders. Hmph

Heat Cycle
by: Catrina

I have two Mini Aussies, One is now 13 months and the other is 6 months. The one that is 13 months went into her heat cycle at 8 months & 3 weeks. I noticed the spotting immediately, but then within a few weeks, she started becoming very aggressive with the other dogs in the household. She at this point, appeared she was showing signs of pregnancy, when I KNEW this couldn't be the case, as I was very careful with her during this time. I took her to the vet, and he confirmed that she was, indeed showing pregnancy signs, but the ultrasound showed nothing. He stated that it could be too soon for the ultrasound to show anything, as we were now at the end of a month. I waited as long as I could having her spayed, as I had also read many articles regarding spaying before 1 year, as this time is crucial for their development. I went ahead and scheduled the surgery, as this would definitely confirm if she was pregnant or not. It was a very tough decision for me, however she was becoming more and more aggressive and she had stopped eating. After the surgery, which went well, the vet had concluded that she had a false pregnancy (phantom pregnancy). I was pretty devastated, (in having her spayed,) however, she sprung back to her normal self almost immediately. As for the 6 month old, I'm constantly researching the first heat cycle, because I don't want to miss a thing. I've probably looked up this subject dozens of times, so please know that not everyone is an expert on Aussies, and that each dog, even though it's the same breed, may be different. Not only the Vet, but my breeder were astonished that this turned out to be a phantom pregnancy because it is rare. She's great now, and it didn't change her initial behavior at all. SHE'S THE BEST!!!!!!

First heat
by: beth

My pup is 8 months young... no heat yet... waiting as long as we can before spaying... so hopefully she will be closer to a year before we spay her.

Breeding dogs
by: Aussie lover

Raising dogs responsibly doesn't cost thousands unless you count the cost of your initial breeding stock. Entry fees to shows are very cheap in my area and I can drive to shows & stay in cheap hotels. It only gets expensive if you want to pay to have your dogs shown by other people or are flying to shows and lets face it dogs would prefer to avoid planes it's not nice for them. You need money for vet but this is true for even a pet dog or cat breeding just needs a little more in case a c-section is needed and for puppy shot & what not

I'm new to Aussies and breeding dogs but I made sure to buy really a quality pair of dogs who came from genetic tested show stock it cost us about $1500 per dog although we got some discount since we plan to show and breeders like that they can cost up to 3k. I personally think all dogs to be bred should be genetic tested because it's inexpensive nowadays and will really help avoid heartbreaking situations with puppies and people's pets it only cost about $2-300 per dog and if you can't afford that or are unwilling I personally feel you do the breed a disservice by breeding unless you're very experienced and can avoid genetic problems without testing.

I also plan to have my Aussies herding trained which will cost a around 2k since I've heard there's issues with show dogs not being able to herd which is problematic to me since that's what they were bred for but I think it's partially just a stereotype farmers use to bred unregistered stock lol since both my dogs have herding instinct

A new breeder who really cares about they're dogs and the future health of puppies & the breed is better than a seasoned owner who has too many dogs or only cares about show wins any day

Low & no cost spay & neuter program absolutely help prevent shelters full of dogs! They worked so well in my hometown in San Diego that the shelters import dogs from the south because they don't have enough

heat cycle
by: Anonymous

My Lucy is 10 months old and started her second heat cycle today. We werent expecting this so soon while waiting for her upcoming appointment to be spayed. Could she already be pregnant? Besides the obvious, what signs to look for? She ran off yesterday so I'm concerned.

Mind your own business
by: Jim

To anyone telling someone else to rescue or adopt a dog from a shelter...mind your own business! ILL DO WHATEVER I WANT TO DO. And everyone should be able to do whatever they want to do without some save the world jackass acting self righteous and voicing their unwarranted UN asked for opinion so....Mind your own business!!

Clingy
by: Anonymous

My sweet Aussie is now about a year and a half old. She’s already had her first heat and she went through a COMPLETE personality change during that heat. She was previously very independent, not much of a snuggler and very quiet but still always playful. During and after the heat she became very clingy, always wanting to cuddle or be in your lap/face and really found her voice. She’s now starting her second heat and I’m scared she’s going to change again 😂 I know it’s normal for them to be clingy during their heat but is it normal to just completely change and stay that way?

Heat cycle
by: Linda

I have a 17 month old Aussie that hasn't gone into heat yet. I had her a the vet on Monday and her dr told me that herding dogs, Collies, and Shepherds sometimes can go as long as 2 years before they go into heat. I have had Aussies for 35 years and this is the first time I have heard this, so I am just checking daily to make sure, as we go to the dog park every day and I don't want any mistakes. I was told by a breeder that she could have gone into a silent heat. I Googled that and it is possible that she has had a silent heat, but she has never been bothered by male dogs in that way. So, I am just waiting to see what happens.

Heat
by: Beth

Our Aussie is almost 15 months and never had heat cycle...im glad cause I was waiting til she had a cycle before spaying. Reading that waiting til full grown is better...growth plates and body grown...she is not a mini...but 39 pounds

When to actually Breed / breading toy and min
by: Love my Aussie Babies

My girl is a red tri she is a year and a half and she hasn’t even gone into her second heat either I want to breed her with a mini toy and he is a red merle what time is or ages would be appropriate between the two to breed them?

When Should I Expect My Aussie To Go Into Heat?
by: LovemyAussie

Dear Anonymous,
Asking a question about when a dog should go in heat DOESN'T make someone a bad owner or breeder! It's an honest question. I don't know why you had to be so, "RUDE?" Unfortunately there are bad owners and breeders but you don't have to go off on a complete stranger!! My Aussie is actually 18 months and just started her 1st heat cycle. The Vet tech was about as rude as you and implied that something was wrong with our dog. She ended up getting fired due to her being so rude to not only myself but other people. Animals just like people start at different ages. SO does that mean that our Mother's are bad Mom's b/c they dont know what age that we would be starting our menstrual cycle? Go on a page where they're talking about having too many animal's in a shelter and are going to have to be euthanized. I don't understand rude people like you?! That's why this World is Crazy anymore!!

Why hasn't my eyes I had another cycle
by: Anonymous

I just have a question my Boy Ozzy is almost 2 years old she had at her 1st cycle but she is never had another one cents and it has been almost over a year. Is there something wrong with her herbal she just never have another cycle cause I have heard that sometimes this breed will only have one cycle.

Benefits of early spay.
by: drscot

I've had dogs since age 2 (maybe before) of many breeds and sizes. Two Aussies came into my life (one after the other) and have been absolutely the best for me over the past 28 years (I'm 66 now). I had always been taught growing up that it was good to let a bitch go through a heat cycle before spaying UNTIL my vet informed me that spaying before a heat ever happens confers lifelong benefits. Spaying before prevents the estrogen surge which would forever sensitize the breasts and increase the risk of mammary cancer. Spaying BEFORE (no benefit if you miss it) reduces the cancer risk 10-fold. My Aussie never got fat either clear past age 14, but I can't say that's why. My next Aussie will be spayed before her heat as well.
Breeders are skilled, knowledgeable and dedicated. Anyone can put two dogs together and wind up with a litter, but they may never know what they have propagated for generations to come. Those who have no desire to become "professional" breeders would do well to leave that to those who do. As for me, thorough obedience training and bonding with my Aussie so thoroughly that I could look into her eyes and see her looking back intently as if to say "You are the apple of my eye" is something even human companionship can lack. I could ALWAYS count on my Aussie, and vice versa. Yes, she was my "Once in a Lifetime" dog.

When should I expect my Aussie's next heat cycle?
by: Sylvia

My baby, Sunny, is 15 months. She had her first cycle when she was 9 months and I read online they have 6 months between cycles. When did your Aussie have her second cycle and is it okay to breed her on her second?

Thank you and finally!
by: Anonymous

I should have googled Aussie cycles specifically instead of relying on the standard dog it’s every 6 months advice. I was waiting for my girl’s second season. And waiting, and waiting and getting really bewildered.
Relieved to know it’s 8 months later and now I see that’s fairly standard.
Thank you for your site!

My first Aussie pup...and going through first heat cycle...
by: Carol

Okay, so we have our first Aussie pup and I HAVE NO INTENSION OF BREEDING HER - I leave that to the professionals and we've had three rescue dogs previously, so I have no indention of helping to increase the puppy population unnecessarily. She is a wonderful dog who is currently 5.5 months old. The breeder suggested that, since we are interested in trying agility with her, we should wait to spay her until AFTER her first heat. Since I have never had a dog in heat, I'm very nervous about what this entails, when to expect it, and how long/what to expect - to be sure there's no chance of an accidental pregnancy. She currently goes to daycare once a week for socialization, and obviously we need to be aware of when to expect heat so we can pull her out of daycare. Just very nervous - want to do what is right for her health (and even my vet says to wait since her ligaments/joints will be in better shape), but still nervous. Advice please.

Stop trying to shame
by: Anonymous

If someone is looking for an Aussie from a breeder then they will not be looking in a shelter where you most likely wont find one and will know nothing about its pedigree. To try to guilt or shame someone for maybe (or maybe not) wanting to breed their dog is ridiculous. People are also not required to buy a dog from a shelter. Why dont you shame the people whos dogs end up there not someone asking advice about their dogs heat cycle. Just because someone wants advice about something doesnt mean they are doing everything wrong. What if there was something unusual going on and she never asked questions because of people like you. Cant stand people who give negative unwarranted comments instead of being helpful or constructive. Besides you know nothing about her. I bought my first Aussies from humane society. I love him hes a great dog but i know nothing about where he came from and he had plenty of issues when i got him. I wanted another Aussie but couldnt find another rescue so i bought one from a breeder and she has a pedigree.!!!

I Too am a New Aussie Owner
by: Jim

My wife and I bought our 2 Aussie females at 8 weeks of age. They came from the same litter and planned on having them spayed. The breeder said they have 9 generations of Champions in their bloodline and asked us not to spay them.

Like all Aussies these dogs are amazing. The are smart, loving and work like crazy. They have already gone through 4 levels of obedience and agility. They are also beautiful dogs that are well marked. We already have people wanting their pups.

We purchased "All About Aussies" before we picked our girls up. We still do not know enough to feel comfortable breeding them. I am sure we will get there and we have a great breeder that has helped us along the way.

Breeding is a personal choice. We have bred German Shepards, but have had all of our other dogs spayed or neutered. Our biggest concern is OUR age. We are in our early 60's and were looking for companion dogs. We have great vets and the means but we are not sure we have the energy to raise a litter.

We would welcome any feedback. If we do get our girls spayed it will not be until after their 2nd cycle. They were born on February 2, 2018. I am writing this on 10/03/2018 so we are expecting the first cycle anytime. Needless to say we are a bit anxious about this.

Any words of wisdom?

Aussie cross
by: Anonymous

I have an Aussie cross with pyrenees and she is about almost 11 months old and she had just gone into heat a few days ago. It will happen eventually i didnt expect her to till she was over a year.

Thank You
by: Meagan

I really appreciate this thread, as I too have been curious regarding when our gal will go into her first heat. Vesper is an 8-month, long-legged lady, and hasn’t showed any signs yet, but I am super nervous about not having her spayed yet. Can you spay before their first heat? Does that do something bad? I appreciate any answers (except rude ones) that anyone can reply with. Thank you!!

Also not Breeding, but asking about 1st Heat
by: Marley's Mom

Hi all,
I came here for the same reason, to ask when I might expect my 7.5 month old Aussie to experience her 1st Heat. The reason for this question being, so that I can be prepared to take precautions so as NOT to have an UNWANTED pregnancy. Our Vet advised us to allow Marley to experience a full Heat before Spaying. Marley is our first Aussie and she is awesome, so full of energy and personality. Her herding instinct is strong and once set out to accomplish something there is no stopping her (very strong willed: note to self (must start obedience training).
We have had 2 Collies and 2 Shelties in our lives, all passed now, so we are not new to the herding breed per se, however The Aussie I can say is definitely in a class of its own ;-). We have had both Male and Female of both our Collies and Shelties and were never told to wait to Spay or Neuter. My Female Sheltie I DID want to Breed, she came from OUTSTANDING stock on both SIRE and DAME side with Championships in both AKC and Canada. My reason for wanting to breed her was purely selfish, I wanted one of her offspring, I loved her so much. It was not to be. She came into a one day heat at 2 years of age. and three years later another heat we prepared for as much as was possible, (male on standby, Vet intervention)
we thought for sure we were going to be successful. Three days later the Vet called and said there was no interest on either the male or female part and bloodwork showed little to no estrogen levels. At this point due to Corrine's age, now 5 years old, we decided to spay her. We didn't do this for our convenience but for her health and she lived to be 14 years old and was a loving faithful companion. Heat Cycles are crazy, we never know when or if they will occur. We have to just watch and be aware of the changes and know our Pups well.

My female Aussie
by: Dianne Bazen

No my female Aussie is almost 15 months old. Just had her first heat.. Sometimee the environment and her surroundeds. She will come in...just he patient. I was a little antsy myself..
Good luck with your baby. ♥️🐾🐾

Breeding Australian Shepherds
by: Paulette

I’m a hobby breeder of mini aussies and do not apologize for it. I’ve learned along the way too by asking questions and getting advice, the way we all learn. I’m also an educator, and it is not dumb nor ignorant to ask for help or advice. As far as the rude anonymous commenter, it is probably a breeder of only "foo foo" show aussies who have never had the opportunity to run nor play under his/her tyrannical owner’s rule. However, such a rude person lives in fear that someone else might infringe on their business and might have better pups. He/she is threatened by us hobby breeders because most people do not want nor are they willing to pay thousands of dollars for an Aussie from a so called professional breeder. Come on anonymous, you feed and provide for your dogs just like we do, but the DOGS do the breeding and have the puppies, and hence, you need to tone down your attitude and come off your high horse.

As far as the heat question, give that baby girl until her yearly checkup. If she hasn’t come into heat before then, tell your vet who can give her a good look over. My first female did not come into heat until the day I took her in for her annual 1st year checkup, and she was in the early stages of it then. Only the vet could tell she was starting it. I was worried about her too.

If you decide to breed your girl, wait to until at least her second heat cycle, which for my girls is about every 7 months once they have their first estrous cycle. Please breed her to a smaller male so labor will be easier on her.

Now here’s where I’m going to get attacked because I’m going against what most vets and "professional breeders" tell you. I would wait until she is about 4 years old before I would consider spaying her so as to give her sex hormones time to benefit her body. Do the research for yourself. Like any animal including humans, when you sterilize them at a young age, you deprive their bodies of their necessary sex hormones and GREATLY increase their chances of having cancer and other health issues. Think about it. Yes you decrease the pet population, but if you’re a responsible pet owner that’s not going to be a problem. Vets make money off sick dogs. Sterilizing young dogs usually makes them gain weight and develop diabetes and/or cancer. You as the owner are either going to pay for costly health care or pay to put your baby out of her misery. Then, you will eventually seek out a breeder for another dog when your baby dies prematurely. Please research sterilizing dogs at a young age for yourself, the research is out there to support my claims. You have a choice: watch her for signs of heat about twice a year for 4 to 5 years, or give her insulin shots twice a day for her last 3 or 4 years of life, or deal with cancer in her uterus or cervix which will be sooner than if you had not spayed her young. I choose to take care of mine when they are in heat, and hold off on the sterilizing until they are older.

I have 6 Aussies, and believe me, it’s a job keeping them separated and work full time, but they are worth it. I’ve raised about 4 litters in the last 6 years. I still don’t know everything, but I’m a willing learner, and that’s what’s most important here.

Please everybody don’t leave collars and harnesses on your dogs when you have to leave them, because they can choke themselves if they get that collar hung on something. Aussies are workers, and will work to get free until they strangle themselves. I had to learn that just a few months ago with my best female and lost a fantastic Aussie too.

God Bless & Love that dear Girl!

Humping
by: Anonymous

Our 11-month-old little girl has begun to hump her daddy (aka my husband). She does NOT hump me, nor her older sister (our 7-year-old Heeler/Rat Terrier mix), and has only just begun this behavior like, two days ago. She also has only recently begun destroying my things, like destroying one of a pair of snow boots, and one of my favorite books. I suspected she was bored because we’ve been having trouble exercising them during the day due to my severe health issues, but now I’m thinking perhaps it is a going-into-heat type thing? Obviously I need to exercise them much much more, but could this behavioral combination be related to her FINALLY going into heat?! Thanks for your help! And also, to the random anonymous person, no, I don’t intend to breed my dogs. Ever.

Thank you all that have added to this question
by: Anonymous

I have only had 1 female Aussie and she’s just going on 9 months and 4 others over the years.

I connected to this site for the same reason.

I had talked to my vet but wondered about other people’s experience.

It’s great to come to a site where so many people can be so helpful.

And like most of you I think that the only stupid question is the one you never ask. And the only stupid answer is like the one at the start of this thread.

To the person that wants to breed her girl, do it, if you love your Aussie as much as I do mine it’s a wonderful experience.

Myself I will spay mine because I don’t want the responsibility for a litter due to work. Otherwise I would.

She is a very intelligent beautiful blue merle and her mother was a tri red and beautiful also.

Love your Aussies and they will love you just as much.

Designer dogs.
by: Anonymous

Can I add a joke to this thread?

When someone says to me on the street "is your dog a designer dog? Mine is a rescue."

I respond "are your children designer kids? Because your husband is quite good looking."

Sorry. I couldn't help it.

1st heat
by: Bonnie

I was wondering the same thing, but kinda swaying between 8-13 months old. I plan on spaying as well and my vet told me today he WILL NOT consider it till she was at least 6-8 months old and her body was producing hormones she needs but yet catch her prior to her heat. She is just 3 months old and weighs 10.5 and absolutely a gorgeous blue merle, with perfect blue eyes.

My puppy started her period yesterday
by: -K

Hello.
My puppy started her period yesterday. She is exactly 7 months old. I was really hoping we'd get lucky and she starts later. I have no clue what to expect - our first female dog... I can't wait 'til it's all over so we can take her in to get fixed.

Breed thoughts
by: Anonymous

My felony is bleeding and all of my nieces and nephews are wanting one so I want to breed her. When is the best time to let a friend's male around her?

Food for thought...
by: Anonymous

The Damaging Effects of Spaying and Neutering on Dogs

Any helpful tips?
by: Anonymous

My Aussie went into heat and I can’t seem to find a good diaper seeing as most Aussies have docked tails, the damn thing never seems to stay on. Any helpful ideas? I thought about buying baby diapers but don’t want to waste my money on something I’m not sure would even work.

Aussies and Heat
by: Anonymous

Our Mini Aussie finally came into heat and she is a year old. We had made her an appointment to get spayed thinking she had been in heat as she was miserable, lethargic and not very good appetite, however, the vet said she hadn’t bled yet and we postponed her spay now till January.

spaying
by: Anonymous

Thank you for all info. it is so helpful. I have 2 Aussies, 1 mini girl 7 months old and 1 big Toy Aussie boy almost 8 months old. I was told by my vet and I read that girl should be fixed after 1 heat, and boy when he is more than 1 year old. I am really not into breeding them. I lost my baby boy a year ago due to anesthesia. He was an absolutely healthy boy, and when he turned 6 months he died during a theoretically safe procedure of spaying. So now I am really stressed out. Watching them all the time.

Spay age
by: Anonymous

The current medical advice seems to be let your female dog have a heat or two, then spay, to be sure dog has fully matured & you’re not arresting any of the natural growth processes. So if you intend to jump down the throats of any current puppy owners who don’t spay immediately at 4-6 months you are going to be one exhausted bully on this topic. LOL
I’m not crazy about heat issues (crazed male dogs jumping out of moving cars to hit that scent, drips & smears around the house, the general moodiness/mulishness of your canine preteen on hormones) but it sounds like that’s the program. I want to do what’s best for my pup so one or two (if I miss a very light first) it is!

Waiting to spay
by: kiki

I just have to echo what others have said: current medical advice is to let your dog go through her first heat cycle before spaying her. While the old school way of thinking believed it was better to spay them before their first heat while they were very very young, it is now advised better to let their hormones mature which helps in skeletal development and across the board and also is believed by many to lessen their chance of breast cancers by waiting until after their first heat. ;)

11 mo old Female
by: Brandym7

My Aussie, Ebony is nearing her second heat from what I can tell. Likely October.
We planned to breed Ebony in Oct. then the fires arrived so will wait until April. It'll be easier if the pups can be outside. To have pups in Dec, would be too messy in the house. Cannot imagine 6-9 pups pooping and scrambling around.
A spring yard sounds nice though and more fun for mom and the pups.

Hannah
by: Kristi

Thank you. I kept asking the same question. I am very protective of my baby girl. She’s 7 months and no sign yet of her coming into heat. Thank you. All for saying that she’s okay.

Benefits of spaying after first or second heat cycle?
by: Kathy

I too have my first Aussie! She is 6 months and I am watching her closely but she is not showing any signs of going into heat.

I am not breeding her but it is supposed to be better for their bones and development to have 1 or 2 heat cycles before being spayed. I plan to at least do one cycle and if it goes well do another. Can you elaborate on this?

Just looking for (nice) thoughts and knowledge
by: AG

My Aussie girl turned 10 months today and she just came into heat today... SURPRISE!
Our vet and breeder both strongly suggested we have her go through at least one heat cycle before we have her spayed.

I don’t know what to expect with this as my last female Aussie was spayed at 6 months (as that was the standard at the time). I have been doing a ton of reading about it though.

Thanks to everyone who is sharing information without passing judgement.

Aussie in Heat
by: Brandym7

Ebony had an initial heat in April at six months, Barely knew it happened. At 13 months she had a full heat cycle, no way to miss it, in Nov. It’s only five months and she’s behaving strangely. Cuddles a lot, then standoffish, and testy with the five-month-old male. Maybe an earlier heat.
I plan to breed her, as the vet said she’s healthy and old enough, so I’ve lined up a breeder with a mature male. Ebony’s black tri, no merle in her, and he’s a blue merle. Looking forward to pups, just not being up a lot at night the first few weeks. Have owners ready also.
This will be my first time with the Aussies, so I’ve done a lot of research online and with breeders, and dealt with the harsh critics who imagine they know everything but forget they had a first time. So keep on asking questions.

Season cycle for mini aussie
by: Anonymous

My mini Aussie just went into season for the first time in August. She's been laying around I've been reading up and apparently that's normal. I'm just wondering when to expect the next cycle.

Almost 11 months
by: Anonymous

Our first Australian Shepherd has just started her first cycle just shy of 11 months. We don’t plan to breed her but want to ensure she is fully developed before making the decision to spay. So far, I’ve just noticed spitting/dripping (she cleans herself well), decreased appetite which is helped by extra attention or special additions to her food. She’s more protective of her body, not bearing all for belly rubs as willingly! So far, so good. This is my first time to have a female dog go through heat. I did notice a stray dog sniffing in our front yard earlier today while she was out back. Hoping to keep those pesky stray male sniffers away ♥️

When do Aussies go into heat
by: Cec

Holy cow, Anonymous! No need to drop the hammer. I had the same question about my Aussie, which is how I got here. I wanted to know so I can plan ahead for her spay. Our Vet recommended she go through at least one cycle and preferably two before "fixing" her.

Latest info is to spay AFTER first heat cycle
by: Blessed to share life with Aussies

My pure bred Aussie, Suse, had torn cruciate ligaments in both knees, also known as ACL tears. At 11 yrs, she started limping on front right. Took her to vet, no finding on exam and X-ray. When she was still limping 3-4 weeks later, vet xrayed upper arm revealing a spot. Had two vet opinion/ diagnosis- bone cancer. Bone cancer, very aggressive, spreading, and very painful.

I found out that spaying young, or before first heat cycle, contributed to both conditions of torn ACL in knees and bone cancer. Evidently, the hormones of puberty have a protective effect on the joints and bones. So, now, vets are recommending to spay between first and second heat cycle.

Thought I would share because I didn’t know this fact and spayed two Aussies before their first heat cycle. Hoping to spare some grief. Since then, I have heard other vets and breeders say same. Ask around. The decision to spay is up to each owner and the life they envision with their pet family member.

Suse passed and I pray for my other Aussie. We have a new puppy, so the other has company. Our new pup Aussie is a beautiful almost 9 month old, black tan tri color. I am hoping she does well during her first heat cycle, whenever that happens. Hoping for the best for all of you - God bless.

For what it’s worth
by: Deirdre

I have had only working line (ASCA registered) Australian Shepherds for getting close to 30 years now. Since I am not a breeder, my previous dogs were neutered or spayed at around 6 months. I had one female that I didn’t own until she was 18 months and we went through one heat cycle with her before we had her spayed.

But, we now have an intact male that is 3 and a young female who turned 1 year old and went from pre estrus to estrus on the day I went in to the hospital for a significant, but thankfully outpatient, surgery.

The reason I chose to not alter my dogs is that I now believe, for those with working and competitive dogs, that it is better for the dog to achieve their full growth before we spay or neuter them. I hope to be able to do competitive herding with both of these dogs although the pandemic has made it more difficult to get started.

I will neuter my male now that he is 3 (and would have done it anytime after he was 2 but the pandemic made it more difficult) so this should be the last time I have to deal with the type of situation that is common for breeders - having to manage the females that are not to be bred at all or are to be bred to a specific male that they may not own. I wish people understood more about how very careful the most reputable caretakers of our Australian Shepherds working characteristic are to ensure that their lines are improving and maintaining the breed. And generally speaking, they don’t make a living that way so it is a tremendous amount of work. A reputable breeder has a very specific vision for the characteristics they want to see in their lines. Some breeders are looking for versatility for example - that their dogs could be good at many different things, not just herding. Others might be trying to balance the herding characteristics of their current lines by increasing the aptitude for driving for example. The breeders I like best have a litter of puppies because they are trying to accomplish something specific from that litter and plan to keep at least one for themselves if the pups do seem to have the characteristics they were hoping to obtain. Most of the breeders I know and buy dogs from fall into this category. There are reputable breeders that have litters just to sell but they are going to have to have a more significant business operation to pull that off and they are still going to be breeding for themselves at the same time. I have had 2 dogs I bought that fell into that category.

I believe many vets overstate the reasons to neuter. Yes, a dog with testicles can get testicular cancer, but it isn’t necessarily common — not as common as some other type of cancer caused by poor genetics or all the same reasons people get cancer. I also agree that we seem as a culture to not want our dogs to have sexual characteristics. It isn’t convenient for us. But, when we choose not to neuter we do need to be aware of the problems that can occur and watch for them. In females, pyometra, is an infection of the uterus that that can be fatal in cats and dogs.

Because my breeders were helpful, I’m tied well into the ASCA Aussie community and I did my research, my husband and I are successfully dealing (and trying to ensure that continues) with having an intact male and female living in the same household but not able to breed. I also closely monitor my female’s health and status. I watch her behavior and that of my male, I check her vulva, I watch her discharge, etc. we weren’t planning to do this while I was also recovering from a significant surgery though which has made it much more tiring for me and my husband.

Today, neither of the dogs ate. They are too hormonal. My male wants to get to her more than she seems to want to get to him but she had been very accepting of his following her around with his nose up her butt and not as bitchy as I had expected while in pre estrus. When they are in sight of each other they howl. Our AC choose this wonderful time to die and we live in a neighborhood where our houses are close together so open windows with dogs howling is not ideal.

Our setup is that my husband mostly is staying in the basement with the male with a shut door. If he leaves the bedroom there is a gate at the top of the stairs with a blanket over it. I am mostly staying in our bedroom with access to a fenced back yard and a bathroom for me. We have a double gate in the hall so that we can safely go in and out ourselves. The gates are also covered with blankets. The rest of the house — our main living area normally is neutral territory. We don’t let either dog in that area without checking that the other dog is secured behind their double barrier. Same with the backyard. Only one dog out at a time and when Misty is out, I am monitoring her to ensure she doesn’t attempt an escape. Our fence is pretty secure at 6’ of privacy fence, but even so, extra caution. If she is walked, she is obviously on a leash and we aren’t letting her get near any other dogs. Another place that requires more caution. Fortunately, there aren’t many intact males in our small town so no one is laying in wait for her to appear and yes, that does happen.

We are finally starting to get enough sleep which is important since I am trying to heal from surgery but it is very time consuming and more than a little stressful.

I hope that is of some help. There are decent references if you Google Australian Shepherd heat cycle so that you can learn what the stages of heat are and how to recognize them. My husband and I also took a class specifically on the issue of management of intact animals from Fenzi and it was very helpful.

AussiePoo
by: Jas

I’ve got an AussiePoothat’s just turned a year. She hasn’t gone into heat yet, but she’s acting her normal, hyper and crazy self. I read something about a silent heat, but I’m not sure how to tell. She’s my first girl, and despite all the research, it doesn’t seem to be fruitful when you’re actually in the moment looking for signs. When should I get worried?

Same
by: Anonymous

Mine is 16 months and I believe no heat still.

Same
by: Anonymous

My Aussie is almost 2 years old. She hasn’t had heat (we have intact male dogs so I would know if she had). Either she did and it was silent, or she just isn’t fully matured yet. Also when male dogs smell her she chases them away while barking. So she has never let any male dog hump her from the back. I’ve heard where dogs don’t go into heat until 2-3 years but I think that’s for bigger dogs and she’s pretty small (Mini). Today she was humping my male Aussie. She’s never done that before. Is she going into heat??

Female in heat - HELP
by: Mary Gibson

I came on this site to TRY and find answers about my little Aussie who has come into heat about 10 days after her six month birth date!!! I ALREAY HAVE AN APPPOINTMENT FOR SPAYING. Now, I don't know what to do. I also have her full brother??? This is a CRAZY situation and I'm absolutely floored. Any HELP would be appreciated.

I DO NOT NEED CRITICISM, CYNICISM, OR ANY OTHER "ISM" - PLEASE!

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