# First heat- behavioral changes?



## jim stevens (Jan 30, 2012)

My mali is 10 months old, in her first heat. I have noticed that she is acting what I would call 'nervy' since in heat. A loud noise, and she was acting scared/trembly, which she has never done. Normally a loud noise would cause an aggressive/bark and a move towards it. I just thought it was kind of odd. Anyone else notice anything like that?

She is just now in the middle of what as a cow/horse guy I would call a 'standing' heat. In other words the middle of her receptive part.


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## Steve Estrada (Mar 6, 2011)

I think you might find this in all breeds but not always, depends on female. I have a female who is tough and civil yet when she is in season I can hardly look at her without her acting all wussy you'd think I beat her. Just hormones the plague for some females. Just ignore it as much as possible. That's my experience....


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## jim stevens (Jan 30, 2012)

I was kind of assuming that was the case. I haven't had an intact female as a personal dog for years. I had never seen her act scared of anything, and she was pretty much acting as you described, like she'd been beaten.

She wasn't acting like this during the pre-heat stage, but now she's a wuss.


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## Anne Jones (Mar 27, 2006)

My female really has never had any changes in her overall attitude toward work or life in general while in heat. If anything she behaves a bit more civil & intense when working protection while in heat. But she is a very driven hard tempermented dog. I think it all depends on the individual dog. 

10 months is still a puppy & is her 1st heat. She may also be going thru a, typical around that age, puppy 'fear period' at the same time as the heat.

I would see what she is like as she matures & has later heats before being concerned. Alot of females work even better when in heat.


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## tracey schneider (May 7, 2008)

Absolutely the female hormones can make a dog act out of character. I've heard many that are nervous and experienced a super snuggling up my butt female and her sister who was a total bitch in every sense if the word... Took us a while to make the connection and many will grow out if it.... This doesn't happen to all females, just like humans our PMS is very personal and experience differs from cycle to cycle, dog to dog.


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## jim stevens (Jan 30, 2012)

She has become a lap dog during this, a pretty big one. As a matter of fact I got her off my lap and in typical malinois fashion, she jumped over the back of my easy chair (over my head as well), landing in my lap.


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## Annamarie Somich (Jan 7, 2009)

I experience the same thing. My girls act more sensitive to corrections when they are in heat. They react a little skittish toward things that don't usually bother them. They are more clingy than usual. And their first heat usually coincides with a rebellious period which makes it frustrating. I only do motivational training and avoid decoy work.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I've only had 5-6 females in my lifetime and they ran the whole spectrum of behavior when in season.Everything from nothing to go crazy to mellow out.


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## Megan Berry (Jul 19, 2010)

My Bitch Abby goes into season every 4 months, like her mother. She is 16 months old, and has had 2 heats now (She started late).

It is very frustrating with her, because when she goes into heat she just turns into a complete knot-head! She doesn't listen to jack, and she gets as stubborn as a mule. It's like she forgets all of the obedience training we have ever done, and is more interested in sniffing around the grass than the decoy or the sleeve! ](*,)](*,)

Austere on the other hand, has already had a litter, and I have only had her for one light heat since then, and it's the only heat we've had to deal with with her. Mostly she was snuggly and carried around anything and everything she could (stuffed animals, shoes, etc.) She is still able to work, however. She doesn't turn into a total dork like Abby!


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## jim stevens (Jan 30, 2012)

I haven't worked her on a sleeve since it started, but took her out and let her bite a bite builder tug, and she was insanely aggressive in biting, which wasn't what I expected. I was about two feet away, gave her the OK, and she almost knocked me down, hitting me in the chest with her feet, while biting the tug. Her OB is pretty much as always, other than the normal sniffing around, etc.


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