how to age a pup?

1

1stSheltie

Forums Regular
I'm getting confused on how to age a pup. I was going by weeks, as in Julip will be 16 weeks next Wed. so I was thinking, well 16 weeks - that's 4 months! BUT that's not how the aging works right? Really she won't be 4 months til April 14th (because she was born Dec. 14th).

I'm getting this very confused in my head. Yes I actually have a University degree - just not in math! hee hee :winkgrin:

From what I've been reading Sheltie pups go into heat a bit later - what age are we talking about?

Our dilemma: We are going to a cottage end of June (WITH Julip of course!)
So 1st planned on having her spayed end of May - giving her a full month to recuperate. As I was thinking she was 6 months old on May 30th - but now I'm thinking no - she isn't 6 months til June 14th! In which case we'd better wait til after the cottage.

Is there a high chance she'd go into heat at 6 or 7 months old? Obviously wouldn't want that, while staying at someone's place.

The vet said the date we picked in May was great - but .... I wanted to ask here.

We'd be on the beach, in the water etc. - is a full month enough time to heal after a spay, or should we be worried about the sand etc.
 
hahaha I used to do the same thing...lol...but than you realize its just much easier working in months. so lets say she was born Jan 1, June 1 she'd be 5 months..

Generally speaking shelties do not go into heat until 9months-1 year..most are almost at the year mark, so you should have plenty of buffer to work things out!
 
You know that always irritated me and it would work if all the months had 28 days.

If you look at the growth charts they have the 2 month mark at about 8 3/4wks, 3 months at 13 weeks, 4 months at little over 17weeks, 5 months at 21.5 weeks and 6 months at 26 weeks. Seriously irritating but most people do the 4 weeks equal a month. Really you should just go by the same day every month eventually you will be right twice a year. :smile2:
 
Lightplum said:
hahaha I used to do the same thing...lol...but than you realize its just much easier working in months. so lets say she was born Jan 1, June 1 she'd be 5 months..

Generally speaking shelties do not go into heat until 9months-1 year..most are almost at the year mark, so you should have plenty of buffer to work things out!
Click to expand...

Lightplum is right 6-7 months should be ok unless your dog is the one that didn't read the repro book. Diva went in at 8 months and Ember at 14 months
 
Justicemom said:
You know that always irritated me and it would work if all the months had 28 days.

If you look at the growth charts they have the 2 month mark at about 8 3/4wks, 3 months at 13 weeks, 4 months at little over 17weeks, 5 months at 21.5 weeks and 6 months at 26 weeks. Seriously irritating but most people do the 4 weeks equal a month. Really you should just go by the same day every month eventually you will be right twice a year. :smile2:
Click to expand...

hahaha glad Im not the only one irked by that!:lol: it used to drive me crazy doing measurements I have weeks where im like agghh where do I mark the months and the weeks dont match!:gaah
 
Thank you for not making me feel like an idiot! :lol:

I'm glad it confuses you guys too.

Is there a link to these growth charts - thanks!

I'm going to make her spay app. for after - I'll just feel better about it.
 
this is the one I use...the majority of breeders use the second chart the nobel one...its fairly accurate to guesstimate on the size they will end up at:lol:
 
My Sadie just finished her first heat and she started at 9 1/2 months. Then there's Kileaux, my other female who is 8 months and has yet to start her first. I agree that they tend to go a little later then 5-6 months.
 
I've always done dogs at 6 months to avoid finding them just about to come into season and discovering it when they were being opened up for the operation. It was a rare thing for any of my westie or belgian intact bitches to come into season for the first time before 8 - 9 months and most of my friends in other breeds agreed that 6 months would be an early 1st season in their chosen breeds so I don't think that shelties are unusual in that respect. When I was "running on" a puppy and decided that they were not going to enter my breeding program I usually waited until they were at least 6 weeks past their first season before spaying them. That way the blood vessels had time to shrink back to a more normal state and the surgery would have less impact.
 
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