Amelia's First Heat

The thing I have been dreading has finally happened: Amelia has went into her first heat cycle. I've been really concerned about it because of the messes I have envisioned in my mind about it. However, I have been slightly worried that she hadn't gotten it yet, so I am a little bit relieved. A lot of the goldens born the same month as her had already gotten their heat. My Amelia is a late bloomer, it seems.

That being said, we are officially confined to the house for the next several weeks, until it is over. It has only been two days, and she is already restless. The only time she goes outside is to go potty. I was told that I shouldn't even walk her by myself outside because a male dog might turn aggressive with me while trying to get to her. I am not taking any chances.

At first, she was not doing a good job at keeping herself clean. I was wiping her once in a while, trying to keep the mess on my carpet and furniture to a minimum, but today it seems she is doing much better. She's cleaning herself more often now, and I have not had to wipe her since. If it gets worse, we may need to look at getting some diapers for her.

She is definitely not herself, however. She's more clingy, wanting more attention, and just seeming to be more tired than usual. She just looks uncomfortable all the time since her heat started. Three weeks of this seems grueling, keeping her in the house, her long, sad stares.... I am not sure how I will survive this with her!