Stop Compulsive Cleaning? - Page 1

Any suggestions on how to stop a female from compulsively cleaning?

Cirberus is in heat and this time around it is rather messy.  She is keeping herself and surroundings fairly clean.  The problem is Rose (dam to Cirberus).  Rose is so obsessed with keeping the blood cleaned up, she is going behind Cirberus to clean up any spots and even to the point of cleaning Cirberus herself (ewww).   

Rose was like this when she came in heat also.  I just figured Rose was a very clean dog and I appreciated it.  Now that she is showing the same behavior with cirberus, I know this is not a healthy "keep things clean."  Although I appreciate the help, this is truly obsessive behavior that needs to have a stop put to it.

Obvious solution is to keep them separated these 3 - 4 weeks.  I would rather not though, as one would have to stay in a crate most all of the time (Rose is my indoor, companion dog and Cirberus cannot stay outside in the kennel, as it is too easy for other dogs to get to her).

Have you tried pants on her? 

To keep up with the mess or to stop Rose's compulsive behavior?  The mess is not bad (but then again we are only on about day 4 of bleed) and between Cirberus and Rose, almost no mess at all. 

I just think it is odd that another female is helping a female keep clean.  This is the first time I have had 2 females together where one of them is not fixed.  Is this common behavior?

for me, it would be to stop Rose.  I thought that was what you were trying to do.  This is my first time with two bitches in the house at all and the older female is spayed so it will be interesting for me as well....

I have mother and daughter in my pack, both intact. To a degree it is normal behavior, even though to us its gross. Yet I have not observed excessive licking or such. But they will lick each too when they are not in heat (not as much, but they do). They also "taste" each others pee, together with my males. I think it gives them valuable information about each other as they run in a pack (5 dogs). Could you keep them somewhat separated in the house without necessarily crating them? Like, I have a gate between kitchen and front room. I also dont feel sorry having them crated a bit more than usual during that time, providing extra exercise in between, and a chewy when they go in the crate.

"Is this common behavior?"

In my experience with mother and daughter and even non-related females I would say, yes. It may not be the golden rule but it is normal in my experience.

Things to think about and work out.  Thanks for the advise.

On the pants, are you talking about the "doggy diapers?"  Do they even make those in GSD size?   Maybe I could work out some human shorts.......

I can work to keep them separated; I have the baby gates I used when I had all the puppies (lol last until the smart #%! Max figured out how to pull it over at 5 weeks).

I use a doggie panty for Payne and they are made of Denim with velcro on the flaps. I just use a maxi pad to keep her clean. Only twice did she manage to get free of them, once she wiggles out of them on my bed during the night and once i left to run to the store and come back to find them on the floor with the pad missing. Woops! Peroxide time!
Get the doggie panties and things will be much easier. And they make them up to mastiff size.
Fry

My dog wears a diaper like the one Dragonfly described. They come in a pack of two, and we got them at either Petsmart or Petco (I believe the latter). The only issue we have with them is that they slide a bit on her, so we have to keep pulling them up. Every now and then one of the velcro straps will pop loose and they'll fall off in the middle of the night, but thats all a lot better than blood every where!

Oh, they also make the disposable ones, but take my advice and go for the fabric ones that you put pads in. The disposable ones don't stay on for anything, and even the largest size wouldn't fit right on Qira. Save your money and go for the reusable!!!